Honda CBR 250 Forum banner

My bike doesn't downshift more than 1 gear

10K views 46 replies 20 participants last post by  vighnesharavindakshan 
#1 ·
So right off let me reference this:

http://www.cbr250.net/forum/cbr250-problems-issues/3257-month-old-cbr250-not-downshifting.html

My bike does down shift now, got a new clutch lever and had it tuned. Now the problem I am having is that I can't get it to downshift more than one gear at a time, no matter what. For instance, I'm in 3rd gear and the light switches to red, I can only down shift to 2nd then forced to rock the bike and get it to 1st. If I'm in 4th I have to hit 3rd, ride, 2nd, ride, then 1st.

Anyone experience this before?
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Is this at a stop? Just asking because you make it sound like it is. Like I mentioned last time you cannot shift at a stop.
Nope while moving, pull clutch in and downshift 1 gear then I have to let out of the clutch before I downshift again which means engine breaking which I'm not a fan of.
 
Discussion starter · #12 ·
So, its been a while and I gotta say I am still having this issue. It is very annoying and prevents me from enjoying this bike. First month was great, but since then the shifting is really, really aggravating.

Does anyone know of a fix? I do not like getting to a stop sign and trying to get to 1st from 2nd for 2 minutes, or worse a red light with a line behind me and taking off from 2nd hoping I don't let off the clutch to fast and it stalls.

I wish I could lemon law it and get my $4300 back.
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
You need to shift to first before you come to complete stop.

Take it to the dealer if that doesn't help. You have a warranty.
I understand that, that is where it sucks because it does not shift more than one gear then it gets all rubbery. I shift down then it let it bounce up go to shift again and nothing. I can go all the way to 6th no prob but I won't be able to go to 4th from 6th very easily, which as you can imagine makes riding anywhere a nightmare. It was totally fine the first few weeks then it started to happen occaisonaly now I am more surprised if I can get to 1st from 3rd!

I tried the dealer and they don't know what to do and don't seem like they plan to figure it out :(
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
Ok. So let's say you are stopped in 2nd gear and want to get to 1st. Can you let out the clutch to the friction point, feel the motorcycle start to try to move, then pull the clutch back in and click the gearshift into 1st? If you can't do that, then something is wrong in my opinion.
Haven't been able to get that to work either. I've given myself a lot of room to downshift and more often then not it won't. When I stop I'm stuck in 2nd trying to drop to 1st which causes me to roll off in 2nd at very low speeds. I've tried the rock back and forth, the let off the clutch while pressing down on the shifter.
 
Discussion starter · #21 ·
Have you checked out my suggestion in your original post?

This is my original thread.

And no to the scooter. This can't be explained as "just what happens" because it isn't. I don't feel as a consumer paying full price for a machine should run into such terrible issues such as this.

I'm really just here to ask the people who know more about bikes if there is a solution, I'll have the professionals do the work but if they're too "busy" to figure it out I'll do it because when it was working seamlessly I loved it.
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·

Oh right, I checked to see if it was stuck or anything of the sort and had the dealer to also but nothing.
Natrix said:
Here are a few things to try:
1) Rev it just a tiny bit while you depress the shifter and then let up on the shifter (keeping the clutch lever in).

If that doesn't work,

2) let the clutch out a tiny bit until it starts to grab.

If that doesn't work, try revving a little and letting the clutch out a tiny bit simultaneously, being ready to grab the clutch back in quickly if it does work.

If that doesn't work, roll the bike forward a little, perhaps while using methods 1 & 2.

You can search the forum here and find a bunch of threads on this topic.

I generally downshift (whether engine braking or not) so I can I shift into 1st just before I come to a complete stop, but I also switch between the aforementioned procedures. I do so with this bike and my CB700SC, which also doesn't love to drop into 1st.

Cheers
I've tried those and so far the only way I get it down to 1st, I always try to shift down to 1st before I come to a full stop, is to down shift into 2nd and let it ride for a minute but sometimes that doesn't even work.

And it isn't just from 2nd to 1st, it is downshifting in general that give me the problem! Very frustrating, and if it is this way with all hondas there is no way I'll own a 2nd.
 
Discussion starter · #29 ·
I checked that other thread Month old CBR250 not downshifting and I see the wind knocked over the bike and bent the gearshift lever? If that is when the problem started, all these suggestions probably won't help.

Not understanding much about transmissions and shift forks, etc. I can only guess that something inside is bent or broken. Many of the suggestions here are not going to help if something inside the tranny was damaged that day. That wouldn't be Honda's fault either... unless the dealer can't fix it, but that's not a warranty issue, it's more like damage from an accident.

This thread is worded like the CB just started messing up all by itself. Is that the case? Or was it the fall?

The reason I don't point the finger at the fall was because it wasn't immediately after. A very small fall like it suffered really should not damage the transmission that bad I'd think.
 
