For a long time I've been fighting with my bike because it had slight difficulty shifting into the 5th but has never missed it, but had big difficulty shifting into the 6th. I'll explain.
From 4th to 5th, my foot sometimes wouldn't feel the "click" but it will enter the 5th anyway. Every time, I had to look at the indicator to make sure it's in 5th. But, as I said, it has never failed to shift.
From 5th to 6th is where my real difficulty was. It has never been "normal" shifting. Sometimes, gear foot lever would move, it would shift into 6th but there was nothing to be felt by my foot, no "click". Just like from 4th to 5th. Then, next shifting, foot lever moves but bike stays in 5th. Then I try again, nothing hapens, then again with brute force, it shifts into 6th and my foot feels the "click". On next shifting, I'd try brute force and no shifting at all, it stays in 5th. Clutch out, clutch in, try it again with just a gentle touch, it shifts, no "click" this time.
So, for me it was a mess. My foot can learn bike's character for shifting. I've never owned the bike that has the same shifting character as the previous one and that was never problem. But, I've never owned the bike that changes the character every time I want to shift from 5th to 6th. Bike has 3.500 miles now.
I've visited my dealer many times. He took the bike to test it and said he feels something was strange but his foot has never failed to shift into 6th. He also admitted that shifting into 5th and 6th is completely different the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. He said, leave it like that, see if there was any change. He also registered in written form my complain so if something happens after the warranty period, I'd be covered.
Yesterday, I almost wasn't able to find the 6th gear. It would fail to shift into it 9 out of 10 times. On my way home from work, I stopped by my dealer. Thanks god, his shop is on the road I use every day.
He really tried to help but didn't know what was wrong. In my mind, I saw bike being kept there for few weeks and new transmission fitted. Then he decided to move my bike and park it beside the new one on showroom floor. He kept observing both bikes for some time and eventually asked if I rotated linkage end for one spindle or more.
Yes, I did, when I installed pegs lowering kit. But, WTF, I've been doing that all my life on the bikes I owned, with zero issues!
He said, as that's the only thing that has been altered, let's put it back on its original position and then readjust on threaded linkage. OK...
He's done that and I was worried as threaded linkage started to show a lot of threads that it looked like it was about to fall off. He said, don't worry, there's a lot of thread to spare on each side. So, to move the linkage end back to it's original position, he moved it for only one spindle. Measured the hight of the lever before to adjust it at exactly the same hight. OK, done, test-ride...
WOW, shifting is now as good as new. All gears in and out behave the same, no problems anymore.
OK, I know, it shouldn't be that way. One spindle move and you get into big trouble. It doesn't make sense but the bike is fixed now and I'm happy again.
