2005 Kawasaki ZX636C1

I BOUGHT A 2005 KAWASAKI ZX-6R IN AUGUST OF 2005. SINCE THEN THE BIKE HAS DEVELOPED A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. STARTING AROUND 7000 MILES THE BIKE WILL FREQUENTLY COME OUT OF SECOND GEAR AND SHIFT ITSELF BACK INTO NEUTRAL WHILE RIDING. IT ALSO FREQUENTLY TAKES TWO OR THREE TRIES TO GET INTO SECOND GEAR FROM FIRST, USUALLY KICKING AND JERKING AND REFUSING TO GO INTO GEAR. I HAVE CONTACTED MY DEALER AND KAWASAKI. THEY BOTH TOLD ME I WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE BIKE OPENED UP, AND IT WOULD MOST LIKELY NOT BE COVERED UNDER THEIR WARRANTY, AND KAWASAKI DEEMED IT A WEAR AND TEAR ITEM. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT BE A WEAR AND TEAR ITEM WITH A 7000 MILE REPLACEMENT TO BE EXPECTED. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE ISSUES, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WITH THE BIKE MADE IN THE YEARS 2005 AND 2006 WHO HAVE CROSSED THE 5000 MILE MARK HAVE DISCUSSED THE HAVING THE PROBLEM ON THE KAWASAKI SPONSORED ONLINE FORUM AT TP://WWW.KAWIFORUMS.COM THERE ARE COUNTLESS THREADS IN THE APPROPRIATE FORUM, ONE OF THE MORE LENGTHY THREADS CAN SPECIFICALLY BE SEEN HERE HTTP://KAWIFORUMS.COM/FORUM/TOPIC.ASP?TOPIC_ID=79076 THIS POSES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR A MOTORCYCLE. WE HAVE A DIFFICULT ENOUGH TIME STAYING OUT OF ACCIDENTS AS IT IS, BUT PULLING THROUGH CONGESTED TRAFFIC AND FINDING OURSELVES IN NEUTRAL IS ASKING TO BE REAR ENDED. SHOULD WE BE ABOUT TO GET REAR ENDED, ATTEMPTING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY AND THEN FINDING OURSELVES POWERLESS WILL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. IT ALSO POSES A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS THE NEXT SYMPTOM IN A PROGRESSING PROBLEM, IT COULD BE THE GEARS BREAKING AND JAMMING OTHER GEARS. THANK YOU FOR READING MY LONG WINDED DESCRIPTION, I HOPE YOU WILL ALSO TAKE THE TIME TO PAGE THROUGH THAT THREAD, AND MAYBE A FEW OTHERS, AS THERE ARE MANY LIKE MYSELF WHO ARE STILL "IN THE WOOD WORK. *AK

OWNING THE 2005 NINJA FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS(5,000 MILES) I EXPERIENCED SOME VERY UNUSUAL SHIFTING TRAITS. SHIFTING ON ITS OWN. THIS IS A MANUAL SHIFT TRANSMISSION. THE FIRST WAS AFTER TURNING A CORNER, IN 2ND GEAR. AFTER ABOUT 30-50 FT IT DOWN SHIFTED INTO FIRST. IMMEDIATELY DECELERATING. THE SAME DAY WAS PASSING. I SHIFTED 3RD INTO 2ND, ATTEMPTED TO PASS(IN ONCOMING LANE) IT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, THEN AFTER A FEW SECONDS BACK INTO 2ND. BOTH OF THESE INCIDENTS COULD HAVE VERY DANGEROUS OR EVEN FATAL. RETURNED TO DEALER THE VERY SAME DAY. LOGGED IT AND SAID UNTIL THEY RECEIVED AND OK FROM THE MANUFACTURER, NOTHING THEY COULD DO. SEVERAL DAYS PASS, FROM A STOP, ONCE IN 2ND ANY THROTTLE RESULTS IN A GRINDING, POPPING NOISE. THE GEAR WAS JUMPING IN AND OUT. I SHIFTED TO 3RD, SAME THING, GRINDING. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AGAIN, TO LET THEM KNOW THE PROBLEM HAD GOTTEN WORSE AND WAS ALSO NOTICEABLE IN ANOTHER GEAR. THEY ADDED TO LOG. AGAIN WHILE RIDING 2ND AND 3RD PRODUCED THE SAME RESULTS, GRINDING, CLUNKING AND NO ACCELERATION BECAUSE OF THIS. AT THIS POINT I DEEMED THE BIKE UNSAFE TO RIDE AND DROPPED IT OF AT THE DEALER. I SUGGESTED THAT THEY RIDE IT AND TELL ME WHAT THEY THINK. AFTER THEY DID THE RESPONSE WAS "THAT??S SCARY" THEY PROCEED TO TEAR IT APART AND SEND PARTS TO THE MANUFACTURER. AFTER ABOUT 2 MONTHS I FINALLY HEAR BACK FROM THE DEALER. THEY TELL ME THAT KAWASAKI WILL NOT WARRANTY ANYTHING AND THAT I??M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TEAR DOWN AND INSPECTION. BUT AT THE SAME TIME SUGGEST(KAWASAKI) THAT TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM I NEED TO TAKE THE REPLACEMENT GEARS TO A CUSTOM RACE SHOP AND HAVE THEM CUSTOM MACHINED TO ACHIEVE A BETTER MESH. IF AT ANY TIME THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED DURING A CORNER, THE REAR TIRE WOULD HAVE LOCKED UP AND SENT ME INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THE GUARDRAIL, OR OFF THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. POSSIBLY LEADING TO SERIOUS INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. AND I HAVE A BIKE THAT??S NOT RIDEABLE AND A WARRANTY THAT IS NOT BEING HONORED. *JB