Hard downshifting into 1st

I have an 06 Rocket that is getting progressively harder to downshift into first. If your going any faster than 15-20 MPH the gears do not want to mesh, it just grinds. When I get to around 10 MPH it wil slip into first. Any ideas out there as to what I'm dealing with? All other gears are fine, upshifting or downshifting. For that matter, there is no problem going from 1st to 2nd. The problem only happens going from 2nd to 1st.
I had both update kits installed last year due popping out of 2nd. I just spent the last two hours adjusting clutch cable tension to no resolve.

The bike just went out of warranty in June...figures...

I can tell you she is very, very sensitive to clutch adjustment, which doesn't stay in adjustment for very long. Before you get too excited, play around with the adjustment and see if that doesn't take care of it for you. I think you'll find it will. Happy tinkering! 8)

Agreed.

Wile E you can feel the freeplay down on the lifter shaft arm also if the cable feel is throwing you off. I alway check both. 2 to 3 mm I like to stay closer to 3 but I also added a extra return spring to ensure the lifter shaft and lifter piece return to free play position.

Are there other adjustments to look at in addition to the cable adjustment collar on the clutch lever? I just spent around two hours riding, stopping, making quarter turn adjustments. No luck on that end.

It's in the manual...

Warp9.9,

I have the 2-3MM of clutch play at the lever before I start to feel noticeable tension on the clutch lever, but the lifter shaft arm moves with 2-3mm of clutch play. Should the lifter shaft arm not move at all?

THX

Wile E

there no need to ride around first this is the most important adjustment



or buy lots of these


in the picture above you can see the short ones
you don't want that.

These are by Rider Rocket man notice the burnt one on the bottom



Burnt ones come from improper adjustment a High revs while the clutch is pulled in it cause the lifter piece to do a burn out in the lifter shaft.
Once one starts it is just a matter of time as it gets shorter and does not lift the lifter piece to free the clutch enough so you adjust more and more till it rotates to far and breaks the lifter shaft like above or the lifter piece like below which is the old style but the same concept can happen on the newer style

also a lifter piece made with to much run out can cause the gauling/burning prematurely. These run out do to drinking to much warm ale during lunch at the manufacturer. Or a bad batch of saki in say a third world country, not to mention the possibility of bad tequilla. One thing for sure it was not Bud light
Hope this helps a little if you want I can take a picture of my extra return spring I install on the cable by the lifter shaft arm it pushes the shaft away from the lifter piece! It might not be needed but then it aint hurting anything

You can try the adjustments first (just like I did). Hopefully that will work. Unfortuneately it was a precurser to the dreaded gear failure on my 06. If it starts to pop out of 2nd. under power (either up or down)...it's just arround the corner. :cry:

On a happy note - she flies like a bat out of hell now :twisted: :twisted:

I wonder if some clutch problems are caused by no preload on the lifter shaft spring. It may allow the lifter shaft to stay in contact with the lifter piece and cause premature wear. I know there is a trick to putting the front cover on to maintain spring preload. If there is no tension on the clutch arm it is not set right. You have to rotate it (the clutch arm) while fitting the front cover.