Does Your Bike Also Shift Hard During Warm-up?
Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:34 am
I just started riding and picked out a 1993 Honda Nighthawk. It's in great shape. Since I don't know how motorcycles normally operate and warm-up I need some clarification here.
I don't ride the bike everyday. In fact it was sitting for 7 days before I drove it today. I have a problem with shifting the bike into second. It simply won't do it...until I drive it a few blocks...in first gear. After a few blocks it stubbornly accepts clicking into second gear. A stop sign comes and I'm clicking back to first gear, which comes easy, almost as easy as normal operation. Take off, shift to second and it's not going, so I cruise in first to the next stop. I try second again and it accepts it barely. I feel like I'm going to tear a hole in my boot trying to shift it up. The shifting starts breaking in/warming up, it seems. I cruise like this until shifting to second comes easy. I had to drive for 6 stop 6-10 stop signs. With each attempt to shift up, it gets a little easier. Then I hit a real road and go through all the gears.
After this process, the bike works fine and gears shift fine.
Second problem, which may be related, is I start the bike in neutral, let it warm up rich until it's ready, then tap down into first and the bike jerks forward and dies..as if I let the clutch lever out and didn't throttle. The clutch is not disengaging. So I instead either throttle on a little when I shift from N to 1st, or I leave the choke on while I shift, then turn the choke off. Either one of these lets me click into 1st without the Jerk & Die. This happened sometimes when I bought the bike, but is happening more now that I installed a clutch cable.
It needs a professional to adjust it. Thing is this only happens when it's cold and sitting and I start it. If it's been driven that day, this issue will not arise. I'll take it in for a cable adjustment, which will make a mockery of me ("cable adjustment?"), but still I bet it'll happen because it did before I put the cable in too.
I just want to know if on a 1993 bike, this is normal operation. All these problems go away when it is warmed up and driven back and forth. I feel like it's wasteful to go and get whatever this is repaired since in driving far, the bike is fine. I know if I stopped into Honda Powersports then will say, "Won't know anything until we open the case and look at the transmission." I'm sure they will love to do a transmission rebuild for ...what I paid for the bike... but do I need it?
I'm sure on a 1993 they will find something, and who isn't looking to make money? I don't want to get sold something I don't need. My thought it this is all normal for the bike and isn't affecting my driving after a warm-up.
Third, the carburetors could be cleaned I suppose since when it is sitting and I start it the throttle response in first gear is terrible and matched with the stubborn second gear shift is horrible. The throttle is sluggish and takes a while to take off from a stop. Still this too goes away after 5 minutes of driving around the block and doesn't come back unless it's sitting again. Sitting..the more the worse it seems. 7 days was the longest and I thought the transmission was broke when it wouldn't shift to second for several minutes.
Should I just let it idle in my driveway for 10 minutes and see if this clears it up?
I don't know if idling is easy on the bike though.
It's my first bike and I tend to keep things for a long time and I just got it. For instance, I keep and put money into a 1988 Civic, and I don't mean money for modifications or cosmetics. If something is really wrong with my car or bike, I want to know and fix it.
I don't ride the bike everyday. In fact it was sitting for 7 days before I drove it today. I have a problem with shifting the bike into second. It simply won't do it...until I drive it a few blocks...in first gear. After a few blocks it stubbornly accepts clicking into second gear. A stop sign comes and I'm clicking back to first gear, which comes easy, almost as easy as normal operation. Take off, shift to second and it's not going, so I cruise in first to the next stop. I try second again and it accepts it barely. I feel like I'm going to tear a hole in my boot trying to shift it up. The shifting starts breaking in/warming up, it seems. I cruise like this until shifting to second comes easy. I had to drive for 6 stop 6-10 stop signs. With each attempt to shift up, it gets a little easier. Then I hit a real road and go through all the gears.
After this process, the bike works fine and gears shift fine.
Second problem, which may be related, is I start the bike in neutral, let it warm up rich until it's ready, then tap down into first and the bike jerks forward and dies..as if I let the clutch lever out and didn't throttle. The clutch is not disengaging. So I instead either throttle on a little when I shift from N to 1st, or I leave the choke on while I shift, then turn the choke off. Either one of these lets me click into 1st without the Jerk & Die. This happened sometimes when I bought the bike, but is happening more now that I installed a clutch cable.
It needs a professional to adjust it. Thing is this only happens when it's cold and sitting and I start it. If it's been driven that day, this issue will not arise. I'll take it in for a cable adjustment, which will make a mockery of me ("cable adjustment?"), but still I bet it'll happen because it did before I put the cable in too.
I just want to know if on a 1993 bike, this is normal operation. All these problems go away when it is warmed up and driven back and forth. I feel like it's wasteful to go and get whatever this is repaired since in driving far, the bike is fine. I know if I stopped into Honda Powersports then will say, "Won't know anything until we open the case and look at the transmission." I'm sure they will love to do a transmission rebuild for ...what I paid for the bike... but do I need it?
I'm sure on a 1993 they will find something, and who isn't looking to make money? I don't want to get sold something I don't need. My thought it this is all normal for the bike and isn't affecting my driving after a warm-up.
Third, the carburetors could be cleaned I suppose since when it is sitting and I start it the throttle response in first gear is terrible and matched with the stubborn second gear shift is horrible. The throttle is sluggish and takes a while to take off from a stop. Still this too goes away after 5 minutes of driving around the block and doesn't come back unless it's sitting again. Sitting..the more the worse it seems. 7 days was the longest and I thought the transmission was broke when it wouldn't shift to second for several minutes.
Should I just let it idle in my driveway for 10 minutes and see if this clears it up?
I don't know if idling is easy on the bike though.
It's my first bike and I tend to keep things for a long time and I just got it. For instance, I keep and put money into a 1988 Civic, and I don't mean money for modifications or cosmetics. If something is really wrong with my car or bike, I want to know and fix it.