My newly acquired 02 triumph tiger 955i has an issue with finding gears after about an hours riding. It miss shifts, grinds, and is generally sloppy, Like I have to select the gear just perfectly or it just goes past it and finds a neutral or starts grinding. Is this a common issue and how is this typically fixed? The bike only has 10k miles on it and is in immaculate condition apart from that, with all the farkles and it looks like all the other common problems fixed (Apart from the fuel sender not working.. Gonna grab a new one)
Also where do you get your OEM parts from?
Thanks guys!
I've not heard of anyone having gearbox problems; the gearbox on a Girly is normally slick and positive. Given that it happens once it gets really hot, are you sure you don't have a clutch problem? The first things I'd do is check the oil level and clutch adjustment then if that doesn't reveal anything, put it on the stand, engage a high gear, pull in the clutch and turn tge gearbox over with the back wheel while looking / listening for problems. Next step after that is drain the oil and look for swarf / filings.
Could the previous owner have known about this before he sold it?
Have to say the gearbox on mine isn't great,whilst I'd go with what Bixxer said you can't rush mine at any price over the years I've tried to force the pace and it just gets it's knickers in a twist so I have to be very positive when putting into gear,the gearbox on the 1050 sport I rode last year was way better,but because I've had mine a long time to perfect the art of making sure it's in gear(all done in a millisecond) before I let the clutch out not something that struck me as important,the complete opposite I crash the gearbox up and down on my XT minus the clutch and it works great(and it's quick) the thought of doing that on my Tiger :icon_eek: would probably leave me with a box of bits.
I've always viewed the box on my Tiger somewhere between the tractor gearbox of my 1100s and a Jap bike but slick it ain't.
Quote from: Andyrew on March 31, 2014, 07:06:09 AM
My newly acquired 02 triumph tiger 955i has an issue with finding gears after about an hours riding. It miss shifts, grinds, and is generally sloppy, Like I have to select the gear just perfectly or it just goes past it and finds a neutral or starts grinding. Is this a common issue and how is this typically fixed? The bike only has 10k miles on it and is in immaculate condition apart from that, with all the farkles and it looks like all the other common problems fixed (Apart from the fuel sender not working.. Gonna grab a new one)
Also where do you get your OEM parts from?
Thanks guys!
sounds like it could quite possibly have a bent or worn shifting fork.or has the bike been down on the left side so the shifter shaft bent ? or possibly you just haven't mastered the art of shifting a triumph tiger as chris said.
OEM parts from the dealer or bikebandit.com for usa bikes
either one is gonna screw you about the same on the price .
Guess I'm just lucky then; my Girly box is like a switch, very little movement and a positive click into place - compared with my Honda anyway - it needs a good heft, especially up the box, and tends to be cluncky 1st to 2nd unless you give it time. Upchanges on the Girly are slick clutchless too.
Given the very low mileage it would need abuse to have worn already but, and as Mustang says, it might have been down on the left side; you'd need to look for evidence of that.
My Tigers shift great also, used to get the mystery neutral once in a while. I would definitely look into the clutch as was suggested earlier. Double check the drive chain isn't overly tight as this can cause a lot of trouble. And if you don't know Tigers and adjust your chain it is to tight.
I recently tightened the drive chain it was about 1 1/4"- 1 3/8" full cold thats me pressing down and up, total slack. The service book showed 35-40mm which I think means I was on the low side, possibly a hair to tight. Where do you guys tighten the chain at?
Im certain my forks are past their wear limit, Its got to be something mechanical, as it was quite bad. Seemed like every shift was a hunt and search.
Priced it, up, ~350 in parts at bike bandit and looks like I have to remove and split the engine. So thats probably a grand in labor if the dealer does it.. Anyone done this before? What should be looked at/replaced at the same time? Any specific seals?
I usually set mine so I have about 1/2 inch of slack at it's tightest point (for me it is pretty close to that when I have most of my weight on my seat and about 30 lbs of gear on the bike. If I remember right if I set about 1 3/4 - 2 slack when it is up on the center stand it comes out pretty close. The dealer set my chain to tight once and I noticed something wrong 1st bump I went over. The chain was stopping the suspension from going over center.
