gears grind and skip

[Troll]

When did the oil last get changed, and what kind? Wet clutches need the right kind of oil to engage and release properly. Check both your clutch cable adjustment and the drive chain adjustment...both are critical to smooth shifting

[Bucko]

The 1500's were notorious for clunking transmissions, much of which can be reduced by 'pre-loading' the shifter, that is, place upward pressure on the sifter before pulling in the clutch and shifting.  I'm not really sure if that's a good practice for the shifter forks, I've just learned to live with the clunking (ear plugs help  )

Transmission that won't stay in gear may be a sign of worn gear dogs.  Transmission that have led a hard life often suffer from this syndrome where the engagement surface of the dogs (or the holes they fit into - not sure what those holes are called) are not parallel and when under pressure tend to slide apart, disengaging the gears.  You may have heard the expression "undercut gears"; an old racers mod in which the transmission is  disassembled and a negative camber cut onto the gear dogs so that if they do slip, they slip in the opposite direction which pulls the gears together.  Undercutting gears can make shifting harder or more clunky though.  Typically gears are not undercut until there is something already wrong with the transmission (like it slipping out of gear  ) and the gears have to come out and possibly replaced anyway.

[Gooseberrie]

I was hoping to kick this topic up the list.

Are you new to the bike and had it not being ridden on? I have had trouble getting into second gear when I bought mine but it went away for a great deal over months and thousands of miles. I can't race it though and shifting definitely goes wrong on a slope. I better have it right when the road goes up like a steep ramp on the freeway or entering a driveway. Shifting into first when the bike is tilted was incredibly loud. Also when I almost have come to a halt, often it did not shift into second but is left in neutral. It is a bit dangerous.

In this light of terrible matters: Is your idle around the 800 or way too high? Shift into gear when the engine idles. The 1st is for lower speed then you might think. Refresh oil when needed and add a little more to it. Then report after riding it some more.

I have adjustable levers. Is it on its highest setting? There is enough fluid in the reservoir?

When the 1st gear is whining constantly when riding any faster before shifting, then my bets, from what I have read, are on the clutch limiter spring, its center wears out. It is a job under two hours to replace and parts cost dollar 60. Please report back to us with more detailed information.

[taxman402001]

My first gear has a whining noise when I first pull out of 1st when the bike is cold and it skips with jerk, can anyone give me any ideas of what is going on?