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V7 Racer Transmission Issue

Steven Ellsworth

Steven Ellsworth

Tuned and Synch'ed
Joined
Jun 25, 2015
Messages
33
Location
El Paso
I had a minor issue in the summer with my transmission. The neutral light will go out and act like its in 1st gear, but when I go to shift, it is clear not and will just rev high. I have to tinker with it to get it into 1st gear. This morning, I had to wait until it get hot so it would go from 1st into 2nd. I have heard about false neutrals or false 1st gears. Has anyone else had or currently has this issue? I have quickly become less enamored with my Guzzi. i am thinking that this bike will go the way of the dodo and be sold off. I have a Ninja 650 also and I don't have that issue with that bike. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,


Steve
 
Check the linkage adjustment on the shift lever. If the throw isn't long enough, it may not enter first. Also you may be just moving the selector just enough to have the light go out, but not fully engage the shift collar dogs. Sometimes gearboxes need to break in a little. Holding the selector down and easing the clutch or rocking the bike should give you a positive engagement of first
 
I hope you are correct. I am taking it into the shop this week. If this becomes a nagging issue, I will be ridding myself of the problem. I love the bike, but I am not going to babysit it the rest of the time I own it. From the same dealer, there was another guy who bought the same model and he had the same issue. I am hopeful the dealership, who are idiots by the way, can quickly decipher my issue.
 
I love the look of my bike. I am going to be giving the local dealership a call tomorrow. Going to have them check the bike.
 
It may just be a case of getting used to the bike.
On some bikes it helps to pull in the clutch and then wait before trying to put it in gear. On other bikes it helps to try putting it in gear right after pulling in the clutch. On still other bikes it helps to partially release the clutch while applying force to the lever to put it in gear.
That last method seems to be what our Lario likes.
As a rule I never trust the neutral light on any Italian motorcycles.
 
Well, I finally got my bike back. I have been told it is me and not the bike. I don't buy that, but have been told these bikes are a bit finicky. It is really tough to ride when it is cold. It is difficult to get it into 1st gear until it has sat, heating up. If I try to ride it without giving the bike approximately 5-8 minutes warming up, I can barely get it into 1st and then it will not shift out of 1st to 2nd until the oil in the tranny or linkage has heated up. Not happy, but am told this is the price we pay for riding bikes made for warmer weather.
 
Mine is a 13 model. Contrary to yours mine gets the tranny really hard when it gets hot....but its the character of the bike...at least that s what ever one says...from what i learned you have to be rough with the bike....i love mine ...very much. In my opinion its not different from 70s bikes
 
Sometimes a gear oil change can transform a gearbox. Have you tried either Mobil1 75W90 or Redline of the same weight? These gearboxes seem to perform best with a quality synthetic gear oil. It the gearbox has the same oil as the final drive, it is too heavy for the gearbox.
 
I'd suggest reading up on how to properly adjust the clutch cable and do it yourself. My 13 had a lot of tension on the lever but shifted fine. I adjusted and now easier to pull and shifts great. Just because they are a shop and a mechanic does not always mean they know how to work on everything, but they might think they can.
 
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I am riding the bike this weekend. I let it warm up 5-7 minutes today and it worked fine. John Ziebell had mentioned the gearbox changing after a service/oil change. Now that you mention it, I do think it started after my first service. If it persists or gets worse over the Holidays, I will definitely take it back in. I am glad these bikes have long warranties. I will ask and mention a potential linkage adjustment. I want to keep the bike, but I don't want it to become something I have to babysit.
 
I just rode home. It is 62 degrees here and the transmission worked okay. I just don't think these bikes like it either cold nor hot. The bike likes to be ridden around 75 degrees.
 
I would like to further ask the forum how long does one need to warm the bike. The manual says to "NOT" idle the bike to warm the engine oil. Can someone please provide me with guidance. It worked find after I gave it 5 to 7 minutes to "warm" ,but am I NOT supposed to have to do this??
 
They run so lean, you just about have to warm them up for a while, unless, of course, you get Todd's reflash on the ECU. Then you can pretty much start it and ride it.
 
The best way to warm up any vehicle is to get it moving immediately. Just take it easy for a couple miles until things warm up. Warming up the engine does nothing for the gearbox or tires.
 
John, I wish that would work. Unless I warm it up first, the linkage in the transmission is cold and It will NOT go into second gear. In the summer time I do not appear to have this issue. I am VERY close to trading the bike in on ZX-14R.
 
I have sent an email to Moto Guzzi asking if it is a "requirement" that I warm the bike up prior to me riding. All I would need is to get going, the transmission not be warmed up enough and can't get out of 1st gear. That would create a bad day.
 
How many miles on the bike? Who did the last service (oil change)? I ask because I'm thinking maybe gear oil (the stuff for the bevel box) was put in the transmission. This would indeed cause the problems you're having.
 
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