Having trouble shifting into first gear sometimes?

Question

this happens sometimes when i come to a stop. when i try to go down to first gear at a stop sign etc.., the bike will go to 2nd gear or so and then no further down to neutral and first. it will finally go to first after trying and trying (going back up a few clicks and then back down) repeatedly. there was even one time when the bike went dead on me and wouldn't shift down (with the bike off) from 4th or 5th until the bike had sat for a while. i guess it's a shifter cable problem but i don't wanna go try to adjust it if it's having symptoms of something serious. it shifts fine once it's in first and i accelerate through the gears to 5th. this problem doesn't happen every single time but i think it's getting worse. the bike is a 1990 virago 750

Answer 1

mostbikes do that if you rock the bike back and forth it will shift gears .if not you might have a problem with swhift forks.

Answer 2

Adjust the clutch cable free play.

When pulling the clutch lever, it should move away from the clutch perch

between 1/8-1/4" before putting tension on the clutch cable.

When at a stop, the transmission gears are binding against each other.

Happens to all bikes.

Rev the engine a bit and shift to first just as the RPMs start to decrease.

Answer 3

your idle might be too high