Mine is also a bit clunky and I find a false neutral if I shift lazily. My bike has a lot of miles, so figured that it might just be getting wore out a bit.
Quote from: Andyrew on March 31, 2014, 05:22:11 PM
I recently tightened the drive chain it was about 1 1/4"- 1 3/8" full cold thats me pressing down and up, total slack. The service book showed 35-40mm which I think means I was on the low side, possibly a hair to tight. Where do you guys tighten the chain at?
You can't set the chain by measuring,it doesn't have a linkage it works on how much weight is on it,sit on the bike lean down and check the tension of the chain with your finger.
Well how do you measure it if your sitting on it? That seams like a 2 person job no?
Quote from: Andyrew on March 31, 2014, 09:53:12 PM
Well how do you measure it if your sitting on it? That seams like a 2 person job no?
You don't measure it just lean down and check the tension.
There you go,you can always tell when it's right people will be telling you it's too slack,that is set for two up you may get away with a little less but not a lot.
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/wing2541/Spa2011317.jpg) (http://s64.photobucket.com/user/wing2541/media/Spa2011317.jpg.html)
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h185/wing2541/Spa2011316.jpg) (http://s64.photobucket.com/user/wing2541/media/Spa2011316.jpg.html)
Yup, thats what it looked like before I adjusted it... :icon_redface:
Hopefully I didnt do any damage to the shift forks or gears in the 50 miles I rode it.. I'll adjust it back tonight.
Thanks for the visual Chris!
No worries we've all been there at some time,still remember setting off on our first holiday on our 885i bike felt all vibey stopped at a fuel station leaned down while we were still sat on the bike and the chain was like a banjo string :icon_eek: because I'd made the mistake of taking any notice of the hand book.
doubtful you could hurt shift forks by over tightening a chain .
you'll be fine ..............
enjoy
Sat on the bike as is and it has ~ 1/2" of play, I loosened up the chain some so its 2" when on the center stand and about 1" when I sit on it. We'll see if it makes any difference but Im thinking that I'll still have my gear problem. If it doesnt rain tomorrow I'll take it to work and see.
Thanks guys!
Adjusted the chain and finally went for a ride over 5mins. Same thing happened. At first the box was super smooth. But about 10 minutes into the ride it started missing gears. I played with my shifting to no avail, even trying clutchless but it missed the 5-6 and went into a fast neutral and grinder going into 6th (with clutch).
What I have noticed is the box starts sounding like a hammer hits it when shifting and there's a ton of slop felt in it like there's all of a sudden a couple of millimeters of play in the mainshaft, this can also be felt through the bike.
Can someone explain why they think its clutch related? Im not understanding this..
Thanks guys!
A dragging clutch will cause the symptoms you described earlier, but not those you posted above. You seem to have a gearbox problem but I can't help because I've never had one.
Quote from: Andyrew on April 03, 2014, 03:34:16 PM
Adjusted the chain and finally went for a ride over 5mins. Same thing happened. At first the box was super smooth. But about 10 minutes into the ride it started missing gears. I played with my shifting to no avail, even trying clutchless but it missed the 5-6 and went into a fast neutral and grinder going into 6th (with clutch).
What I have noticed is the box starts sounding like a hammer hits it when shifting and there's a ton of slop felt in it like there's all of a sudden a couple of millimeters of play in the mainshaft, this can also be felt through the bike.
Can someone explain why they think its clutch related? Im not understanding this..
Thanks guys!
is this your 1st modern triumph ?
if so why not get some one who knows triumphs to take your bike for a test ride ................. they'll know if it's normal or bad
Thanks,
Im taking it to the dealer tomorrow and letting them look at it and give me an estimate for repair.
Just for the fun of it I looked around for used parts to see if I can find anything and I saw these two auctions. Anyone have any thoughts? I certainly dont mind having spares and Im curious if you guys think grabbing used parts would be OK for this case. I was thinking of grabbing the trani parts as I know if I ever have to replace a gear that certainly covers me.
First is the 98 triumph tiger 955i, Do these parts cross with the 2002?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1998-TRIUMPH-955I-955-I-TRANSMISSION-TRANNY-GEARS-TIGER-900-/350588554133?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item51a0b4cb95&vxp=mtr
Next is the shift forks and rod from a low mile bike.. I really want to grab this. But maybe its best just to grab the whole inner bits above?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRIUMPH-955I-TIGER-SHIFT-SHIFTER-FORKS-FREE-SHIPPING-/120400412028?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c086c7d7c&vxp=mtr
Thanks guys..
