Hey everyone, new here (TGG from the Anandtech forums directed me over) and I had a quick question...

Now, don't kill me, but it's not about a GS500. It's actually in regards to my '01 Kawasaki Ninja 500R (hey, at least the engine sizes are the same, right? heh). Anyways, here's the problem: I've noticed that over the past few months, the bike has slipped out of gear a few times. It seems to be doing it more recently, though that might just be my paranoia acting up.

Also recently, I've heard (two times, if I remember correctly) a weird "cluncking" coming from the bottom of the bike somewhere. Almost sounds like I ran over something large and plastic, and it came up and hit the underside of my fairing. That's what I would've assumed happened, if this other bit wasn't going on. And today on the way home, as I was coming to rest at a stoplight, I noticed that as I idled in neutral, there was a clicking/cluncking coming from the direction of the gearbox. Sound went away when I shifted into 1st and rode off, and didn't hear it again...but that was pretty disconcerting.

So, any ideas what the problem could be? It's had regular oil changes, chain has been lubed every 500 miles or after riding on wet pavement, and it has 12k miles on it. The clutch lever itself seems to be working fine, and the cable looks good as well...not loose, no tangles or pinches, etc. Shifting also goes smoothly, except for the rare occassion when, as stated above, it drops from the newly shifted-to gear into the previous gear.

Someone recently told me theres a ex500 specific forum out there somewhere but I've yet to find it. maybe its a yahoo group? Anyway, I'll take a stab at it here-First thing I'd check is to make sure the oil level is topped off. On the GS, at least, shifting is sensitive to the smallest drop in oil level. Could also be (worse case, big $$) that the shift fork has been bent or broken through abuse/misuse during the life of the bike...check the oil level first.

Get a GS500! Better forum.

EX500 Ooooooo hissss! hissss!

Now that that is out of the way.

Is it happening between 1st and 2nd gears? Is it when you shift that it fails to go up or you are just riding along and THUNK! it drops?

My initial theory is that you may have a bent shift fork or bad gear dogs. Kawi transmissions are notorious for chewing up 2nd gear.
BUT
If it doesn't happen only during shifting or a specific gear then it could be clutch related...
input! Need more input!

Sell it and get a GS500

It has happened between 1st and 2nd gear, but if I remember correctly it tends to happen more when going from 3rd to 4th.

As best I can remember, it has never just been riding along and "thunk" gone into the previous gear or neutral. It seems to clunk out a few seconds after changing gears.

How long has it been since you changed the oil?  I would change the oil to just regular 20-50w and fill it to spec.  cost ~$10

Also are you shifting hard enough?!?  I noticed that once and awhile I will get lazy and only give it half a shift.  It will go into the next gear but occasionally it will jump down as you describe, to the previous gear.

As for the clunking,  I would get a small metal screen and put it where the oil will drain out and see if there are any metal shavings in there.  Also check your oil filter.

Oil was changed a little over 3k miles ago. Getting it done again once I head back up to school in about a week and a half. However, the slipping has happened even a few miles after previous oil changes.

Now that I think about it, I believe that the bike did slip out of gear one time not immediately after shipping. It was while getting up to speed on a highway onramp (i.e. under heavy throttle). It was in fourth, and slipped out...though I don't remember if it slipped to neutral, or back into third. It's done both (i.e. slipping totally out of gear into neutral, or slipping into the previous gear).

hmm... could still be alot of things.  In order of catastropy:

The shift lever or linkage might be loose. If its not engaging all the way either thru a worn linkage or if the lever is at the wrong angle, it may not be turning the shift drum far/hard enough to get the gears to engage completely and they are slipping apart. The next time you ride, when you shift, do it deliberately with more force and length than you normally do.

The shift mech or spring might be worn. There is a ratchet and paw type gizmo attached to the shift drum that actuates it. If they are worn out or bent it could be causing the above too.

Bent/worn shift forks. The forks are what actually moves the gears back and forth on their shafts.  If they get bent from being forced to many times against un-synced gears, they stop moving the gears far enough to lock into place.

