Unable to shift while stopped...

[boostleak]

So, I'm aware of a couple of the "normal" shifting issues with Buells - the fact that finding neutral is a pain, and that the shift from first to second is a little harder than clicking in to any of the other gears. I love the bike enough that I've learned to live with these two issues - they're really not that big a deal.
I should preface this by stating that I'm a new street rider - so the fact that I'm just now noticing this new issue over a month after beginning to ride the bike is due to the fact that I've simply been paying attention to keeping myself alive. Oh, the bike is an '03 XB9S with 11k on the odometer. It's been well taken care of, very nearly showroom condition. Running Mobil 1 20w50 V-Twin full synthetic (I run Mobil 1 in all my cars, the only reason I chose it for the bike) in both the engine and primary. The previous owner says he ran the "Harley oil" for the life of the bike. When I made the switch, I noticed pretty quick that the shift to second was a little easier, and it was just a little smoother all around.
So now that I'm getting a little more comfortable on the bike, I've been trying to find neutral at stop lights in order to give my clutch hand a rest (my clutch is extremely stiff). Popping up to neutral from first is almost impossible, but I've found that shifting down to neutral from second is much easier. As long as I'm rolling, this isn't a problem. But I'm not keen on rolling to a stop in traffic while looking at the dash while trying to find neutral. I found out yesterday that 80% of the time, the bike WILL NOT shift gears when you come to a complete stop. Not up or down. And if it allows you to, it'll only be stuck in whatever gear it is that you happened to jump to. I ended up leaving the light in second several times last night, and a couple times in 3rd. Once you get moving, everything works as it should.
So the obvious question is if this is normal - just make sure I'm in neutral before I come to a stop? Or is this a problem? What could be causing this.
When I did the fluid change, I was a little concerned that the stand I was using may have been lifting the rear tire too high, or too low, giving me a bad reading. The tire was maybe 2" off the ground.
And this may have something to do with it - the clutch drags slightly, even with the lever pulled in fully. It's very slight, doesn't FEEL like it should be causing any issues, but...
I've been riding Honda ATV's and dirtbikes over my lifetime - the transmissions were simply never an issue. So having to pay this much attention to the bike while out on the road is a little unsettling.

 

[upthemaiden]

If you're concerned with the back wheel being higher you could always try putting a 2x4 under the front wheel and having someone hole the bike steady for you.

Aside from that, I picked up a 2003 xb9s a month ago as well and have definitely noticed how hard it is to get the bike in neutral. It did get easier after the first couple days. It was virtually impossible the first 2 days I had it. When I was coming to a stop and parking the bike I found out it was much easier to hit the kill switch then try to shift and it would pop right into neutral. There are a couple oils people say helps with the neutral issue, but I can't remember what they are.

Adjusting your clutch may help as well. I say this because when I got the bike it had a short reach lever on it. It worked, but I noticed it was much easier to shift into neutral once I put the normal lever on because it pulled the cable so much further. yours would have the same affect if your cable isn't adjusted tight enough, and the clutch isn't fully disengaging.

 

[Johny Kidd]

Lube your clutch cable and adjust clutch.

 

[kalifornia]

yeah start with doing all the clutch service and go from there. i always find neutral while rolling

 

[crxtasy169]

If the clutch is dragging it is out of spec which is probably most of the problem do the 2 clutch adjustments per the manual and you should be golden! Also I have shorty levers on mine and the adjustability makes it much easier to get that extra length of pull which in turn makes finding nuetral easier.

 

[agfish18]

you can also try to roll the bike back and forth at the stop just enough to shift... I had this problem on my old xb9R, and sometimes the bike just wouldnt shift while stopped. i then held the clutch in and rolled it back or forward a few inches until it did shift.

 

[boostleak]

Thanks for the replies! I'm going to screw around with the clutch engagement tonight, see what I can come up with. I guess the next issue is the feel of the lever. It's smooth, but extremely heavy. I'm not a weak or little guy, but last night, having to ride in stop and go traffic for about 25 minutes, my hand was just about ready to give it up. I'll lube the cable and see if that helps. I've felt the clutch on my friend's bikes (mostly Japanese & British bikes), and even my Dad's Ultra Classic, and they're nowhere near as heavily sprung.

