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False Neutral Downshifting & Noise

11K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Fablox09 
#1 ·
Hi,

Getting to grips the the bikes characteristics (120 miles now) and have noticed that it's sometimes tough to downshift from 3rd or 2nd into 1st while at a stop. If I have the clutch in it doesn't seem to want o engage sometimes.

I guess I could be a little firmer with the gear change maybe.

Also, just once I was at a stop light trying to get the bike into 1st and with the clutch engaged, I noticed a light whirl/ticking sound. Not loud and I couldn't feel it, just hear it. Not a grinding sound or anything just sounded I guess like two components very slightly touching as there were moving and the rans was trying to sort itself out. It lasted for 2 or 3 seconds.

Would this have caused any damage and do you think there is an issue or things just need to settle in?
 
#2 ·
The first issue will go away with time. I'm almost to 300 and it's much easier to shift, the parts just have to break-in and mate with one-another. Don't jam the shifter, you don't want to damage the shifting fork! With regards to the noise, I'm sorry but I have no idea what you mean.
 
#3 ·
Thx. The noise I suspect was from the trans being in-between gears or something sticking (if that makes sense?), but i thought it strange as I had my clutch in? As i said, it was a light fast spinning ticking sound, not grinding or loud.
 
#6 ·
I have heard that they can be like this for the first few hundred miles or so, so not so worried about the downshifting, but more curious about the sound - The sound I suspect was from the trans being in-between gears or something sticking (if that makes sense?), but i thought it strange as I had my clutch in? As i said, it was a light fast spinning/ticking sound, not grinding or loud and just for a couple of seconds. Was wondering if anyone knows what moving parts that could be?
 
#7 ·
I definitely experienced some funk in the gear box for the first few hundred miles. Bike acted funny shifting into 2nd from 1st or from 3rd (clunks, ticks, false neutrals) and would false neutral often from 5th up to 6th. The "ticking" sound I would only find downshifting from 3rd to 2nd or 2nd to 1st. I assume it was the chain tensioner.

After my first service, those symptoms cleared and I briefly had some other funny anomalies for the next 30 or so miles. The bike shifts without issue now at about 950 miles. Realistically, I think much of that has to do with me being clear and assertive with the shift lever...no edge of the boot shifting!

With all the funk and occasional noise, I expected plenty of glitter in my first oil dump, but nope...it was super clean.
 
#8 ·
Bike acted funny shifting into 2nd from 1st or from 3rd (clunks, ticks, false neutrals) and would false neutral often from 5th up to 6th.
There is definitely a flase gear between 4th and 5th and also between 5th and 6th. It can be fixed easily by readjusting the height of the gear lever, no need super expert hands to do it. The factory settings (talking about the Thailand factory setting) are definitively a bit "low" then required.
 
#10 ·
I'm not certain the height of the lever means anything to anything other than your foot. Wouldn't it just require different travel to engage? Are you saying adjusting the height of the lever changes something inside the gearbox affecting how the gearbox shifts by other means than your foot's ability to lift or press the lever fully?

At any rate, I adjusted the gear lever at the dealership before my test ride. It was set up much too high for my preference.
Lowering the height of the lever perhaps leads to a more definite up-shift. My falsse neutrals are always on down shifts (6-5-4).
 
#11 ·
Lowering the height of the lever perhaps leads to a more definite up-shift. My falsse neutrals are always on down shifts (6-5-4).
That's what I wanted to clarify from what Tropy was saying. If that's all, then sure, I agree with that.

Like I said, the lever needed to be adjusted at the dealer's before I could even test it...way too high!

Interesting how everybody gets false neutrals in different sequences. I've never had one down shifting 6-4.
 
#12 ·
No idea on the noise; mine has always been quiet.

The blip, of course, helps on the downshift...and to be even a little smoother preload the shifter just enough to take up shift mechanism slack before a firm tap into gear. Also a perfectly timed flip of the clutch lever, rather than gradual pull and release will slide the gears into place better. Kinda like a factory clutchless shifter, almost.

Same principles with all bikes, but fine-tuning the technique is different with each. My K12 is much trickier to shift smoothly than the Scrambler, and pretty much requires pre-loading, while with the Scrambler it's not really needed.
 
#14 ·
Hi everyone,

I would like to share with you the issue I am having which sounds to me same of the one described by you. Below the email I just sent to my local ducati dealer:

Hi,

I noticed that quite often now when downshifting coming to a stop, so especially from 2 to 1 gear, when I eave slowly the clutch as usual to start in first, the gear is not engaged and there is rattling, grinding, twirling noise. Obviously I pull then straight the clutch to avoid any damage and indeed the noise goes straight away and I then push down again and you can hear this time a clank noise because finally it engages the 1st gear.

So long story short, the bike has shifting gear issues, especially downshifting a bit from 3-2 but mostly and now very often, from 2 to 1 when coming to a stop. This is not only annoying, but also potentially dangerous as when I look left and right to leave a junction and I decide to go, I can't go because the 1st gear is not engaged!! So now at every stop I feel forced to try to engage the neutral to then push down again to make sure the 1st gear is engaged.

NOTE: when I come to a stop changing from 2 to 1, I feel foot can't push more down than that so I am definitely in 1st, but the gear just won't engage properly!

Please let me know if there is anything I can do from my side as adjusting clutch cable, chain tension or what else, especially because being in Cork it is quite difficult for me to justify taking a day off from work to fix my brand new bike that shouldn't have already all these problems!

please let me know,

Thanks
 
#15 ·
Hi guys , I just bought a new 2020 scrambler icon , I have done 177k only. But today I have noticed at the traffic light in neutral a strange rattle from my left carter that disappier when I pull the cloth lever. Any idea? Like a thing that rotate very fast that rattle and it give me the impression of rubber ING inside the left carter. It only does it in neutral.
 
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