Discussion starter · #31 ·
Yeah if the bikes been dropped it's up to you to either pay to fix it -or- figure it out yourself. I understand that you don't think a little (wind knoocked over kind of) fall could cause issues but here in reality its probaly not a defective bike. Fall could have cracked/fractured internal parts that until they were put under load did'nt/would'nt break. Also if you are at a dealer with a bent up bike saying stuff about "lemon law/defective" I understand thier reluctance to help you- you seem to think its a warranty problem and they might see it more as an insurance issue. Do you carry full coverage? just my $.02
I just wanted to repudiate that while I am thinking lemon law I have never mentioned it to a dealer. The people are great and really friendly so I am courteous with them.

But while it is unlikely I got a bad bike, it is not impossible. I see that a small drop could do some damage, it bent the clutch which means the handle bar took the brunt of the fall, I just don't see a Honda failing from something so minor.

If it is that, I'll learn to deal and not take it in town anymore. I ride it everyday I can and will until I decide I'm good enough for a new bike. I learned a lot with this one, like don't leave it out in the open!

One note, I am unlikely to ever buy a Honda motorcycle again because of this issue. Truly takes the joy of a ride when stopping sucks.
 
Discussion starter · #34 ·
Sorry if missed it but did a dealer fail to fix it under warranty? Did they attempt To fix it multiple times? Do they even agree that there is a malfunction?

They don't think anything is wrong with it :confused: one of those things where the dealer gets on and says I don't see anything. My first service is coming up and going to bring it up again.

And no, not full coverage.
 
Discussion starter · #37 ·
Well since you can't claim the fall as an accident on insurance the next best thing is to talk to the dealer again. Ask to go for a ride with a tech. You indicated they don't believe that anything is wrong so asking them to let you "ride along" should be no big deal. As a new rider how hard were you on the clutch when you first started riding? Does anything slip under HARD accel? Does it ever jump out of gear while underway? Are there any metal shavings in your oil (check oil filter/used oil)? When you pull the clutch to shift how long do you hold it in before you try to shift? Answering some of these quetions might help your dealer/us more throughly diagnose your issues. I still say to ask for a ride along just to verify it's not something you might not fully realize you are/aren't doing. On a side note: I know you are experiencing issues and that sux buy NO motorcycle is designed to be knocked over. Kinda like saying my Ford car just rolled into the ditch-I can't believe it's dented! Well I'll never buy another Ford again. Point is it did something it wasn't built to do and there is a reason it's a $4000 bike.
I was pretty gentle on the clutch simply because when I first got the bike the clutch was too loose, so loose in fact you had to rev to even move a little bit. The dealer tightened that for me which helped a little bit. I live on a military installation so the speed limit is under 30 mph so never and hard accelerating going on. I didn't even get it to 60 until I was at 100 miles on the odometer. I could do the ride along next time I go to the dealer, I'm going to get my first service done soon and was going to see if they can do anything, I'm willing to pay because I want it working right.

On a side note, I was out for a ride Saturday and I was doing alright rode a good 15 miles but on my way home I could not get it to shift from 3rd to 2nd. I stopped and tried rocking it, easing the clutch, everything I could think of. When I did get home I turned it off and wiggled the shift lever for a couple minutes and finally it downshifted.
 
Discussion starter · #39 ·
Is it ALWAYS 3rd to 2nd or does it do this in other gears also? Not quite sure what you mean by the clutch being loose...are you saying that it didn't fully engage when new? When you let out the clutch fully (before they tightened it up) did the bike move before you applied throttle? If you dropped the clutch did it stall the bike out (before tightening)? This might shed so more light on your problems. Oh how black is the oil in your sight window? Is it still nice and amber colored or has it gone BLACK?

Any downshift, I usually don't go past 3rd lol with the speed limit here. Oil looks good.

Now on the clutch, when I first got it when you pulled the clutch lever in it would need to be 4/5th pulled before it would disengage. The wire was too loose. Now its been tightened and works like a charm, that part anyway.

A friend of mine suggests the gear lever could be damaged internally, which Auffitt from a similar thread suggested to another person with this issue. Is this plausible? And how would I determine/fix this issue?
 
Discussion starter · #41 ·
The problem has been 100% fixed! The issue was not the drops, yes shocking, but from assembly mistake. The divot that is supposed to line up to the gear was off by 1/4 centimeter.

Look at the attached image. The red is the gear shifter that was off. There is a divot on it, it must line up with the slot/cut right above it and they must align. If they aren't when you go to shift it'll do what mines been doing.

Now the yellow circle, another problem was that it was not aligned perpendicular with the red. In person they are directly across from each other. Another problem mine had.

But now with them both fixed, for free of course, my bike shifts with the best of them. Much more fun to ride now!
 

Attachments

Discussion starter · #44 ·
Thanks for taking the time to get back to the group and take a picture too.

I got a lot of help from the folks that responded so doing my part and hope it helps others.

And @LaCarlous,
Yes it is more enjoyable. No more terrifying stops and trying to wiggle the gear shifter to at least 2nd before the light goes green...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top