 

[upthemaiden]

Sometimes when my last bike didn't want to shift I'd let the clutch out just enough that I could feel it catch, pull it back in, and it would shift ok. Same thing works if your bike is stuck in neutral at a light, squeeze and let go of the clutch once or twice then try shifting.

I have some shorty levers on the way too, which I'm excited about. The short reach lever felt perfect but I don't think it pulled the cable far enough. The stock lever works well, but it's just too long for my hand to be practical in town. I'm hoping the adjustable short levers have a position somewhere right in the middle.

 

[aptbldr]

+1, adjust clutch & its cable 1st.

 

[brightbuell]

Yea, you deffinately need a clutch adjustment. What your explaining sounds nothing like my buell. You can slightly tighten your clutch yourself the adjustment is inside the little rubber boot behind the forks between the scoops close to where the front header comes out. If you turn it counter clock wise it will tighten the clutch cable and then it should disengage all the way and make ie much easer to do everything you complained about.[up]

 

[boostleak]

Thought I'd post an update - didn't have time to work on the bike until last night. I stopped by the bike shop picked up a cable oiling tool (and oil!). After reading the procedure for adjusting the clutch, I just figured I may as well do both procedures at the same time - lubing the cable and adjusting the clutch.
From a technical standpoint, the process couldn't have been easier. If you're having similar problems to what I've experienced, don't waste your money going to a mechanic until you've tried this yourself.
Lubing the cable dropped effort significantly - I'd guess somewhere around 25%, which puts it well within the range of what I'd consider comfortable.
I adjusted the clutch per Dave's video -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcXJhA1j-ao

The clutch no longer drags, I can find neutral 9 out of 10 times at stoplights, and shifts are much smoother (no longer clunking in to gear). It's so smooth, in fact, that I kept thinking that I missed the upshift since there was no drama from the primary if the clutch lever was pulled in. Before, I always felt the gear change, even with he lever fully drawn in.
I do need to fine-tune things - full engagement doesn't come until the last 1" or so of releasing the lever now. Even having relatively large hands, this is a little uncomfortable as I'm just using my fingertips at that point. But things are so much better that this doesn't register as a complaint - just need to fit it to my liking.
And it does seem as though shifting became slightly harder as the bike got hot - which I think may have something to do with my fluid level in the primary. When filling with oil, do you fill up to the bottom of the inspection port? The service manual is a little confusing as it says something about filling until the oil level is even with the clutch diaphragm spring. Given that the spring is about 3" up from the bottom of the inspection port opening, I have to take this to mean that you fill until the oil is visible creeping up to the center line of the spring? Hope this makes sense. Bottom line is, I added exactly 1 quart of oil (Mobil 1 20w50 V-Twin), and that's exactly what it calls for - the oil level shouldn't be off. Should it be filled to the bottom of the inspection port?
Thanks again for the suggestions, I'm even happier with the bike now than before.

 

[Johny Kidd]

Glad to hear those helped [up][smirk][smirk]

 

[boostleak]

Well, a little update. While lubing the cable helped some, I think ANY reduction in pull was enough to make me geek out around the time I created my last post. After riding for a few weeks, I can say that the clutch is still well beyond what would be considered normal in terms of the force requires to operate it.
A friend of mine was at a local dealer and spotted an '08 XB12S on the floor, and immediately called to report that I needed to check it out to feel the clutch pull. He says it's even lighter than the pull on his '08 GSXR 1000 (which is VERY light, IMO). So I'm heading over tonight to see what could be different/improved. It's getting old mighty quick.
I'm heading out on a 700 mile ride in two weeks, I'd really like to get this sorted before then.
Minus the clutch issues, I'd be hopelessly in love with the bike.

 

[Paniller]

The 08+(I think) has a much lighter clutch pull. It's not just your bike, it was an actual change they made. Don't let that confuse you.

 

[kalifornia]

there is a thread where a guy made a "extended" release arm for his clutch. you can also buy one.

 

[Stevenc150]

Aftermarket Clutch Ramps - Easy to install, big reduction, and relatively inexpensive.