RS SE5 won't shift

[daveinva]

Son. Of. A. :cus:

So, went for a 157 mile ride to nowhere this morning to break in my new Ultimate Seat. No complaints there

Unfortunately, throughout the ride today I had constant trouble downshifting, and a positive nightmare using reverse.

I'd go to downshift, pull in the tab either a little bit or all the way, and... nothing. No click, no shift, like the shifter wasn't even connected to anything. I'd do it again, and on the 2nd or 3rd (and a couple of times, 4th) try, the Spyder would downshift.

It seemed to me that if I pulled in hard, or pulled in grabbing the top left corner of the tab, I had better luck getting a consistent downshift.

This was annoying while riding; while stopped, however, I had trouble getting reverse to engage at all, eventually having to shut down the Spyder, restart, and try again more than once when I'd get lost and turned around in the ol' backwoods of Virginia pps:.

No codes, no limp mode. Upshifting was fine. My oil level is fine; I checked it the other day and topped it off a little bit, not overfilled.

My guess is a short, maybe? Recall that I just had my clutch housing replaced about 600 miles or so ago when I botched my riser install; I haven't had this problem before today, but I'm wondering if the dealer screwed something up, or I just have a bad unit?

No other likely culprits out there? Had Powerlets put on the battery on Friday, but if that caused an electrical problem, I'd see it somewhere else, no?

Anyway... I'm closing in on my 3,000 mile service, I just dunno whether to try to tough it out until then, or take it in beforehand and risk losing my bike for a week+ at the dealer. The good news is, I can't imagine this being anything other than a warranty problem... right?? ray:

 

[NancysToy]

Reverse works off a cable on the RS, it is not electrical like the RT. If anything, you have a cable problem...especially if there is no "feel" while pulling the lever.

 

[Neez]

Reverse works off a cable on the RS, it is not electrical like the RT. If anything, you have a cable problem...especially if there is no "feel" while pulling the lever.

Davinva has the SE5 thumbshifter. There is no cable, and no "feel" when you push the R button. I'd be checking the connections to the downshift solenoid, the solenoid resistance, the hydraulic pressures and the shift linkage adjustment. Better yet, let the shop guys do it.

 

[daveinva]

Better yet, let the shop guys do it.

And those are the magic words. :sour:

 

[daveinva]

Quick update: I *had* planned on taking my Spyder to the dealer tonight to leave it there for them to check it out.

But while driving it there, 5+ miles... I just could NOT replicate the problem. :gaah:

We all know how THAT story ends: drop it off at the dealer, dealer takes it for a spin, dealer can't find problem, owner hangs head in shame.

I refuse to play that game. So, I got to the dealer, tried reverse a few times in the parking lot (worked fine, what the heck!), then rode home.

I'm coming up on my 3,000 service, was thinking of changing the oil on my own, I may forgo that and drop the bike off at the dealer and let them check out the shifting... IF it gives me any more guff.

I just hope that in the meantime the problem doesn't decide to rear its ugly head a hundred miles from home...