Hard Shift

[DesignBuild]

This might just be my paranoia or an instinct that i need to take preventative measures, but I've rode my bike (1982 cb750F) all season pretty smoothly. There have been kinks to work out and adjustments to be made, but nothing serious. Lately, as in the past few weeks, when i have been riding I've found it increasingly hard to shift from 2nd to 3rd, this seems to be the only gear that i have issues with and the others roll through smoothly.

To give a little more detail, i have no trouble going from 1st to 2nd but when i reach the point to move to 3rd most of the time it fails to change gears (which is scary as hell when riding on the expressway). It seems like it shifts, then hangs back in the gear i was in, most recently i have been having to hit the shifter with the heel of my foot to ensure that it has shifted. After that it only takes a flick of the toe to move into my higher gears. I have noticed every now in then (not nearly every time) i hear this weird noise when i shift, just sounds like gears spinning the best i could describe it, or a rattle.

Is this sort of reluctance to shift or the noise for that matter common in these models? Or is this a sign of a serious issue i need to look at in the coming months when i tear the bike apart again. Thanks in advance.  

[ccRider246]

I have an 81. I notice that when I get on it a bit I can miss a shift. Typically, that is between 4th and 5th but I have missed between 2nd and 3rd ocassionally. I think hard shifting can be a sign of low oil, too. I have been using Spectro Golden but next change I am switching to Mobil 1 4T.

I have read that there is an issue with 750's and 900's with a defect in the shift lever (a window too small). I found a fix on another site (cb1100f.net) which i will make this winter.

[DesignBuild]

thanks for letting me know, i will try an oil change and switching oil types. I've been having trouble with leaks from my screw on oil filter (which might have leaked more than i thought) anyways so i think i will switch back to the stock one when i change it and see what happens. good to know it can be something typical though, i've tried to catch these things before they turn into something worse.

[Re-run]

these wet clutches do not like worn out oil. My 78 shifts a little harder when the oil is getting ready be changed.

[ccRider246]

If you think of it, let us know if the oil change stopped the problem.

[DesignBuild]

Changing the oil made a difference for sure, its still a little rough from 2nd to 3rd though.

i switched the oil filter from a screw on back to the stock with a fresh filter (fixed all my leaking), i used the same oil i had around (what is a good type for these). I didn't bother buying a completely new type because I'll be retiring it at the end of September and pulling it all apart again anyways, but it'd be nice to know what to put in after wards.  

[dave Esch]

my 76 750 has that same issue 2 to 3. Intermittent as well. Mine does not hang up though, goes to neutral, which I thought was odd: hitting N between 2 and 3? Not too big a deal yet, just a little embarassing  

[DesignBuild]

mine pops to neutral sometimes when it happens, scares the hell out of me when im moving at 50mph and not suspecting it.

[sjackson]

My bike actually has a problem shifting from 2nd to 1st. Sometimes it just won't do it, other times it goes into neutral and won't go down to first, and other times it just works. When it gets stuck in neutral, sometimes pulling the clutch a few times and then trying to downshift again will work. Yesterday though, I couldn't get it out of neutral for the life of me. I had to walk the bike into a parking lot that was thankfully next to the stop light I was at. And of course, once in the parking lot, my first attempt to downshift into 1st worked.

I've also had it go into neutral from 1st a couple times on me when pulling away from a stop. Although, that could totally be my own fault. Never had that problem before, but also never rode a 30 year old bike before either.

[DesignBuild]

yeah that's one of the biggest problems with these, you never know whether its a common problem for these old bikes or an actual issue.

I've never had trouble getting out of neutral, generally just letting off the clutch and trying to switch gears again works for me. The worst part about it for me is when im already moving and it pops to neutral without me noticing and i throttle so my rpm's jump or go down when i dont, then its scary trying to pop back in gear while moving and keeping it from lurching. (i've gotten pretty good at that by now though)