I have a 2006 Ninja 650R. I purchased it in April this year with just under 6,000 miles. It's my first motorcycle and I currently have just under 14,500 miles on the bike. I've literally stalled the bike only 2 times and it's been dropped once by me while parking it. I'm not sure what the previous owner was like though. I use it almost everyday for commuting here in Minneapolis so it gets a good amount of stop-and-go traffic, highway riding and inner city traffic. I changed the oil about 1,500 miles ago. I used the same oil and filter as before 10w40 BelRay EXL Mineral Oil and Kawasaki filter. I noticed right around the time that I last changed the oil the bike was harder to shift from 1st to 2nd and would fall into neutral. I figured that I just needed to be firmer with my shifts. I preload the shifter, pull in clutch, close throttle, click up and open throttle just like usual. Right around the time I changed the oil it was starting to get colder (30s during the morning commute and 40s and 50s in the afternoon). I asked a friend who races motorcycles and he said that once the bike is warmed up I shouldn't be having any problems with the shifting. Maybe I'm using the wrong oil, but the local shop recommend I use the 10w40. I'm shifting exactly the same as I've always done... Occasionally I'll shift from 1st to 2nd and the gear will be "locked in" and then I'll give it some gas and it will drop down into neutral again...This only happens once in a while though. Recently I've also notice that when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear the shift lever will become loose and if I try to click it up it won't go into gear. I just wait a few seconds and try again and it works. Anyone have any ideas as to what's going on?
The shift lever isn't contacting anything on the way up is it? Does it work correctly on downshifts? If the lever is hitting something, it might not being going all the way into gear.
Nope, no rubbing on anything. It works just fine on downshifts. Also up shifting without the clutch from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd is very jerky, but the top gears it's silky smooth.
It sounds like the shift drum detent mechanism is loose or the spring has broken. Its usually not a hard fix but on some bikes its located inside the case halves requiring a case split. On most it right behind the clutch hub. Its usually small springloaded arm with a littlle wheel attached that keeps pressure on the shift drum ,locking it into each gear as the drum rotates.
