My great mate has my bike he said he dont like the clunk when it goes into first gear, im not bothered but are curious about it ?? does anyone know why this is so??

don't know why, but if you're talking about 1st from neutral when you first start the bike, try pumping the clutch lever fast 5-6 times, and then put it in first. Smooth as silk, and no clunk.

* Last updated by: alg8er on 11/11/2014 @ 2:48 AM *

THANKS heaps fer that alg8er.I really am thankfull for your reply will definately try that next time mate

THANKS again it helps a lot better alg8er more so after a little warm up!

same thing happens to my 08. i will try the clutch thing

Always noticed holding the clutch in for about 60 seconds at warm up seems to help but I don't ever worry about it anymore.

With the clutch out, most of the tranny is spinning, you pull the clutch in, and the mass of the tranny keeps it spinning for several seconds. You drop it into gear to fast, and the spinning front half of the tranny has to stop suddenly to mesh with the not moving rear half of the tranny.

Mine does it too. I figure they all do it. It's big.

Do people with Gen2 also experience this noise? Mine makes pretty loud noise and the guy at a dealer said "it is a powerful engine and parts are designed to absorb all power and that is why it makes loud noise". I will see if oil will reduce the noise. I am at 1200 miles and will do oil/filter change in 300 miles.

I wish I could punch your Dealer in the mouth. But yeah, they all do it. Go ride with a harley and listen.

The other day I was leaving my favorite parking lot (favorite because it is monitored by friendly attendants who will beat would-be thieves with a golf club) and after I shifted into 1st the attendant rushed out of his office looking concerned, he thought the sound was from a car running into something. I explained to him that I had just shifted into first and it was normal.

My ZRX1100 had the exact same clunk, it is just the way it is.

* Last updated by: tooncinator on 10/13/2014 @ 9:36 AM *

LMAO!!!!"....

I will see if oil will reduce the noise. I am at 1200 miles and will do oil/filter change in 300 miles.

My fan is really blowing hard... I think I'll close the door so it slows down some. If the engine runs all the time and the one trans shaft does too, you are going to bang something on the other shaft when gears are engaged.

How do I stop the clunk?
1. Engage first gear and now start the engine.
2. From a dead stop, run the bike with your feet to get it moving... now engage first gear.
3. Never use N when stopped. Always start out in first and hold the clutch lever in.
4. Stop the engine at a traffic light. Engage first gear. Start engine when the light turns green.
5. Do no rev the engine. Hold clutch lever in for a long time so the other shaft slows down... Now engage first gear.

"Hold clutch lever in for a long time so the other shaft slows down... Now engage first gear".Now that's something I've never tried;)May just give it a whirl.Not that mine slams into first from N...it doesn't....much;)

Hold clutch lever in for a long time so the other shaft slows down... Now engage first gear

Your clunk is most likely nothing more then ordinary clutch drag, some bikes are worse then others, BMW is terrible for this. Buy some earplugs and don't worry about it!

I bleed squidly but really, I am not savvy with the transmissions or how they work.
One gear constantly moves and it is fixed on the shaft.
OK, so when does the clunk come in?
When you shift down, the lever sends a sliding gear into the constantly running gear.
OK, so when does the clunk not clunk?
When you pull the clutch in, you had these other gears moving in N and they freewheel too [fore&aft].
OK, so when the freewheel stops then no clunk, right?
Correct. You wait for the oil to stop the freewheeler so when you step on the shifter no clunk.
OK, so I need to wait before I shift with the clutch lever in, correct?
Yes. You now see that the wheel spins free and it's like you insert a key in the door but you missed the slot.
OK, if I had a designated driver, was the the clunking I was making trying to start the car I keyfob'd my steering column like chipped the shit out of the paint finish?
Yes, that is co wreck D moon dough.

Now you guys REALLY have me wanting to try the clutch thingy.There have been been times...several...when after I had stopped for a break,I started her back up...pulled the clutch in...shifted to first...and she clicked right in with almost NO jolt.Was a pretty cool feeling.But I hadn't done anything different that I know of...so I'll definitely try this little trick;)Thanks all....happy shiftingLOL!!!Even in my driveway...when she's been sitting all night and I start her up..backout...sit for a warmup minute...then shift into 1st...a lot of times she'll click in with VERY MINIMAL jolting...kinda nice;)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 10/15/2014 @ 11:36 AM *

I am so glad that it is not just my ZX. Thank God!

Now my question is why? My previous rides didn't have the loud noise. Even BMW R1100S didn't make big noise. Is there any reason - the type of gear or shape or could be clutch master cylinder is not big enough???

Now my question is why? My previous rides didn't have the loud noise.

There is a huge clutch basket.
Freewheels spin and when do they stop?
We still have to wait for the clutch steels to stop dragging first.
You mean when cold the oil and parts are too thick, not liquidy, not too much expansion and the basket is still being dragged?
Yes. We need to stop the steels from spinning. Warm oil so no cling, expanded parts separate farther away = No Clunk.

Well shit hub how do you keep your gears from nicking the shit out of the dogs and entry edges?
Ever see my videos with the engine not running I stop for a second or more? Ever hear a slam into 1st? No! Then, that's how you do it is ZERO NOISE!

Signed,

Ain't my Bike [gonna be slammed into gear like that]!

Over the weekend, I changed oil and filter as my ZX's mileage hit 1500. At 600 mile, Kawasaki dealer used Yamalube 10W-40. This time, I used Motul 10W-40 Semi-Synthetic. I was surprised by the significant difference in the engine feel. The first gear noise is reduced as well. Motul was very expensive but was worth it.

@Montana: hot oil and a warm clutch pack makes all the difference. The difference being good separation of frictions from steels and... not good separation.

Mechanically the disengagement doesn't change but cold oil bridges the gap.

OldMan, I noticed the same when I switched to a Repsol 4T race oil. I think that was an $80 oil change. It only lasted 500 miles and then it was like plain old dino oil. Hope yours lasts better.

The "clunk" is a characteristic wet-clutch thing. They all do it to one degree or another. Be sure your idle speed is where it's supposed to be and don't be holding the throttle open when shifting into 1st. But I've not heard that this causes any real issues.

There are dry-clutch bikes out there (some Moto Guzzi and Ducati models) and I can tell you they don't do this at all. The oil in the clutch of a wet-clutch system acts somewhat like a torque converter and will transfer some rotation to the transmission input shaft even when the clutch is engaged. So you have the rotating mass of the clutch output and the tranny input shaft to absorb when it goes into gear.

As noted the effect is reduced somewhat as the oil heats up since it's less viscous and so it couples less rotation in the clutch.