Recently purchased a brand new multi 2014 model, it's a bit of a mission to find neutral, goes straight down to 1st and then 2nd wtf, I've put 250 miles on it and have been told by dealer that it will settle down by 600 mile service, what do you all think about this comment, I appreciate the gears will be tight but it's dam annoying when stopped at traffic lights etc Thanks for any info on matter
I have a streetfighter (848) nearly 12,000 miles on the clock (Registered Sept 2012) When its cold its a bitch to locate neutral but once warmed up it settles down.
Thanks Vince, hope it really improves absolutely love the performance of the bike just takes the shine off it but hopefully it will improve just concerned that there might be something wrong with it but had it all checked out and everything in order, just looks like I'm not used to a new Ducati yet, a bit of dry weather and miles will help
No worries mate, I am not new to them have had a 750ss, 2 749's, 848, 848 Evo, 848 Streetfighter (still owned) 899 panigale just part exed it. they have all been the same, get it out the garage and ride round to front of house (6 yards or so) go to locate neutral and after 4th attempt turn engine of with kill switch then it goes in first time. Once out on the road and its warmed up a bit its a lot easier.
Is the lever engaging close to the bar? Wonder if there is some air in there. Shouldnt be but chance pdi didnt pick it up I guess
Several areas need to be checked. As @bradders said you may have aiir in the hydraulic clutch system. If that was the case the engine will drag on the gears make selecting neutral very difficult. Try starting the bike in gear with the clutch held in, don't pump it. You'll be able to feel the drag as a pull forward on starting. Another test to to pump the clutch then atempt to select neuttal. Anoter common issue is the correct alignment of the gear select and linkage bar. These should be parallel. If not, then gear election is difficult.
Multi should find neutral really easily when stationary. Toe on lever from first, should go straight to neutral easily, with no risk of overshooting to second. If it doesn't, that is not correct. As said above, either the clutch is not disengaging fully so that clutch drag is inhibiting smooth changes, or the linkage from the gear lever is not correctly adjusted. Those things are easy to fix, but if the clutch and the linkage are perfect it might be something more serious inside the engine cases - in which event, get it fixed under warranty. And no, they don't "all do that, sir".
I had this problem for several months, different engine oils and grades... eventually it came out that some multis do have some sort of oil pressure difference, causing a different quantity of oil on the clutch discs, don't ask me more because I really don't understand it completely (maybe the bypass behind the front sprocket, don't know). Easy to find out: take the level of the oil al the MINIMUM level, run it normally and you'll have the answer.
Just thought that I would update everyone on my neutral issue, basically as soon as I had done about 400 miles everything okay goes into neutral no problem so I guess my dealers comments were spot on
Hi Kevlar, I too collected my brand new 14' multistrada yesterday and noticed that neutral is a real pig. I hope it settles down as it was really annoying in traffic! I guess they will sort it at the 600 mile service if it hasn't resolved itself by then! Daz
Multis do appear prone to gearbox issues before they're run in. Mine was full of false neutrals until I'd put a few miles under its belt. Then it settled down and was fine
When mine was new it had a false neutral between sixth and fifth, but that soon disappeared and there are now no false neutrals at all.
Seeing that they seem to settle down after miles I would say it could be the high spots on the friction plates are taken down and the plates have less tendacy to bind together .... just a thought mind
Mine does exactly the same..... fortunately I have a lot of patience. The bike is getting better and so am I (I don't get so ticked when it misses gears in the high street....).
