Chunky Shifting

So, I was threading through slow moving traffic last week and it was hot out. II got to an area where I couldn't lane split anymore and traffic was stopped. I tried to downshift, but I couldn't get the bike into neutral. I didn't want to stomp on it, but when the light changed it was hard to get her moving because I was in the wrong gear. I got to another light and had the same problem with downshift. Couldn't get it down to neutral, but now, (clutch is pulled all the way in) I can feel idle pulling the bike forward as if I'm letting the clutch out.

I got to the supermarket, went inside, did my thing, came out, neutral was no problem. I'm guessing it's a heat issue. Bike is in excellent shape 2002 KZ1000p. Plenty of fresh oil, 42,000 miles and the top end was rebuilt about 3,000 miles ago. Any ideas how to avoid this or prevent this from happening again?

Thanks in advance!

Lane splitting? :blink: That's nuts; I hope you have a good insurance policy.

Regarding the shifting; it sounds like you need to use the instructions in the Kawasaki Service Manual to properly adjust the clutch. There's more to it than just turning the gizmo next to the clutch lever. Ed

Cautious lane splitting is better than frying your engine in stalled traffic. My bike gets hard to shift also in high heat and the clutch is adjusted per Kawasaki FSM. Feels like the gears or shift forks get in a bind on the shaft when hot. Mine is actually worst when full of oil on the sight glass and better if the oil level is a bit lower, for some reason. Have tried different brands of oil and no change.

Lane splitting where I live will get you maimed or killed. No joke! I've seen 2 folks try it and those 2 folks got hurt. Cagers in my area are already dangerous enough even if you are driving a truck. Just this past Friday my wife an I just saw a car upside down on its roof with a bunch of injured folks scattered around it. This was in a 30 mph zone. How does one flip a car upside down in a 30 mph zone that has bumper to bumper traffic??? What's more amazing is that It's the second one I've seen within 1 block of that spot! :blink: Ed

Three tweakable things affect this:

1) Clutch adjustment. As mentioned, you have to do the adjustment on the sprocket cover to get it right
2) Shifter lever adjustment. There's about a 3mm range where this shifts properly. If either pedal is too low, then you'll either have trouble shifting into 1st or you'll hit neutral instead of 2nd. Make sure that the linkage bolts are not loose, as that will also cause clunky shifting.
3) Engine oil. It makes a big difference in the feel of the clutch. I use Mobile 1 Delvac 1300 20W-50 diesel oil.

From your description, it sounds like a combination of the three items above. Adjust everything and change your oil and you'll notice a world of difference.

Being in traffic sucks. If your valves are too tight then the bike will be powerless when it overheats, I can't overstate how important it is to have the valves clearances adjusted properly.

You can get more life out of your clutch friction discs by taking them out and cleaning them in gasoline or ATF (over time they can get covered in varnish, it is unlikely that the PD ever changed the clutch, so if you didn't, then it's probably the factory one. The OEM clutches last about 40k miles). Also, new clutch springs wouldn't hurt.

Okay, let me address this.

I live in Los Angeles and as you may or may not know, lane splitting is legal in California. A lot of ink has been spilled on this issue in other states and in reality, it's actually safer. Now, can we go blazing by slow moving traffic at breakneck speeds? No, we can't. That would be crazy. As it stands now, the rules are a little murky, however, you're supposed to pass at about 35 or below and may not pass at a speed that exceeds the moving vehicles around you by 5 mph. I've been riding in California since 1997 and have yet to trade paint with anyone while lane splitting. True, there is a risk to it, but there's also a risk in riding a motorcycle in the first place. Also, here it's a necessity. It keeps the engine speed at more of a constant as opposed to continuous starting and stopping, as well as air moving over the motor. It's also safer. When you are between vehicles (especially at a stoplight) there's no chance some phone-wielding ignoramus in an SUV can crush you into the car in front of you.

As for the clutch, it's new-ish, but I'll bet it could be adjusted, as well as the valve clearances. I'll also check the shifter lever as well as the linkage bolts.

Thanks!