2nd Gear problems

[johnnycrash]

Ok.  When my tranny went out I sent it out to have it back-cut.  I asked the machinist what he thought about the tranny and he said every gear was already back-cut except for 2nd. Why???

Because back cutting a gear weakens it.  The first to second shift is generally the most brutal, especially when not using the clutch.  Suzuki engineered it for strength.

Not sure I agree with this. All they undercut is the dog, not the teeth - the amount of metal they remove compared to how much is there is tiny. I see no downside whatsoever to undercutting (besides the added expense of machining time).

Guys are running undercut stock gears on 300+ hp bikes all the time.

Just my opinion - could be (and often am) wrong.

 

[johnnycrash]

What about owners with stock bikes and less than 2000 miles with this problem?

Good point. After reading the other posts I agree there must be a problem with some of the bikes - you should be able to shift it however you want and STILL have it last more than 2k miles.

Not the case with mine though - it took 16k of running the %&^*% out of it before I lost the tranny.

YMMV?

 

[Haya01B]

how much is it to fix when it goes.  stealership price and do it yourself price?

If you go stock any where from $800 to $1200 or so from the dealer in the South Eastern area. That also depends on what else they will have to replace.

If you do it your self look at around $50-$100 for 2nd gear(dog) cut only. Shift forks are around $60+ each, shift drum $100, and then there are gaskets. I think my total without exhaust was around $800, but I bought a spare tranny off of ebay and got my gaskets from Ron Ayers motorsports out of Greenville NC. It took about a month for the tranny work. I just sold mine to a buddy that has a 04' LE with less than 2700 miles because he's a truck driver and is gone most of the time. The dealer installed his and took around 90 days
to do it. Hit him for around $1200.

I still say it can be an easy fix on Suzuki's part.

 

[Bigbody]

I have the same problem. Started happening at 16K miles.

 

[Don Hardcastle]

I was told that they don't undercut 2nd because of the rpm that EPA testing is done. I don't know how true that is, but my source said they do EPA testing in 2nd @ 1700 rpms and the bike doesn't run smooth with 2nd undercut at that rpm. Like I said, don't know about the validity of that info.

Don

 

[Haya01B]

I just spoke with the guy that undercut my tranny for me yesterday. I asked him about the EPA testing and he said all undercutting does is allow the gear to be engaged more smoothly and shouldn't affect your emissions. He also noted that Kaw has a unique design with their tranny with their own little setup with the gear pitch. He said that their tranny are real tough and needs little or no modification in the heavy duty applications of drag racing. They also have 5 dogs versus our 4. He said some people like to remove a dog and go to 3 but would be difficult to do with 5 dogs, which is done to make shifts faster.

He also confirmed that not undercutting 2nd like they have been doing just about guarantees that you will return for tranny work in which if not specified by the owner to undercut it they will just replace stock for stock preparing you for your return visit.

 

[kaosccw]

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[Haya01B]

I am currently checking into the 08' Busa to find out whether the tranny received some attention.

 

[BusaWhipped]

He also confirmed that not undercutting 2nd like they have been doing just about guarantees that you will return for tranny work in which if not specified by the owner to undercut it they will just replace stock for stock preparing you for your return visit.

I must not have gotten the guarantee with my Busa. 40,000 miles and counting on the stock tranny. If you need to have the tranny undercut to smooth your shifting out enough to stop you from bending shift forks, you might want to evaluate your shifting technique.

 

[vman1300]

22k before mine went on my 99. Trailered to the playground, run hard and trailered home. Very little interstate time. I cant complain....

Even from the factory, stock Suzuki gears ARE undercut. Shops that perform the service just add a steeper angle on the undercutting.

 

[Suijuris]

Mine shifts ok- It "slips" in higher Rpm's(over 8k). Thats it, just a slip- what the $^$^ causes that?

 

[Haya01B]

I was told the 08 is supposed to have a more rigid tranny. So some work was done to it. I have a buddy with a 2002 busa and his tranny shifts best out of all ours. He has around 11K and no problems yet. But I notice my tranny did'nt shift half as good when it was new. I guess that falls on qaulity from bike to bike. All I can say is it is like night and day between the two (Stock/Backcut) My tranny shift better than his now.

As for 40,000 mile no problem, what year and what kind of riding ex: highway, street, race or a little of all.

 

[kaosccw]

My dealer says they've had no problems so far with the '07's and neither have I.

 

[BlkDrgnZ28]

i havent yet had a serioust problem yet i have an 07 that i bought in march and it has 2k on it and i don't really have anyproblems except the fact that its happened 3 times on verry hard acceleration it will slip out and it when i put it back in gear it doesnt slip back out but i don't know if i just didn't hit it all the way up hard enough on those runs or whether its a slipage issue

 

[Haya01B]

That's usually when it starts. Mine was doing the same thing under acceleration like you say it would start slipping out of gear. Then it started even when engaged at lower rpms. Like I said my buddy with the 02' felt the closest to an undercut trans stock but not all the way there. He has'nt had any problems yet not to say that he wont in the future. And that's having riden a 01',02,03,04LE and 06' out of all of them that 02' was the slickest shifting bike. I also noticed that some where in the line Suzuki installed the clutch cusion kit which is like two rings that seem to be like a spacer and spring. Maybe as a hit or miss solution, But like I said the 04 and hight have had the problem too. Hey maybe it may be riding habits or something I just want to get to the bottom of a situation like this and not throw my money away buying something with a know expensive problem like this. $10,500 or better just don't grow on trees.

 

[dcoop]

I had problems with my second gear after riding for about 10,000 miles. It shifted into 2nd fine. But when it starts to go out if feel like a slipping chain or momentary loss of power. It is pretty scary. I took my tranny out myself and sent it off to be cut, heat treated and all the gears checked. My tranny is bullet proof now. I am in the kc area and i'd be willing to remove your tranny if you need it taken out of the bike.

 

[Professor]

 I took my tranny out myself and sent it off to be cut, heat treated and all the gears checked.  My tranny is bullet proof now.  

Dcoop,

Who worked the tranny for you?

 

[Pete43]

I have an 05 Busa that jumps out of 2nd gear under WOT about 70% of the time. I don't abuse the bike... It has 7k miles on it.
It shifts great under normal riding. But running it wide open it will go into 2nd fine for about a sec and then jump out.
It's still under warranty, but I doubt I could get a dealer to fix it because it shifts ok just cruising.

 

[javie]

PM sent to dcoop!

My 2nd gear slips from the 4-6k range .. sucks looks like I gotta eat ramen noodles for a few years to pay to get my tranny undercut

Oh ya 2003, 14k miles on it

 

[busa1300nut]

O2 here, 40000 miles. Some hard, some not so hard, and I have had no problems what so ever, except the starter recall.