1. there is no such thing as a 1998 955I engine :bug_eye
2. I think I would find out what is or isn't wrong first .
3. if I myself had transmission troubles and definitely needed shifting forks I would buy new
Quote from: Mustang on April 03, 2014, 10:04:59 PM
1. there is no such thing as a 1998 955I engine :bug_eye
2. I think I would find out what is or isn't wrong first .
3. if I myself had transmission troubles and definitely needed shifting forks I would buy new
Thats all what Im thinking as well.
I talked to a local buddy with some triumphs and he said Im welcome to all his 955i parts but he has sprinters and daytonas.. He knows them well though so were going to look at it tomorrow, then I'll take it to the dealer.
Still pissed off that the seller didnt disclose the issue and is saying that he's never had any problems with the trani...
Rode home, Didnt get any grinds shifting up but I was babying it as much as I could.
I did feel it kept skipping/trying to skip gears when shifting down in the lower gears and I realized I had not mentioned it on here yet.
Follow up. Had a friend used to triumphs ride it. Below was his suggestions.
"Yep I did not think there was anything wrong with the bike besides shifter, and brake pedal needing an adjustment to fit you. Maybe replace the that couch with a stock seat for all riding other than long roadtrips lol. The lube the clutch cable and see if the lever pull get's slightly lighter.
Check battery and wiring to starter, check what map is on the ECU now. Change oil and other fluids. Change the tires to something from this decade lol. That's it I think. It's a sweet machine and well setup. Love the exhaust note and the smooth linear pull of the triple from 1500 rpm to redline."
Basically determined that It was my shifting style that was causing the issues. I changed the oil in it, and rode it around a bit and had not had any issues since. We'll see what happens when I go on a long ride, but heres hoping!
Quote from: Andyrew on April 07, 2014, 05:56:48 PM
Basically determined that It was my shifting style that was causing the issues. I changed the oil in it, and rode it around a bit and had not had any issues since. We'll see what happens when I go on a long ride, but heres hoping!
kinda what I thought . that's why I suggested you let someone familiar with triumphs ride it .
as for the cable ................
there were two different brackets for the cable where it attaches to the engine.
you need the later one , it changes the angle of pull so you get smoother cable operation
HOLDER,CLUTCH CABLE
ENG NO 232539 AND HIGHER
and a new cable for 45 bucks wouldn't hurt either
I've been thinking of this mod.. Personally the lever pull isnt that bad, The clutch engagement feels really smooth to me. Hard, but smooth.. However I can see excess wear from where the cable is dragging on the opening.
guess where it WILL break in the middle of east bumfuck nowhere....................
My plan is to buy a new one and leave the old one in place zip tied. Breaks on a trail? Put the new one in and ride it back. Quick 5 min change it should be then..
my 2005 tiger 955i (with 30,000 miles) has quite a 'notchy' gearbox, and sometimes finds a false neutral when changing up. it's certainly not as smooth as japanese gearboxes.
Quote from: ds99 on September 20, 2015, 07:56:09 PM
my 2005 tiger 955i (with 30,000 miles) has quite a 'notchy' gearbox, and sometimes finds a false neutral when changing up. it's certainly not as smooth as japanese gearboxes.
Has me wondering why. Mine has 36k and snicks into gears really cleanly. Always has and is much better than my Blackbird which can be really clunky unless you think about what you're doing. Never had to give the Tiger gears a second thought.
I don't know if it applies in this case but... I had a similar problem with a XJ750, I was advised to try putting some pressure on the gear lever just before pulling in the clutch, this worked well and after a few rides It developed into a habit, and I found that balancing the thottle and clutch more also helped - not revving quite as hard at the point of pulling the clutch - just generally smoothing everything out.
Every Triumph I've ridden seems to respond well to clutchless up shifts (please let's not go OT on the relative merits of that) just preload the pedal and flick the throttle but be positive about it. The 1050 type box had a habit of finding a false neutral from 4 to 5 if I was a bit namby pamby, entirely rider :icon_rolleyes:
2k Tiger with 6k miles. I've had the same issue with false neutral between 5-6th gears. Seems to happen more often when the bike is warm, less often now as I preload the shifter a bit more. Gearbox is a notchy to me, definitely not as clean as my STR.
