odd chain problem

mattg · 11-08-2004, 03:35 AM

my friend has a 93 katana 600, and the chain is kinda skipping. I took a look at it, and to start, he had the chain WAY too tight, but he said it was doing this before he tightened the chain.

when I took it for a spin, it was almost like the front sprocket was just jumpping out of the chain when I'd give it gas while turning. it only skipped/made the bad noise when I was going straight and accelerating once.

I looked as his back sprocket, and it looked like it was on backwards or out to the left too far. we flipped it over and the chain looked like it was ligned up much better, but it still skipped. I know I have the slack set correctly, the chain is old, as is the front sprocket but the chain and both sprockets look good.

any ideas? I'm really at a loss.

scorpion12 · 11-08-2004, 04:29 AM

Sounds like it's time to change the chain and sprockets... front and rear...

silent_R1 · 11-08-2004, 04:58 AM

if after you change the chain and sprockets, I would check over everything external, after that I would wonder about the tranny...my second gear does that with my chain (with new chain and sprockets only under moderate to hard acceleration), the bf thinks I may have a bent shift fork...

hybrid · 11-08-2004, 11:10 AM

silent R1 you are correct, unfortunately I have no prize for you.

This sound most definetly like a 2nd gear problem, those are exactly the simptoms encountered. It will feel like its hopping teeth on the chain when in fact it is hopping dog to dog on the gear.

Take the bike and pull out in first and short shift into second at a low speed and smack the throttle wide open. This will load the motor and consequently the transmission it will jump if the dogs are rounded. Then stick it in third and the problem wont happen.

If it happens once in a while it is just now becoming damaged, but in time it will be all the time because it wont fix it self and the only fix is to replace the gears, shift fork and the shift drum involved. Most people will try to just put the fork in there to fix it but I promise its a temporary fix at best.

Silent.... the R1 has had notorious problems with the second gear, My recommendation is for you to remove the tranny and send it out to R&D TRANSMISSIONS and have him weld it up and undercut it. You'll find out from Mark the guy that owns it how bad the design is, they can only undercut one side of the shift pattern either up or down but not both because Yamaha decided to lose some weight from there and made the gears thinner making it impossible to cut up and down. If you get the tranny out I can save you some money on the service as I am a dealer for their services. I still recommend other thing depending on the year R1 you have

Kawisixer01 · 11-08-2004, 12:16 PM

yamaha tranny=junk......

hybrid · 11-08-2004, 12:20 PM

Dont be so quick to associate it to only yamaha. Gsxr750's had the same problem and the 600's had a problem with the shifter detent drum.

Suzuki is notorious for first year model problems.

By the way for those who dont understand the problem with second gear, its the longest throw between gears on the drum and you all have lazy foot. It only takes one good missed gear to start an irreversable problem. Not to worry you guys. Most take a repeated beating before begining to fail.

silent_R1 · 11-08-2004, 01:18 PM

yeah I kinda thought that was what it was. I had read up on it before, and unfortunately, I think the damage was actually done before I even got it. I am/was planning on switching it to gp shift specifically to avoid this, but like i said, i thought it was already bent. So, the plan is for this winter to pull it and get it fixed and get the shift pattern switched.

So, now we've diagnosed my bike and hijacked the thread completely, is what what it sounds like to you too about the Kat?

hybrid · 11-08-2004, 01:37 PM

Most definetly the problem. I do about 30 tranny jobs a year and its only getting worse. I run a discount on it because most wouldnt fix it if they had to pay a dealer to do it. I still charge about 1500 bucks after its all said and done with parts. But I send them for the undercut. It doesnt make em bullet proof but it helps for the chronic lazy footers out there.

If your R1 is older than the 00 model consider changing the shifting pawl and detent to the 00 or 01 model. Its the only real difference it helps but the tranny still feels a little notchy. You have to machine the some stuff but its not a big deal.

Im not a fan of the gp shift pattern, I learned to ride the regular way and I used to race with the gp shift pattern until one day I panicked and shifted the wrong way and had the clutch basket literally explode in the cases from it. Plus the fact I have to test drive customer bikes and I get confused as to how I am shifting. Test drives are the only time I ride on the street but I cant afford to be buying motors for a brain fart.

The idea is often overlooked on gp shift pattern but its used primarily so that you can shift in a corner as its pretty hard to get your foot under it when your already draggin it on the pegs in some corners.

Try to give the guys at R&D TRANSMISSIONS a call when your ready to do it. It helps and he will blue print it on the bushings and circlips to help keep it tight. I only have good things to say about him, Ive used three different companies and he's the best I have seen.

theorginalronin · 11-08-2004, 03:46 PM

Hybrid, who is that in your icon? God Bless America!

hybrid · 11-08-2004, 03:57 PM

I have no idea. Ive seen it on other forums and found a link to it on trueflava and had to have japbike get it for me so god bless japbike. I am computer stupid so thankfully I just work on bikes

Kawisixer01 · 11-09-2004, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hybrid

Dont be so quick to associate it to only yamaha. Gsxr750's had the same problem and the 600's had a problem with the shifter detent drum.

Suzuki is notorious for first year model problems.

By the way for those who dont understand the problem with second gear, its the longest throw between gears on the drum and you all have lazy foot. It only takes one good missed gear to start an irreversable problem. Not to worry you guys. Most take a repeated beating before begining to fail.

For one I never said that any bike was better than another including suzuki. Don't assume just cause i ride a gsxr that I am claiming they are great. (i got a HELL of a deal on it) In seven years of riding and wrenching i've only seen or heard of one bike that was non yamaha that needed new shift forks, drums, and second gear. That compared to uncountable yamahas. The main probs i've ever heard about with suzuki were the cam chain tensioner probs in the first and second year busas. Yamaha builts a good bike but I would never buy one based on the fact that many people I have known personally and read about that have had problems with the second gear.

hybrid · 11-09-2004, 10:41 AM

For one you didnt say any one bike was better than the other in your first response but now you just did.

Let me be the first to tell you that the '00 model gsxr 750 and the 01 600 had tranny problems, matter of fact MOST sportbikes have problems with the transmission. They are tiny trannies with more and more power going thru them every year. Its not a yamaha specific problem like your making it out to be. The R1 is prone to it but I have explained that one already.

Kawisixer01 · 11-09-2004, 12:43 PM

well obviously you have your opinion and i have mine. You are not going to change that. I have gone simply on what I have seen personally. I have redone those component in three yamahas, a 93 yzf 600r, a 99 yzf 600r, and a 01 R6. I have actually seen more 600 problems than r1. I realize that every model has it's problems. Some more than others.

hybrid · 11-09-2004, 02:15 PM

Maybe you should learn to shift. If youve replaced three trannies of your own I would be wondering what the problem is. Rider error it the most often overlooked problem. Im not flaming you at all I just want to set the record straight. I fix transmissions all year long and it doesnt matter what bike I see they all need it.

The only tranny semi-undercut from the factory was the kawasaki. It lasts slightly longer but still gets trashed.

Kawisixer01 · 11-09-2004, 04:41 PM

Allright asshat i was being trying to be fucking civil. The bikes I worked on weren't my own. They were other peoples. I work on other peoples bikes. I know how to shift fine. I have owned three kawasakis and have not ever had a tranny problem with any of them. Never had any issues with my gsxr besides one or two miss shifts. Why don't you quit making assumptions.