Worn damaged gears. Unlikely because this tends to cause consistant problems (unless yours is just now starting to go bad).  If you change your own oil, have you ever noticed alot of metal bits or a silvery color in the oil?

I doubt its the clutch because you would feel it slipping or pulling and it would make shifting hard all over, but not drop the bike out of gear.

let us know how it goes.

The gears in my KZ440 if I remember right (an upgraded version of it was the EX's motor) has what I call the kwak's click clack...The gear lever moves down and makes a click sound...stay on it and it moves down very very little and makes a clack sound. That clack sound is where I consider shifting complete. My GS and most other bikes straightaway give that clack sound...of course it sometimes is a thunk or a clunk but that high pitched clack is what I believe happens when the gear engagement dogs lock in. Yours sounds like a badly under cut tranny. They shave off the dogs corners to make engangement and disengagement possible under load when they under cut trannies....If not done right it will shift on its own.
Cool.
Srinath.

I had pointed towards the oil issue, but i thoguht you guys could help more..

Could it be possible that its not locking into the gear and popping out? My GS sometimes does that on a miss shift (even with oil level good).

Anyway I am due for an oil change so hope  that disappears.

I am clueless otherwise..

Well, I'll get the bike checked when I head back up to school and let you know. My guess is (as a lot of others have mentioned) that either something is loose or worn in the gearbox itself. The clutch really hasn't given me any reason to think that it's bad, and since it's done this fairly immediately after an oil change, I don't think it's old/low oil, either (just checked it again an hour ago, and all is well).

I'm planning on selling it soon to upgrade to a 600/750, so I want to at least know what the problem is and inform the buyer about it. Thanks for all the input so far.

Edit: Oh, and by the way...if I do get a 750, it'll be a Suzuki. Happy now?

Only if its a air cooled Suzuki 750. Ok fine air oil cooled. That should be plenty modern....after they go water cooled its no longer a suzuki.
OK fine Pre 96 ...
Now we happy.
Cool.
Srinath.

You may wanna consider opening the clutch cover on the engine and taking a look at the clutch basket - they tend to wear easily if you tend to do hard take-offs.  12k miles is pretty low to be getting sounds from you engine, but hey, who knows...


Good luck.

"since it's done this fairly immediately after an oil change"

Maybe you(someone else) put in the wrong oil?  Too thin, too thick.  Energy Conserving oil etc...

i was thinking it might have been energy conserving oils.. i know the dealer i used to take it to which is now bankrupt took it from a bulk oil container.. dont know who provided teh oil..

I'll look around and see if i have the tools down here to pop the gearbox cover off...only thing I'm worried about is that it's a vertical seem gearbox, and so if I take off the front, is everything gonna pop out at me?

dont you have a repair manual like the ones we have?

By the way you can go ahead an do an oil change to see if that that solves it. use either Shell Rotella or Mobil DeVac oil (high detergent / less friction modifers).. should cost you about 10 bucks and about 20 minutes of your time..

If it doesnt solve it your anycase going to take it to the dealer.

now see theres your problem. you have it solved its just you dont know what it is. its because its a kawasaki (ewwww) sell it and get the gs500 best 500 ever built (well at least in my opinion and most peoples around heres opinion) only minor problems if any and the gs is built like a rock.

Quote from: WhisperI'll look around and see if i have the tools down here to pop the gearbox cover off...only thing I'm worried about is that it's a vertical seem gearbox, and so if I take off the front, is everything gonna pop out at me?

he he no. The actual crank cases are horizontal. The side covers you can get at with the engine in the frame are covers over the generator and water pump (left) and clutch (right).  You can't see any of the transmission parts at all unless you drop the belly pan. And then you only get glimpses. I can't remember which side the shift mech is on, but  I think it is behind the clutch like on the GS.

I would recommend you DON'T go poking around at your engine's innards until you at least have the factory service manual or the Clymers for the EX.