I'll be staying tuned to see who has found a fix for this.
Mine has never been great I can and do do clutchless but I'd never class mine as a good gearbox 7 out of 10 at best but I don't find myself running up and down the box in any great rush because of the lazy motor and the torque it has.
Chris, you're not the first person I've heard about this "torque" from. I don't feel it. I can be leaned over in my STR, twist the throttle, and the bike snaps upright very quickly. The tiger really. REALLY takes its time getting back upright.
I now, completely different bikes, but the 885i just doesn't seem to have this torque IMO.
I had 2 885i's they are were a billion miles away from my 955,yea sure my 955 has had a lot more work done to it and anyone riding mine coming off a stock bike would have a heart attack.
As I've said on here before Triumph have always had a 4 year model life all apart from the 885i which they ditched after 2 tells you everything.
I/we have just had two weeks travelling Europe on a K1200 it shows 162 on the dyno got back on the Tiger on Wednesday went to Wales only rode 250 miles and since I've had the Ohlins revolved by K-Tech the bike is better than any time in previous 14 years despite having a dodgy tickover :icon_lol:
Quote from: Dev_1 on October 03, 2015, 01:33:55 AM
Chris, you're not the first person I've heard about this "torque" from. I don't feel it. I can be leaned over in my STR, twist the throttle, and the bike snaps upright very quickly. The tiger really. REALLY takes its time getting back upright.
I now, completely different bikes, but the 885i just doesn't seem to have this torque IMO.
The 885i doesn't have as much grunt as the 955i, but what you're saying is more about the bike's weight, where it carries it, and the steering geometry than the torque.
The torque is about how well the engine pulls from low down, there's no discernable step in the delivery. One thought though, the Tiger twist grip has more travel than most, more like a third of a turn than the usual quarter so you have to go further than is natural to hit the stop. I only mention this because when mine was new to me, I'd hadn't realised that and hadn't used full throttle until being followed by an Audi R8. When I did it jammed wide open. That focusses the attention let me tell you. :bug_eye
She does have a bit more gitty-up when I wring out the throttle. I have to be quicker with the shift too because that power drop from the rev-limiter is no fun. haha
I've been adjusting the rear shock preload after just about every ride to find the sweet spot. Right now she shakes her head a bit too much for my liking.
Perhaps if I come into my corner revving higher in a lower gear she will want to stand up more when I roll out of the apex.
Getting away from the original post now, but what is your fork height setting? the top of the fork tube should be level with the yoke (or tripletree as I believe it's called in your part of the world).
22.25mm above the yoke because I dropped the rear about 34.5 (I recall) by rotating the hub 180.
So it's not that then..... :icon_rolleyes:
Back on topic - BOB! :icon_biggrin:
(Re: Gearbox very clunky/miss shifting/ sloppy / grinding when fully warmed up)
Nobody has mentioned engine oil yet... could that possibly be a factor? Using the wrong type can cause some odd characteristics.
Try Petronas. :icon_biggrin: I notice a difference..don't think it will cure 'grinding' though?? :icon_scratch:
Cold oil is a bit stickier than hot oil. A bit more cushion and drag until warmed up.
You have already changed for the correct type. Any different oils that would help would be masking a problem that would eventually need fixed anyways.
Does the counter sprocket rotate straight? Is the inside of the sprocket cover in good shape? Any scarring or gouges in there? Meaning if a chain has come off when in motion it can jam up in there and push or pull or torque hard on the counter shaft. This would not leave evidence of ground battle on the outside cover as pointed out in earlier responses.
Is the cs sprocket seal leaking? Does it look to have been replaced?
If such has happened it could have torqued on a shaft on the inside or messed with shifter forks and/or their mounts all while skidding to a stop or while the rider was trying to get the mess undone. Ripe time to have bad things happen "in between" gears.
There is a difference between shifter forks/ spacers/ gears "dancing" against each other and a clunk you can feel through the machine.
Is your back wheel lined up correctly, i.e. the sprockets?