A couple of Questions from a newbie about the SE6 and shifting...

[jlg]

OK folks, I have a couple of questions since I just picked up my 2014 RT-S SE6 yesterday.

First, when shifting from 1st or neutral to reverse (and back from reverse to first) it really "clunks" going into gear -- is that normal?

Second, the auto-downshift is VERY noticeable -- not like when a car downshifts at all. It "lurches" the bike a bit if I slow down using nothing but engine breaking. Again, is this normal for the trike?? I know that the clutch is different from a car clutch, but this is my first ride, so I just want to make sure all is running ok....

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Purple Guy]

Hi Jim, :congrats: on your first Spyder!

The clunking to and from reverse is normal as is the down shifting.
Nothing to worry about, enjoy your ryde!

 

[SPYD1]

You can downshift yourself at certain rpms that will "smooth it out". I do this with passengers but not when alone.

 

[billy4644]

Yes, first thing in the morning it will clunk enough to wake up your neighbors but then it will quiet down....

 

[Bob Denman]

Throw another ":agree:"; it's a normal thing." vote on the pile.

It does take just a little while, for things to get pumped-up, and running smoothly. You might want to experiment with different rpm levels in order to find where you like to upshift.
(I'm a "low & slow" sort of guy)
I'm a bit surprised to hear that downshifting isn't pretty smooth; I felt that this was one area, where the 2014 bike had made GREAT improvements over my 2010... :dontknow:
Run it a little bit, and see if it smooths out. If not; come up my way, and try mine out as a comparison! :thumbup:

 

[Chupaca]

Congratulations..!!

you picked a nice ryde...:2thumbs: the clunking is normal and is a bit better once warmed up. Have a manual so others will fill you in on that auto downshift bit..:roflblack:

 

[jlg]

Thanks Folks -- glad to hear all is normal. It only has 50 miles on it, so I hope it will smooth out a bit (I'm sure some of this is also the operator ). I have started doing the downshift myself and I do notice that is is a smoother transition than letting it do it's own thing. I guess the amount of engine braking is what surprised me the most! I also have a squeek in the right front brake at times, so I'm sure that will also wear in.....
Thanks again for all of the answers/advice...

 

[Cruzr Joe]

When you first start it, let it warm up a bit and release the parking brake prior to shifting into gear, it will be less of a clunk.


Cruzr Joe

 

[ARtraveler]

:agree: also with the posts above. As you get a couple thousand miles on your :spyder2: it should quiet down a bit. I consider the automatic downshifting to be a lot smoother and quieter than the two cylinder equipped :ani29: versions.

I always manually downshift the 998 but always let the 1330 do its own thing.