QuestionHey Chris,
I bought a 1991 Suzuki GSF400 Bandit very recently. The bike has extensive maintinence done (i'm including all the work done) which I am very happy with. When the bike is off or getting warmed up, finding neutral is no problem. My problem is that after riding the bike around for 10 min or so, it's really difficult to find neutral. By difficult, I mean impossible. I always end up throwing it into 2nd or back into first. The half click and full click is almost impossible to differentiate. I'm wondering why it only does this after the bike has been ridden around and why it doesn't have this problem when its off or just turned on?
New air filter, just cleaned
New sparkplugs, less than 500 miles ago
Replace sparkplug wires and seal with RTV
Rebuild and synchronize carbs, last year
Reglue intake manifolds from air box to carbs, 2 years ago
Reglue vacuum tube from #1 intake manifold, 2 yrs ago
Replace fuel tank petcock (old one is in box and still good), last year
Clean out vacuum tube check valve which connects fuel tank to petcock, last year
Lube cables, just did clutch
Repair choke cable with heat shrink tubing by lever and lube, last summer
Installed smaller turn signals, 2 yrs ago
New tires front and rear 2,000 miles ago approx
New chain and sprockets, 1,000 miles ago, should last 20,000 miles if kept lubed and
adj
New brake pads in rear, can't remember about the front one
AnswerHi Josh.
That one, I have no clue as to why it only happens after the bike is warmed up, but the problem is likely to be in the shifter forks or shift shaft.
Something is happening that is affected by heat expansion or softening of a shifter component. Whatever the base cause, it is an internal transmission problem and will need to be tended to before it becomes a critical safety problem.
If it is a broken part of the shifter mechanism, then something could break loose and get jammed in the gears at the worst possible moment.
Get it looked at by a local mechanic right away.
Good luck and ride safe.
FALCON
