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2016 ZX10r shifting issues

37371 Views 80 Replies 29 Participants Last post by  Zed X Ten
Noticed an issue over the last few hundred miles, essentially 3/4 WOT or up trying to shift from 1st to 2nd gear using the QS for whatever reason between 6k-8k RPM the shifter won't move at all. Imagine trying to shift up from 6th gear (like it won't budge) if i continue to hold the throttle open pass this point and don't roll off once it hits 10k it will shift with no issues at all. And if i just hold off shifting earlier and shift after 9K-ish RPM it will shift no issues.

Bike hasn't been tuned and has a 3/4 arrow system on. I've tried moving the shifter around height wise but the issue is still there...any thoughts???
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I have a similar issue, stock exhaut, flashed & tuned. going WOT in first, it won't let me into second gear when I'm around 10-11K RPM.
Someone more tech savvy could probably help us with this issue.
Perhaps someone with more knowledge can confirm/correct me but I was told to not use qs for 1-2 as the gear ratio is very different and it puts stress on box. 2-3 3-4 etc are close ratio and it's easier to shift. I'd use clutch 1-2 then row the gears with qs
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Perhaps someone with more knowledge can confirm/correct me but I was told to not use qs for 1-2 as the gear ratio is very different and it puts stress on box. 2-3 3-4 etc are close ratio and it's easier to shift. I'd use clutch 1-2 then row the gears with qs
Same here.
I use the QS from 1-2. Had no issues on my last bike after 3 race seasons and so far so good on the gen 5.
Are you preloading the shifter ? I know I had that habit with my triumph qs.
Perhaps someone with more knowledge can confirm/correct me but I was told to not use qs for 1-2 as the gear ratio is very different and it puts stress on box. 2-3 3-4 etc are close ratio and it's easier to shift. I'd use clutch 1-2 then row the gears with qs
That's my recommendation also! I've rebuilt enough transmissions in my day to worry about the 1-2 shift going through neutral to not use the QS at that time. Especially on a road bike. Dricked and his racing experience says otherwise, and that's cool. :mrgreen: Racing is a different animal than using the QS on some trackdays and the road. Gears 2 thru 6 only and no preloading it either!
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Are you preloading the shifter ? I know I had that habit with my triumph qs.
No, I've made sure my foot is well clear and make sure I give it a good positive kick as I've had issue with accidentally preloading before
I don't see how preloading the shifter would cause any problem and I think it's a good habit of getting into as long as you don't apply too much force to trigger the sensor.

The more important thing is we don't actually have an answer to the OP's question. Why would the bike not shift at that RPM range, anything in the manual? I doubt this problem would occur with an aftermarket sensor.
I don't see how preloading the shifter would cause any problem and I think it's a good habit of getting into as long as you don't apply too much force to trigger the sensor.

The more important thing is we don't actually have an answer to the OP's question. Why would the bike not shift at that RPM range, anything in the manual? I doubt this problem would occur with an aftermarket sensor.
I disagree, of course. Preloading the shifter is NOT good habit. It's bad habit. You've obviously never torn into a sequential gear transmission to understand how they work.

The constant mess gear pairs slide along a bar and engage each other on the side. In order to do that, a shift fork moves them. The gears are always spinning, but the shift forks do not. Preloading the gear shift linkage causes the stationary shift fork to sit against the spinning gear pairs. If you don't think that will prematurely cause the shift forks to heat up, bend, and wear out, you're wrong. And doing that with a quickshifter in the loop can cause the switch to be tripped, interrupt the ignition, and all without the proper force on the shift linkage to begin with. In race conditions, with an engine teardown and rebuild every race or so or when crucial milliseconds are measured, it might gain you something. For all other people, preloading the shifter just causes you to post threads on here asking other people why your shit don't shift right. :idea:
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I disagree, of course. Preloading the shifter is NOT good habit. It's bad habit. You've obviously never torn into a sequential gear transmission to understand how they work.

The constant mess gear pairs slide along a bar and engage each other on the side. In order to do that, a shift fork moves them. The gears are always spinning, but the shift forks do not. Preloading the gear shift linkage causes the stationary shift fork to sit against the spinning gear pairs. If you don't think that will prematurely cause the shift forks to heat up, bend, and wear out, you're wrong. And doing that with a quickshifter in the loop can cause the switch to be tripped, interrupt the ignition, and all without the proper force on the shift linkage to begin with. In race conditions, with an engine teardown and rebuild every race or so or when crucial milliseconds are measured, it might gain you something. For all other people, preloading the shifter just causes you to post threads on here asking other people why your shit don't shift right. :idea:

I'm not going to pretend I know as much as you do because I know I don't. The only reason I initially thought that preloading the shifter is a good idea is because it makes clutchless upshifts smoother and improves their success rate (compared to botched shifts). Points taken though and thanks for the comprehensive breakdown.

If I intend on tracking a bike or racing it then I would certainly invest in an aftermarket shift star like the Factory Pro. I believe it makes for a cleaner mechanism and reduces the overall wear and tear.
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No need to preload with a QS, you're risking engaging the sensor and or it not working when you go to shift. Just push/pull on the shifter and bang through the gears.

After two seasons on my bike the transmission/clutch were absolutely fine with no abnormal wear and no parts were replaced. I replaced the clutch in the third season just because.
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I disagree, of course. Preloading the shifter is NOT good habit. It's bad habit. You've obviously never torn into a sequential gear transmission to understand how they work.

The constant mess gear pairs slide along a bar and engage each other on the side. In order to do that, a shift fork moves them. The gears are always spinning, but the shift forks do not. Preloading the gear shift linkage causes the stationary shift fork to sit against the spinning gear pairs. If you don't think that will prematurely cause the shift forks to heat up, bend, and wear out, you're wrong. And doing that with a quickshifter in the loop can cause the switch to be tripped, interrupt the ignition, and all without the proper force on the shift linkage to begin with. In race conditions, with an engine teardown and rebuild every race or so or when crucial milliseconds are measured, it might gain you something. For all other people, preloading the shifter just causes you to post threads on here asking other people why your shit don't shift right. :idea:
+1. Also agree with not using the QS between 1 & 2. Too much of an rpm difference and too much torque to screw things up.
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I'm only experiencing this when I do a half ass shift.
lots of issues with the gen5, in the trans department.
heard that from a respectable mechanic that does a not of race engines.
How many miles you got on it? I'm at 27,000km so far with no gearbox issues. I have however experienced problems when I had the QS ignition kill times screwed up by confusing one timing setting with another. This would cause the shifter to cut and reignite before the shift actually happened, sticking it in the same gear even though it blipped, would get a big jolt doing it and nearly throw me off the bike.

Is it possibly the sensor or ecu has freaked out and for some reason the QS thinks you're in 6th gear, so it's not compressing, stopping you from shifting up?
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Gents, I too had this issue with my gen 5, when changing from 3rd to 4th under heavy acceleration the QS wouldn't cut the ignition, and i wasn't able to go into 4th... this happens around 8k i think....

I thought it might have been the QS, so I had the Woolich QS installed and the Woolich tune flash the ECU.

Unfortunately I still have this issue from time to time... I've learnt to live with it.
lots of issues with the gen5, in the trans department.

heard that from a respectable mechanic that does a not of race engines.


Race bikes take a lot more abuse than street bikes.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
OEM REARSETS?? They are sort of loose
Have u adjusted the position/angle of your shift lever? Try to lower it abit.
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