shifting at a light
 

so i just got back from about a two hour ride through bangor ripping around the streets and i was noticing that when i was coming to stop at a light and was in 5th gear, if i came to a stop and tried shifting down to first at a dead stop the tranny really didnt want to go and i had to kind of rock the bike back and forth to get it to fall into gear, is this normall or have i mannaged to smoke my transmission already??

RE: shifting at a light
 

Hmm - I dunno anything about anything but I shift down as I am breaking to get to first. I didn't even know you could stop in 5th (obviously with the clutch in) without hurting the bike.

Also - I just got done riding my friends honda. It shifts so much more smoothly than the 500R does. Is there a setting on the bike for ****ty shifters haha. Or do some bikes just shift more smoothly than others?

RE: shifting at a light
 

Kawasaki's are notorious for have clunky tranny's. My '01 ZRX shifts smoother than my '05, but the '01 has over 62k on it.
57k of it with Mobil 1 15w-50.

You really need to down shift as you come to a stop. If not for anything else, you will be in a lower gear in case you have to take off quickly again.

RE: shifting at a light
 

somebody told me to never run mobile one in the bike because ittl make the clutch slip, i want to run sinthetic though, what should i use??

RE: shifting at a light
 

I've never had a problem with it. Like I said, I've used it for 57k of the 62k on my bike.

RE: shifting at a light
 

It has nothing to do with the brand of oil or bike, nor have you smoked your tranny. Every bike I've ever owned, rented and borrowed has done this. My Honda, my Harley, the BMW...
Neither method (rocking backward/forward nor downshifting as you approach the stop) will damage your bike, but it's generally safer to do the latter. You don't want that light to turn green while you're still rocking & shifting with some impatient yuppy in an SUV behind you.
Good luck and ride safely.
Peace
-CCinC