First gear

[ghostrider_23]

I notice sometimes that when I come to a stop light and sit in neutral that when I try to put the bike in first gear it has some trouble going. I pull the clutch all the way in, push down on the lever and nothing. Try it again and nothing. Push the bike back a little and it goes into gear. WTF

Is it me?
Does the clutch need to be adjusted?
Am I not to pull the clutch in all the way?

I don't know so I thought I'd see if it happens to anyone else or if anyone may have an answer for me.

[zirconx]

Have you been changing your oil enough? On some of my other bikes I've noticed smoother shifting after switching to synthetic oil. I'm about to do this on my first oil change for my GS500f, we'll see if it makes any difference. I don't notice the problem you are mentioning, but I think the bike could shift smoother.

[kml.krk]

that's normal. don't worry about it.
In fact, just to be safe and ALWAYS have possibility of leaving quickly do not change gear to neutral, keep it in first and just keep the clutch pulled in.
this ways you can always leave the intersection right away in case of any trouble, without worrying about finding first gear.

be safe

[the mole]

If it happens again, just hold the downward pressure on the gear pedal, slowly ease the clutch out until it goes into gear, then pull clutch in again until you're ready to go. Its not unusual, just that the gearbox selector dogs don't always line up when things aren't moving, so you have to move the bike (which turns the output shaft) or use the clutch as I said (which turns the input shaft), until they 'click' into place.
Certainly having the clutch adjusted correctly and oil of correct spec will help, but its nothing to worry about.

[madjak30]

Yeah, mine started doing that after my last oil change...maybe I should use thicker oil...I used 10w40 the recommended weight, but maybe I should be using a 20w50...not sure...I will do another oil change with 10w40 and see if things change...it used to shift into first much easier and I am wondering if the previous owner used 20w50??  I've only had it for one season...

It also clunks into 1st when I first start the bike...and with the choke holding the revs at 3k the clunk is worse...kinda like riding a Harley...

Later.

[tt_four]

I'd adjust the choke down a bit before you try to ride away. The bike doesn't need to be running at 3k just for you to ride it before it's warmed up.

Aside from that, every bike I have owned has done this at some point. It's usually not a constant problem but it does happen. Sometimes if the gear won't catch I just let the clutch lever out, then pull it in once or twice again then try to shift and it'll go.

[Mart3y]

the same happens to me, i just let the clutch out, put it back in and then try again.

I also have trouble getting it into neutral sometimes. Like if i leave the bike parked in first, turn it off and leave it for a while. then come back, start the bike and try put it in neutral while i get my gear sorted, it wont go into neutral or any other gear. 
once i start riding i can change gear no porblems at all

[mopardwh]

I have the opposite problem, going into neutral after stopped. If I'm still rolling no problem, but at a dead stop some times it's a pain to get neutral. Tried rolling back and forth, easing on the clutch, etc.

[gregvhen]

its not an oil issue, or mechanical issue, or any issue at all. Its simply the gears being in a position where, instead of meshing together, they are aligned and touching. Rolling forward our backward a small bit will align them and is the best way to align them.  Same thing happens with a car.  The synchronizers will be touching instead of meshing sometimes. a little movement will turn them enough to engage.  Don't try push really hard to get it in gear cause you could mess up the shift drum, fork, or gears.

[gregvhen]

to get a good grasp of what im saying, WITH THE BIKE OFF put it on the center stand and try to shift the lever. youll prolly be able to shift once or twice, and then it wont move. turn the wheel with your hand while you shift and you feel and hear it catch. go through all the gears like this, turning the wheel a few degrees with your hand and youll see how it lines up the gear dogs.

[gregvhen]

Yeah, mine started doing that after my last oil change...maybe I should use thicker oil...I used 10w40 the recommended weight, but maybe I should be using a 20w50...not sure...I will do another oil change with 10w40 and see if things change...it used to shift into first much easier and I am wondering if the previous owner used 20w50??  I've only had it for one season...

It also clunks into 1st when I first start the bike...and with the choke holding the revs at 3k the clunk is worse...kinda like riding a Harley...

Later.

it clunks because even the though the clutch is disengaged (pulling the lever), when theres no resistance everything will still spin as if the clutch was engaged. so the noise you're hearing is the dogs hitting each other at high speed (3k rpm).  you probably feel the bike jump just a tiny bit too right?  Shifting it like this isnt gonna blow up your trannsmission, but it will cause some extra wear so I would recomend not doing it.

[Toogoofy317]

I've never heard of "dogs" is this a new term because I thought it was cogs that interlocked 

Mary

[mach1]

the dog rings are a part of the syncrnizer system. I would call it a mechaics ter sice Thats what My teacher used at wyotech but in the books its termeddifferent but also use that term in some other book.

[madjak30]

@gregvhen & tt_four: I usually idle it down to around 2k (or less if it doesn't stall out), but sometimes forget...but why would it start doing it after an oil change, when before the change it wasn't an issue...??

I've never heard of "dogs" is this a new term because I thought it was cogs that interlocked  

Mary

My understanding of that stuff is...cogs are the actual gears, dogs are the parts that interlock the different gears and splines are the ridges around the outside edge of the gears.  If I am wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me...

Later.

[Twisted]

I notice sometimes that when I come to a stop light and sit in neutral that when I try to put the bike in first gear it has some trouble going. I pull the clutch all the way in, push down on the lever and nothing. Try it again and nothing. Push the bike back a little and it goes into gear. WTF

Is it me?
Does the clutch need to be adjusted?
Am I not to pull the clutch in all the way?

I don't know so I thought I'd see if it happens to anyone else or if anyone may have an answer for me.

Mine does this too. You just have to rock the bike a little and it should go in easy.

[4strings]

The locking mechanism for a gear consists of a collar (or dog collar) on the shaft which is able to slide sideways so that teeth (or dogs) on its inner surface bridge two circular rings with teeth on their outer circumference: one attached to the gear, one to the shaft.

from wikipedia

[bkrtim]

This has happened a handful of times on mine as well. More often than not, though, I keep it in first at the lights in case I need to move in a hurry.

[skirecs]

every gear pair is always connected, the shift collars slide along the shaft and the dog teeth engage the side of the gears

when everything is stopped sometimes theses dogs dont line up with the holes in the gear

[Big Rich]

Perfectly normal. And for future readers of this that buy a bike in the winter- that's how you check the tranny on a bike without riding it. Pop it in first, pull the clutch, rock the bike while putting it in 2nd. Release the clutch, rock the bike, squeeze the clutch, drop it into 3rd. Etc. Etc.

The tranny needs to align with the rest of the engine for each gear-  can't just click through them.

[mister]

Being in neutral and finding it hard to get into gear without rocking back./forward is Normal

First thing, clicking into first and there is a Clunk is Normal - if yoiu have no choke on and the revs are Very low it will Stall the bike, the more revs the larger the clunk... and... small move forard. ALL Normal.

Being stopped in gear and finding hard to get into Neutral to start is Normal. Solution is: Move bike back a small bit and try again - even try while moving - or, sit on bike, start it and Then click it into neutral.

Hard to push around while in gear and clutch pulled in when cold is also Normal.

Thank you Suzuki for the little surprises we encounter without our GS's.

Michael