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Gearbox clunk

Tassie Mike

Tassie Mike

Tuned and Synch'ed
Joined
Sep 8, 2010
Messages
49
Location
Taswegia, the best riding country in the world.
OK, this is prolly more a request for reassurance than anything else.
My NTX now has 2,500 km on it (yes, I know, barely warmed up) but as it's run in the gearshift has gotten increasingly clunky. When I first got it, it shifted fairly smoothly and with not a lot of effort, whereas now it sometimes requires two kicks to make it shift up. No false neutrals yet.
Is this just what they do or should I be looking for something?
 
Hi Mike

It doesn't sound right to me,is the clutch disengaging correctly, try adjusting the lever up one notch on the adjuster and if that doesn't work check the fluid level. My gearbox is still silky smooth (by Guzzi standards) after 3000 miles.

Cheers

Ian
 
From day 1, mine was so much smoother than my BMW ( :lol: that may not be saying much to some folks) and has if anything, just gotten better (20K). I don't shift often w/o using the clutch, but she never takes any effort regardless my efforts and I recall only 2-3 times I missed a smooth shift was when I wore boots with a much different toe design. Hope it's something simple that's handled with routine servicing/adjustment. BTW, in addition to above suggestions, double check the gear shift assembly is OK too. I've had bikes where they get loose, etc., and that will give similar symptoms.

Cheers
 
But wait, there's more!
Did all of the above, to no avail.
However, I have noticed that the shifting is really smooth when I first take off, and gets progressively harder and more clunky the further I go. This is the opposite of my old V65, which used to be really hard to shift when cold but got better as it warmed up.
Any ideas?
 
Sure sounds like the clutch is dragging. The materials often swell a little with engine heat and drag a bit.
 
Mike,greetings from Sydney.
I have done 9,000kms since new on mine and since day one the gearbox has always been the same.When it is cold it just snicks into gear,smooth and quiet, a really nice gearbox.But as the everything warms up the gear changes start to get very clunky as you say.It seems to me that the hotter air/motor temperature the worse it is.

Plus the other thing is I can always tell when I am in 3rd gear as it wines its head off.
I think they call this character don't they.

The gear box oil has been changed twice so far but has made no difference.The 10,000 service is coming up so I will see if that oil change makes any difference,but I doubt it.
Brett
 
On upshifts, do you "pre-load" the shift lever just prior to actually shifting? And it also helps (me) to just give the clutch lever a quick tug during the actual upshift. Learned that on an Oilhead BMW RS, and it works for me on *my* Stelvio.
 
When I down shift or go from nuteral to 1st I get a "clunk", it has always done that. Other than that I use Amsoil 75W-90 syn gear oil in the box and it shifts like a automatic transmission and my Stelvio has 23K on the clock.

I did have issues this summer (it was 26 deg when I left the house this morning) with missing shifts and it was the hydraulic clutch fluid that was cooked, completely flushed the system 3 times and bled the system and it has been fine since.
 
Wayne Orwig said:
Sure sounds like the clutch is dragging. The materials often swell a little with engine heat and drag a bit.
Click to expand...

Good idea!

Brett, next time you're up this way budget on 1/2 a day here and we;ll pop the swingarm off, drop the shock, tug the slave cylinder and measure the pushrod engagement. I've got the tool. The 8 Valvers have a choice of four pushrod lenghts and you pick which one to use based on a measurement talen with the tool. I've got the pushrods in stock so if yours was 'On the cusp' and they opted for one too short we could swap it out with the next longest one.

Pete
 
Rosey said:
Mike,greetings from Sydney.
I have done 9,000kms since new on mine and since day one the gearbox has always been the same.When it is cold it just snicks into gear,smooth and quiet, a really nice gearbox.But as the everything warms up the gear changes start to get very clunky as you say.It seems to me that the hotter air/motor temperature the worse it is.
Click to expand...

Strangely, my new NTX is just the opposite!.
When cold, it is very difficult to get it out of first and up to second.. Almost like the lever is locked in position and wont move. Once going, its OK, but very clunky until warmed up, then it tends to just slip nicely between gears most of the time. When hot tho, dropping from second to first can be difficult. Hitting the lever it moves freely, but it like its not doing anything, and i cant get it down to first without a few slaps at the peddle. Sometimes not at all.
I just rode from UK down to Spain, and a couple of times, stopping at toll gates, I had to kill the engine to take my hands off the bars, because i could not get it into 1st to come back up to neutral!.
 
