gear problems

[piston5]

hey.....wondering if anyone else has ever had the same problem.....my bike ran fine for the first couple months of this season and then suddenly started developing problems downshifting.......now its to the point where its really hard to push down into second and at least half the time when I shift into first it won't go on the first try........I end up having to push a couple of times.......are the gears done?........

[pmkls1]

do some searching i think that kats are a little notorious for having tranny troubles............

[The CyberPoet]

You may have one of any number of issues. If you're lucky, your indent sprint is broken (easy, cheap fix).
If you've been abusing it, such as forcing downshifts without matching RPM's and/or shifting down into 2nd and 1st while still at substancial speed, you may have done serious damages.
The thing about serious damages on the Kat is that the tranny is a bear to get at -- the parts to fix it are relatively cheap (about $250 - $280 including the shift forks for 2nd, 2nd gear itself and seals), but a ton of labor (18 - 30 hours, which at shop rates can easily run to $1500 - $2k).

IMHO:
Examine it for problems closely using a factory manual & fiche print-out for comparison. If the problem isn't readily solvable without disassembly, get an extended warrantee if available (some dealer in your area should be happy to sell you one). Odds are the problem will get worse and you'll be faced with a large bill. Once warranteed, it's their problem not yours.
Also learn to downshift correctly. Avoid going back into 2nd over about 15 mph and into 1st over about 5 mph (preferaby at a stand-still), plus learn to pull in the clutch and rev up about 1000 -1400 RPM before releasing the clutch again during down-shifts, to match the engine output shaft to the speed of the next gear that will engage.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet