The V7 shifting / shifter problems & questions thread

[rocker59]

Picked up my new V7 Racer today. It shifts fine up and down however when coming to a stop or at a stop it will not go into neutral. Extreme pressure is required to move from first to second or second to first when idling at a stop. If I shut the engine off it goes into neutral no problem. The dealer seemed to think things were stiff and needed seating in but after a couple hundred km's it's just as bad. I seem to remember reading a post about a V7 with shifting problems but I can't find anything. Has anyone else had this problem? Other than that my first impression is this is going to be a fun little bike. It even manages to haul my fat a$$ around  ;D
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

You will need to let the clutch out slightly if you want to shift from Neutral into first at a stop.

Here's the drill:  Pull in clutch.  Push down on shifter.  Slowly and slightly let the clutch out until you feel the bike slip into gear with your foot that's still pushing down on the shift lever...

It's a characteristic of Guzzi transmissions, and not a big deal.

There's no good reason to move from first, past neutral, to second at a stop, so don't do it.  

However, as I said, letting the clutch out slightly so that it can move the tranny's internals should allow you to do it, if you must...

[boatdetective]

You will need to let the clutch out slightly if you want to shift from Neutral into first at a stop.

Here's the drill:  Pull in clutch.  Push down on shifter.  Slowly and slightly let the clutch out until you feel the bike slip into gear with your foot that's still pushing down on the shift lever...

[/quote]

+1  TRUST ME-  Rocker is dead on here.  If you search for it- you'll find other threads about this with confounded small block owners. It's just how they work and it will become second nature. Ease the clutch lever out and apply a little pressure on the lever- you'll feel it snick in. If you just hold the clutch in and stomp on the lever, she will resist your crude advances!

Your toe will "learn" how to shift into neutral in time. It's actually a very rugged, well designed gearbox. Another factoid is that it is NOT shimmed- so it's not an "adjustment" issue.

So, you are faced with the advice I've been told all too often: seat time!  Now get out there and tear off to a cafe on that sexy little scoot!

[DanR]

Sit on the bike, motor off, pull lever all the way to the bar, Put in first gear, Start foot paddling the bike, slowly release clutch lever, How far or how little does the handle have to move to stop the bike ?

How much or lack of free play is in the clutch lever ?

[nosail]

I think some of you are misunderstanding my problem. I have no problem going into first or any gear. The problem is finding neutral either rolling to a stop or at a complete stop. The clutch starts disengaging with the lever only about 1/4" from the grip. I have adjusted the cable at the bar end out and it still won't find neutral. This is frustrating when at a long red light or coasting in stop and go traffic. I was going to look at the adjustment at the transmission but I can't find anything in the manual. I may just follow everything and see whats what.
Dan, with the foot paddling, the clutch disengages 1/2" from the grip. The cable adjustment at the bar is almost all the way out.

[nosail]

Thanks Carl, I just went for a short blast (before the rain) and I adjusted the lever out a bit more. It was better. I hit neutral in a couple of rolling stops. Maybe it just needs some more time to loosen up.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Thanks Carl, I just went for a short blast (before the rain) and I adjusted the lever out a bit more. It was better. I hit neutral in a couple of rolling stops. Maybe it just needs some more time to loosen up.

Maybe it just needs to be properly adjusted.. 8)

[Bearclaw]

Congrats on the purchase Rick!  I'll watch for you on the road in Burnaby.  I bought my V7 Cafe Classic back in December.  I had the same issues you described in your post and I found that fine tuning the lever adjustment for the clutch helped a little, but ultimately it was just miles on the road that eventually loosened up the gearbox enough to now be quite smooth.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Kyle.

[Pfaff!]

I think someone mentioned that the gears are straight cut as well. Is that the case?

Yep.

I can help you finding neutral. It's right between 1st and second...  ;D
It takes some time to loosen up. In the meantime a little fiddeling with the clutch will help a lot.
As finding 1st...

[Guido Valvole]

Straight-cut gears, no shims, and I have doubts about quality control, at least during the De Tomaso era as the mainshaft in my Monza gearbox cracked *outside of the front bearing* halfway through the threads under the peened nut that holds it all together.

Result was that the shaft flexed just enough that the gearset I was in at the time -- third -- went BANG! and shed teeth. As I rattled to the side of the road, clutch in and hearing ugly noises from underneath, my first thought was "if I can get out of this for under a grand, I'll be happy". $850 later, and two reassemblies as the clutch pushrod seal leaked after the first time, it was better than new.

And recently has been shifting incredibly well. Micro-adjustment of the locknut/allen screw combo on the lever on the back of the gearbox is essential, iterative, and time consuming. It helps to have tiny hands. Some Guzzis (Monza) use an allen bolt (metric fine-pitch), others (V50 and LM IV) have a special bolt with a flat projection that resists needle-nose pliers. "special tool" in the toolkit or make your own. Or needle-noses and special incantations…

V50 shifts much klunkier but has half the miles. Just passed 10,000. So not even broken in yet.

Regarding neutral - which one?  ~; 
cr

[dilligaf]

Regarding neutral - which one?  ~; 
cr

+1
Matt

[kevdog3019]

The sb trannies are a bit on the whiny side.  So I'm told it's the straight cuts. 

[sign216]

I wish I could add something, but it's already been said.  Here is a link to clutch adjustment instructions and transmission tips from a racer outfit that specializes in Guzzi transmissions.

http://www.zydecoracing.com/tips.html

They are just like the factory instructions though, because it's hard to fathom the real meaning.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Hey Rick,
When are we going to see this beauty?

Perhaps we should start a bike night
What about Cumpari's on North road near the Louheed mall.
I was talking with the owner last Sunday, he used to ride a Gillera
now drives a newish Bently

Roy

[guzzisteve]

Rick,          Do like Carl suggested, all smallblocks nowdays come from factory w/adjuster at lever loose and almost all the way out w/adjusted properly. Run the lever adj almost all the way in (gives you adj space after cable stretch in future) then run adj on lever in Carls pic in (should be about 1/2 to 3/4 turn) and tighten locknut.  I do not know why they all come this way, maybe it is to sell more cables, cuz after awhile you have no more adj at the lever.  All I have done this to shift like butter and have no problem finding nuetral.  Make sure you have 1/4" freeplay at lever so no load is on clutch rod.

[nosail]

Thanks Steve, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. I'll do it when I get home from work.

[lucky phil]

Wow 28 posts on a simple clutch/cable adjustment.Its not unusual for any bike to be difficult to find neutral at a dead stop,just a bit of clutch drag.
A Guzzi and BMW should be better in this regard due to the automotive style dry clutch which will release more cleanly than your usual wet multi plate unit.
BTW the reason at some times the pressure on the shift lever and gently let the clutch out for it to drop into gear is for precisly the opposite reason to this post.This is because the trans stops completely and if the selector and gear dogs dont line up letting the clutch out a little gets the trans to turn a little for them to line up and drop in with pressure on the shifter.
Just adjust the cable until there is minimal free play at the lever.There needs to be some free play though.
If its still an issue get used to finding neutral as you roll to a stop and give the clutch a couple of thousand miles to bed in.It should be fine by then.
Ciao  

[cjoles]

Hey guys.  Getting the old girl cleaned up before selling her and there is a nagging problem that has been bothering me since I dusted it off from winter storage and started riding her a bit.  When I put the V7 away for the winter shifting was crisp and clean, no issues what so ever.  Come spring time I find its like trying to push the shifter through mush.  All of the gears work fine, no mechanical noise or grinding, just the physical exertion required to change gears is much higher than it used to be and there's no mechanical feedback like a click when it slips into place.  It's very soft just, eh...

I tried adjusting the clutch cable, no joy.  Thinking perhaps shifting linkage needs some lube or even a gearbox oil change.  6500 miles and it's had the 6000 miles service done.

Thoughts?

[kevdog3019]

Check linkage.  Should not be a change in the internals from sitting. That gear lube is not going to thicken unless you boiled it uncovered all winter.  :P  Sounds like grease that got gritty or something external.
-Kevin

[cjoles]

Have a lube recommendation?

[Moto Fugazzi]

I'd try a bit of WD-40 to clean and lube the linkage. If it's a litlle rusty, the WD will help with that too.
Did you just pull the bike out of storage recently? Being 40f around here today, my V7C always shifts slow and mushy until the tranny starts warming up. Take it for a good long ride to make sure everything warms up properly. That could be all it needs.

[Chipmaker]

I had this happen to a v700 and a t3.After sitting over winter the shift rods that the shift forks slide on, got some rust.This made the forks hard  to slide.Had to take the traney apart to get it right.

[gooseontheloose]

Whisper into her left mirror that you're not really going to sell her. She may relax and loosen up.

[Tazturtle]

The only time I ever had an issue like that was when the lock nuts on the linkage (8 in the diagram above) came loose. Wound the rod length back out where it needed and tightened the locknuts and she was perfect again.

[sign216]

I suspect the linkage is loose and/or needs lubrication.  Cold trany oil may be contributing too.  Chipmaker's experience (internal rust) is interesting, but try the other suggestions first.

Let us know how it works out.

[Tom]

Whisper into her left mirror that you're not really going to sell her. She may relax and loosen up.

You'd still have to lube her!   ;D ;D ;D

[Muzz]

I have had the ball(s) on the linkage come loose on the Breva which altered the feel a bit. The nuts on them are a bit awkward to get at but it can be done.

[pbeesley]

There's been some weirdness going on with my V7C since I got it. I posted a couple of weeks ago after I bought the bike and found out that most of the things I was experiencing were normal but I'm pretty sure this problem isn't.

Since I bought it I've felt that the clutch isn't quite right - at first the lever had a lot of slack so I tightened it up. That, through my own fault, made shifting between first and second very difficult when cold and often resulted in the bike stalling as I pulled away in the mornings. Discovering this, I loosened it again to have about 2/8ths of an inch of slack at the lever and for about a week everything was running really well, shifting was much smoother, etc. But then yesterday I rode into work and while the bike was fine in the morning it repeatedly died when I was trying to leave in the evening. I'd got ready to go so the bike had about a minute to warm up, checked the sidestand was up, down into first and out of the car park. When I got to the first junction there was traffic so I pulled the clutch all the way in but the revs dropped below 1000, down to about 500, as if the clutch was still engaged and then the bike stalled. It did the same when I tried to restart it and I had to pull over and tighten the clutch lever before I could leave. After that adjustment it wasn't playing up any longer (though the hard-to-get-into-second problem is back) but what worries me is that the lock nut was still tight and I had to use a key to undo it - surely that means that either the clutch cable has stretched or some other part of the linkage has gone and slipped somehow? I mean, clutches shouldn't adjust themselves, should they?  :o

I still have dealership warranty so is it worth them having a look? Any ideas what might be happening?

Update: Idle revs seem fine - about 1000 when cold, 1100 when hot.

[Pfaff!]

Idling revs are adjustable but not by an analyzer; it's completely manual work. Let the workshop do the job if under warranty, otherwise there's a how-to here: http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=9976.msg147175#new
If it doesn't come up, join the smallblock forum http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/MG_750/ and look for the "files" section. Much about Brevas and Nevadas, but they are all the same unless you got the new motor.

[pbeesley]

be sure to set the slack at the handlever to the value that is requested in the owners manual,
it shall be done with a warm engine IIRC.

Any idea what that might be? I couldn't find any reference in the V7 user or service manuals. I remember hearing 1/8" somewhere but that seems to be quite taut.

The idle revs are normally fine when I pull the clutch in...about 1000 once the bike has settled. It was just yesterday that they dipped and it stalled, I don't usually have to play with the throttle to keep it running.

[pmr15]

I just picked up my new V7 Racer this weekend (my first MG).  Put about 5 hours on it over 2 days and loving it - not a lot of power but a blast to ride.  Couple issues though:  1) Having a lot of difficulty getting it into nuetral while stopped at lights.  From 1st, it skips through nuetral into 2nd and vice versa.  Not a problem getting inot neutral when the engine off and can rock back and forth a bit - but just won't go into neutral when out on the road and running.  Is this somewhat normal for a brand new MG? Will it break in or do I need to bring back to dealer for adjustment? 2) The distance between the foot peg and the shifter lever is a little high requiring me to really jack my foot high in order to change gears.  Can the shifter lever be adjusted (essentially lowered) to make shifting easier and if so how easy is it to do? The owners manual offers virtually no help.   I am trying to avoid a trip to the dealer if I can as I live fairly far away.  Any input or guidance would be much appreciated.  Thanks, PMR15