CURIOUS - is the Clunk on shifting fm Neutral to First/Reverse Normal?

[oldguyinTX]

I know that it is a "quirk" of the SE5 transmission that it "clunks" when shifted from neutral to first or reverse. I guess that this is an idiosyncrasy of the centrifugal force clutch. My question is, just to satisfy my own curiosity, does the SE6 do this as well? Also, does the SM5 and/or SM6 do this also? Just wondering.

[Bob Denman]

Yup! They ALL do it. It's just the nature of the Beast.

Stand around, and listen to an infestation of Spyders getting ready to leave a parking lot...

[fjray]

It's not just the spyder. It's a common thing on bikes in general. You have a bunch of gears turning in unison and then you shift into gear so things all of a sudden have to rotate at different speeds. If you're ever around a bunch of FJR1300 Yamaha's it sounds like a blender full of rocks when they all engage first gear at the same time.

[PW2013STL]

If you thing ours are loud - try a group of Harleys!

[Bob Denman]

That can sound like a bunch of axe-heads getting shoved into tree chippers!

[billybovine]

Every motorcycle or atv that I have ever owned or driven has clunked going into 1st gear.

[paforonda587]

I know that it is a "quirk" of the SE5 transmission that it "clunks" when shifted from neutral to first or reverse. I guess that this is an idiosyncrasy of the centrifugal force clutch. My question is, just to satisfy my own curiosity, does the SE6 do this as well? Also, does the SM5 and/or SM6 do this also? Just wondering.

Yes my 2015 RTS SE6 does clunk also. Not anyway near as bad as a Harley though.

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

[ARtraveler]

I know that it is a "quirk" of the SE5 transmission that it "clunks" when shifted from neutral to first or reverse. I guess that this is an idiosyncrasy of the centrifugal force clutch. My question is, just to satisfy my own curiosity, does the SE6 do this as well? Also, does the SM5 and/or SM6 do this also? Just wondering.

Yes, have experienced it on "all" my . That first shift of the day can sound a bit scary. No major tranny problems in over 130,000 miles though.

[Dick Wells]

The Spyder 5 speed is one of the best bike transmissions that I've ever used. And, for those bikes that have a reverse, the Spyder's is the best in the business. All the bike transmissions, as far as I know, have constant-mesh gears, these days, and they (usually) go from gear to gear very smoothly, even without using the clutch, but when you're in neutral, the constant mesh is somewhat out of the picture, and the locking dogs are whirling around the faces of some of the gears "next door", so that when you throw the clutch and shift into gear, you're making a set of dogs stop, or slow an adjacent gear when the dogs catch in the slots. Dogs and slots will/should form little radii that will allow smoother engagement, as the transmission wears-in. That's one reason why shorter oil change intervals are better for new bikes, and why you just might see filings on a magnetic drain plug, or in a torn-apart oil filter. Still, the gears are never going to wear in to the point of being silent on going into gear from neutral.

Right on, about Harley's. I think the factory must feel that the gears that worked for them in 1903, and didn't break, must be good for the 2000's as well, eh? Even BMW's, if I remember correctly, can be pretty "crunchy".

You ought to be on board my Sierra, when I shift in, or out, of 4WD-Low, without using the right technique. Do it right, and it'll be silent. Do it wrong, and it'll make dollar signs flash through your vision.

DW

[Chupaca]

But just to point out...the big V twins and singles are the noisiest. The triple, inline and V fours are better because there stroke is shorter. Hence the name tumpers for the singles and V twins...So when in nuetral the gear box is idle, then you cram a spinning crankshaft into it and Walla..!! a big clunk.. but now all the gears are spinning so all the subsequent shifts are merges...

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I do think the new trans on the SE-6 shifts quieter ...................jmho, Mike

[bscrive]

Even my new Goldwing Valkyrie clunks into first gear.

[Bob Denman]

I wonder if it's the result of the new engagement clutch design?

[Bfromla]

Was also concerned with how loud the clunk was at first relaxed after my tech informed me it was the shift silonoid impact not the tranny

[Dick Wells]

When in neutral, and the clutch is released, the crank is already hooked to the input shaft. Of course, when you throw the clutch again, most bikes won't (totally) stop the rotating force of the crank, some "drag" may be present. The force (rotating mass) that the crank has imparted to the input shaft (and, probably, at least one countershaft) is what we have to stop when engaging a gear. On big-displacement bikes, that rotating mass has to be greater/heavier, just because we have to make the transmission components heavier, with a greater load carrying capacity for a bigger bike, My 325 Bultaco two-stroke single would put out a ton of torque at very low rpm's, and hardly made a noticeable noise when engaging a gear from neutral. But, the whole gear-train probably didn't weigh more than 5 lbs. Funny thing, Bultaco always claimed that the transmission would take up to 150 horses, and I didn't doubt it (the gears were very rugged), but I'll bet a great deal, that they wouldn't withstand the kind of torque that a Harley would put out. Totally different scenario.

[BamaJohn]

Yup! They ALL do it. It's just the nature of the Beast.

Stand around, and listen to an infestation of Spyders getting ready to leave a parking lot...

My 1989 BMW K100RS doesn't make a sound when shifting into 1st gear. Could it be the difference in a wet clutch (most motorcycles) and a dry clutch (the K100RS)? I think so....

My 2015 F3-S certainly clunks loudly when shifting into 1st or reverse.
jb

[Lew L]

THe SE6 is a clunker when cold but quiets down and easy when warmed-up. On my Valkyrie and V-max---- if I hold the clutch in for 10 sec. or so , or even work the lever a few times the neutral to first shift is easy. Just sayn'

Kaos

[BajaRon]

As others have stated, the simple answer is in the 'Constant Mesh' transmission.

With this kind of transmission, the gears are always engaged as long as you are in a gear (clutch in or out). When you shift from one gear to another there is no neutral. You are simply transitioning from one fully meshed condition to another fully meshed condition. So, for example, going from 1st to 2nd there is virtually no spin differential between the mating gears. Hence, little or no 'Clunk'.

But when you are in neutral, some of the gears are spinning happily and some are not spinning at all. When you shift from neutral to 1st gear or reverse, these relatively heavy gears come together abruptly. The connection is steel to steel and you get the beloved 'Clunk'.

The larger, heavier and faster these gears spin, the bigger the clunk. The oil you use can also make some difference. That is why you get a bigger clunk when the bike is cold.

[stillriding]

I do think the new trans on the SE-6 shifts quieter ...................jmho, Mike

​I agree.

[SpyderSteveFL]

Does this also explain while shifting up through the gears (especially 1-3) sometimes its really butter smooth but sometimes there is a small clunk? Dependent on load, speed, throttle?

[Pampurrs]

If you thing ours are loud - try a group of Harleys!

That's why Harleys are so loud...... so you can't hear them clunk into first gear

Pam

[Dick Wells]

My 1989 BMW K100RS doesn't make a sound when shifting into 1st gear. Could it be the difference in a wet clutch (most motorcycles) and a dry clutch (the K100RS)? I think so....

My 2015 F3-S certainly clunks loudly when shifting into 1st or reverse.
jb

Absolutely. There's always "drag" between the plates in a wet clutch, when the the throwout pushes them apart, because of the oil film in there. Your dry clutch allows complete disconnect from the crank to the transmission, just like in most cars. Theoretically, my Spyder should crunch less, once the oil gets hot, because it shouldn't drag so much, but it doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. Well, I guess this thread is going to make me pay some attention to that scenario, next ryde, and check that theory out. Fact is, I like starting it in gear just so that I don't have to hear the clash of shifting out of neutral.