RE: Gearbox Stiffness

[Gerrit Herbst <Gerrit@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for the feedback, the supplier gave me almost the same advice when I
did the 500 mile service yesterday. He also told me that the recommended
break in period for the engine/gearbox is scrap. My engine also eats oil and
puff a fair bit of smoke when I change gears. 
The reason for this is that (according to the local expert) the rings don't
seat properly under the recommended break in procedure, he filled the bike
with cheap mineral oil and advised me to drive it as hard I can for 600
miles and then only start using the recommended synthetic oil. He personally
owns a Daytona with 4K miles and the bike is awesome and hasn't used a drop
of oil since serviced. He used the above mentioned method on his Daytona
(exact same engine as the sprint). The theory is that with Mobil 1 the
protection during break-in is too good and with the modern plated sleeves
and chromed rings, they just don't seat causing the engine to burn oil. 
These bikes are not supposed to burn oil but please get a second opinion
before you try this on a new bike.

Best Regards
Gerrit 
Yellow RS

Ps. My buddy ('99 Duc 916) had the same problem on 600 miles (smoke) and the
dealer did the same thing. he has done 9000 *HARD* miles since without a
hickup.


Welcome my Brother: 
        The gearbox will sort itself out. It is tight as hell when new. Your
false neutral is 
probably caused by the newness of the gearbox and your inability to make a
"clean" shift 
into 6th gear. Have never heard this before.  
        Ride the hell out of the bike. Spend more time in the lower three
gears. Push the 
rev's a bit. Get the engine/gearbox hot then park and allow the bike to cool
down for 30-
40 minutes. Do it again and again. This seems to help break in the entire
drivetrain and 
EMS module. Gearbox will start to loosen up a bit after 2km to 3km. Check
your oil 
level if possible. The engine eats oil. You need to watch your levels and
"top up" as 
necessary. I recommend a centrestand so you can easily check your oil level
and 
adjust/lube your drive chain. 
All the best and safe riding, 
HSS 
'00 Blue ST 
Philadelphia, PA 

- -----Original Message-----
From: Findiesen-Jr, William H
[mailto:William.FindiesenJr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2000 12:13 AM
To: 'ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: RE: Gearbox Stiffness


I found stiff/notchy shift characteristics to be true on my 98 Thunderbird
Sport and is also true on the 99 ST.  I noticed 2 things:
1st - yes, it does get better with miles/kilometers. The 7-8K miles is about
right for break in.
2nd - Do not short shift during this period if you can help it. I found it
much easier to shift at @ 6000 + RPM.

I had nearly 11,000 miles on the TBS when I traded it in, and it was very
smooth.  Another thing to keep in mind is not to get lazy when you shift.
When you are ready, make sure you make a full stroke. With these in mind, I
found shifting to be absolutely no problem. As for finding neutral, I have
always been in the habit of doing that before coming to a full stop - MUCH
easier.
Bill Findiesen
99 ST - JETT
william.h.findiesen-jr@xxxxxxxxxx <mailto:william.h.findiesen-jr@xxxxxxxxxx>



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