Quick shifter?

[russellmc]

Recently I discovered that gently touching the shifter creates a smooth downshift versus mashing the shifter (foot following through to the bottom) creates a jerk. I searched the service manual for mechanical adjustment on the quick shifter and didn't see it. Thoughts please.

12/28: Today I consciously ensured the throttle was completely closed when downshifting and each time had a smooth (jerkless) downshift. I'll continue experimenting.

[ViperBoy]

It is definitely inconsistent. I've used auto-blipper on a BMW (significant lag, but no bang) and an aftermarket upshifter on my zx10r (somewhat harsh but always consistent action)
UP: incredibly smooth when cold with nice crisp shifts. Inconsistent as it warms up with some overly hard hits - seems like the delay time might not be long enough?
DOWN: very, very inconsistent, especially at low revs. I've tried the recommendation to fully close throttle and it doesn't make any diff. Some shifts are just slightly too firm and others give a crazy kick that means I have to think carefully for every shift - not fun. I also noticed that doing a slower downshift seems to help a bit as the rev up is closer to falling back down before the shift occurs
I'm going to try disabling EBC and see if that make a noticeable change

[Shin_Molina]

I have had similar issues like ViperBoy describes. For me, shifting up/down at higher revs (4500-5000rpm and up) solves most of the issues.
Every time I try to downshift near the lower limit of the quickshifter as specified by the manual (2500rpm) it kicks.
I always have EBC off, the bikes still engine-brakes pretty good. When I cruise at low speed around town I think is better to use the clutch.

[YossySeven]

Hi KiwiKodi, I know this is a very old thread, but I'm experiencing almost exactly the same issue on my 2023 Ninja 1000SX.

When I manually blip the throttle and downshift using the clutch with KQS enabled, the bike sometimes adds another blip afterwards. Sometimes the additional blip is unusually large. It can happen even while I’m still holding the clutch lever in.

If I turn KQS off, the problem completely disappears.

Did either of you ever find the cause of this issue, or a fix for it?

Kawasaki is currently looking into my case through my dealer.

Thanks for any information you can share.

Did you ever find out what caused this, or did you find a fix?

[Vex]

Why would you be blipping the throttle then downshifting with KQS? Its job is to rev match so you can just shift. That's kind of the point.

[YossySeven]

Thanks for the reply. I may not have explained it clearly.

I'm not trying to use KQS when I manually downshift. I'm using the clutch and manually blipping the throttle, just as I would on a bike without a quickshifter.

The problem is that with KQS enabled, the bike sometimes adds its own blip even while I am still holding the clutch lever in. This results in a double blip, or sometimes an unusually large second blip.

If I disable KQS, the exact same manual downshift works normally every time.

This seems very similar to what KiwiKodi described earlier in this thread: “mine first, bike's second.”

That's why I'm trying to find out whether the cause was ever identified.

[Snakes709]

Thanks for the reply. I may not have explained it clearly.

I'm not trying to use KQS when I manually downshift. I'm using the clutch and manually blipping the throttle, just as I would on a bike without a quickshifter.

The problem is that with KQS enabled, the bike sometimes adds its own blip even while I am still holding the clutch lever in. This results in a double blip, or sometimes an unusually large second blip.

If I disable KQS, the exact same manual downshift works normally every time.

This seems very similar to what KiwiKodi described earlier in this thread: “mine first, bike's second.”

That's why I'm trying to find out whether the cause was ever identified.

The cause/issue is you. With the quick shifter and autoblipper enabled, the bike is programmed to blip the throttle. There is no need for you to do it. It will do it whether you use the clutch or not when downshifting.

[YossySeven]

Thanks for your reply.

I understand that no manual throttle blip is needed when using KQS.

However, according to the Ninja 1000SX owner's manual, KQS does not operate while the clutch lever is pulled.

So when I pull the clutch lever, I am not intending to use KQS at all. I am simply doing a conventional manual downshift: clutch in, manually blip the throttle, downshift, then release the clutch.

The problem is that, even with the clutch lever still pulled in, the bike sometimes adds another automatic blip after my manual blip.

If I turn KQS off completely, this never happens.

So my question is why KQS appears to operate even though the clutch lever is pulled, when the owner's manual says that it should not.

[danham]

Yossy, just a wild guess from far away, but have you tested the clutch lever switch?

-dan

[DarkFlow]

Ensure you're not applying Any pressure to the gear lever before pulling clutch lever.