Motorcycle Repair: wont go into second gear, kawasaki ninja 500, hydraulic clutch

Question
Hi, I have a 2001 Kawasaki Ninja 500 and I rode it yesterday with no problems.  I went to take it out today and it wont go into second or any other higher gear.  It goesn into first no problem, but it wont go higher than neutral.  Any ideas?

Jennifer

Also, I just bought this bike used, but it seems to be in all but perfect condition, and I've never had any issues with it before.

Answer
Hi Jennifer.
 Without knowing anything else, I would say that you either have a bad clutch or a broken shifter fork.

How does the clutch feel compared to when the shifter was working?  Does the clutch engage like it used to?

Does the shifter lever move like it used to?  Does the movement feel the same as it did before?

If you have a bad/broken shifter fork, then it will require the engine being pulled and split open.

If your bike has a hydraulic clutch (no cable), then the system may need to be bled properly.

Let me know some more details and we can sort it out.
Good luck.
FALCON