I also had a clunk in my shifting on my 2012 Stelvio, up and down...worse hot than cold.

Took some advise from the forum and adjusted the throttle cables so there is minimal play (was pretty much there but snugged it up a bit more).

I then moved my adjustement on my clutch lever one notch up (further) and the clunking went away. Smooth as glass on the up shift. Still hear it a bit on the down shift but now where near as before.

Obviously the clutch was not fully engaging for the shift and the lever adjustment compensated a bit on the stroke.

My question is, is this an indication that there is a bit of air in the system and I should try bleeding it or is this normal on a hydraulic clutch. The reach on the lever is ok, but I did prefer the one notch closer. I must profess I am a hydraulic clutch vigin. :whistle:
 
Reviving this thread.

My buddy has a '10 Stelvio and is having clunk issue.

Some history: A couple of years ago this bike started having difficulty shifting into gear. MC was some time spongy so we bled the system and found black particles in the res. It took 3 visits to the dealer before they determined that the MC needed replacement. Problem solved, for a while.

Recently, the bike started shifting into first from neutral, at a stop, not with the usual smooth shift or a mild clunk but with enough force to produce a loud clank and jerk the bike. This is intermittent, some times it does not happen for a while. I put the bike on the center stand and shifted into first held the clutch lever for a while then the wheel started moving a little bit. Of course it did not do this while at the dealer. Two dealers have told this "this is normal, it's a guzzi".

This doesn't happen on any of my guzzis. I know that this bike has a different clutch, so, I'm not sure if the is characteristic of a single plate clutch.

The intermittent nature makes me think that it's the clutch cylinder that is failing. We bled the circuit again found some fine debris, black with some super small reflective flecks. Is there a way to test the clutch cylinder? No leaks that we can see, but as far as air in the system goes. We did use a hose on the nipple so we can't be sure there wasn't any air.

I read Pete's post above about the different length push rods but I don't think this is the problem?? My buddy is more anxious about this than I am. He doesn't want to ride his kids on this bike and is concerned that the UJ will blow up.

Any input would be appreciated.
 
Rafael,

To me that contamination is a major concern. Either the dealer didn't adequately flush the system when the MC was replaced or another component is failing. In either case, the contamination may be from a failing component, or it has caused a component to fail. To me a full disassembly of the components for inspection and a flush of the lines is in order.
 
14000km on my Stelvio and I still get a slight clunk on the upshift. Preloading the shifter helps but there is still a small clunk. Like it was said previously, when it is cold it shifts like butter. Not a sound, but when it starts to warm up, the clunking starts. Sometimes smooth, sometimes a clunk. Usually always get a clunk on down shift. Dealer says it is normal but I am starting to believe that maybe it is not. I have already flushed the fluid once and it was black. Didn't help much so don't think it was that.

I am used to it so does not bother me but is this small clunk normal or is it normally a silent shift on a 2012 NTX. Want to go back to the dealer with some ammunition if it is not in the norm of Stelvio riders.

Thanks
 
John,

I haven't taken one of these clutch cylinders apart before. Can they be opened up, inspected and reassembled without needing new parts? MG doesn't sell a seal kit for this. And you're right the first dealer didn't fully flush the system . The MC tech that replace the MC said that if metallic particle showed up in the MC res that that indicates a failing clutch cylinder. Seems to me that the fluid doesn't circulate and the particles have no way of making it that far up the line. Any thoughts on that? Also, a second tech told us that these clutches have a little drag. This seems completely wrong to me.

Canuck,
We happen to run into a friend/stelvio owner at the dealership and he sat on the bike and tried the shift and he agreed that it was not normal. But we have run out of dealers. The third deal closed last Feb.

What sucks is that my friend paid for an extended warranty but can't use it because the dealers are unable to diagnose the a problem. A new slave cylinder is about $180.

thanks guys.
 
Rafael,


After more thought on the issue, it really doesn't matter what the source is for the contamination. Best repair is to replace both the clutch MC and slave and flush the lines. The damage has been done by the contamination that was left by not flushing the system. That will be the only way to ensure a permanent fix.

Since the swing arm will be off to get the clutch slave, this will be a good time to grease all the bearings.
 
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