[RedZ1K]

I have a (Canadian) 2018 Z1000, purchased new 2 months ago, have about 1200km on it now.  Pretty much since day 1 I have had at least minor issues with shifting this thing.  I have to be extremely careful shifting into high, low, and reverse or it'll grind the gears.  It's to the point that I dread having to turn around on a trail or even just shut it off (has to be in neutral or park to start).  Every time I shift into a gear, I have to very carefully blip the throttle juuuust enough for it to engage the clutch to see if it is actually in gear or if it's gonna grind.  Reverse always seems to clunk pretty good when it engages moreso than grind.  6 point turns on tight trails are a nightmare .  I mentioned it to the dealer when it went in for its first service at ~500km and they claim to have adjusted the shift cable, but it didn't help. 

Anyone elses 1000 shift like this? And is it possible to make it better with more adjustments?  I'm hoping it's just an adjustment issue.  It's my only gripe with this otherwise great machine and although I love it to death and do not regret buying it, every time I have to shift I wish a tiiiiiny bit more I had just bought a RZR or something.  I had considered using it to plow my yard in the winter as I have done for many years with my old faithful 325 Polaris Magnum, but if it's gonna shift like this there's no way.  That old 4 wheeler shifts so smooth and flawlessly even for a 17 year old machine that spends half its life going forward and backwards that it makes me a little sad. 

Also, related, I have seen people on FB groups mentioning a shift upgrade kit or something (like a recall type of thing maybe?) for some early 2018 1000's that had some kind of transmission issue. Anyone know anything about this?  Curious if this may have anything to do with my issues.  Any way I can find out what machines were affected by VIN? 

[NMKawierider]

Don't know about any kit but and also if they are like the 800s...and they should be, they have an adjustable shaft between the shifter and the engine/transmission. MANY came from the factory mis-adjusted. MANY dealers do not know how to deal with this because the engine is rubber mounted and the shifter is solid so the distance between the two always changes...add to the fact that some have had bad rubber mounts which makes it even worse..and loose motor mount bolts...even more worse. The end result of this is popping out of gear under power is not only hard on the gears, but bends the shifter fork making it happen more often....and the only fix then is replacement...and that means a complete engine tear down. So...if it's not too late...better get that fixed. You can and should do this yourself. Just check the mount bolts for correct torque, then with a pry bar check the engine movement within the mounts. If it feels and looks like it had almost no movement, pull the plastics and set the shifter in neutral, loosed the locks on both ends of the shaft and adjust it so the indent on the transmission and the shifter are exactly the same. Then test it all the way to park and to low checking both in/detents for match.   

When done and with the plastics still off, start it, hold the brake on hard and put it in low and reverse and hit the gas just a little while watching the engine. IF you see that engine jump more then a 16th of an inch, you have at least one failed motor mount. Tell your dealer

[RedZ1K]

Thank you once again NMK.  If CF Moto isn't paying you to keep their machines running, they should be!  I am on call for work this weekend and therefore can't go too far from home so I am gonna tackle this and try to fix it.  It doesn't pop out of gear under power (well, it did on my VERY first run in it but I had my hand on the shifter and hit some bumps and I think it made me inadvertently shove it towards Low.  I don't hold onto the shifter any more!), but usually only when I try to get it into gear.  Most of the time I can tell by feel that it wwent into gear but many times it grinds and sounds terrible so I always do the throttle blips and it gets annoying after a while.  I'm pretty sure it's gotta be an adjustment issue, especially with what you said.   Hopefully this does the trick as it is really my only complaint about this fantastic machine!  Thanks again!

[NMKawierider]

Thank you once again NMK.  If CF Moto isn't paying you to keep their machines running, they should be!  I am on call for work this weekend and therefore can't go too far from home so I am gonna tackle this and try to fix it.  It doesn't pop out of gear under power (well, it did on my VERY first run in it but I had my hand on the shifter and hit some bumps and I think it made me inadvertently shove it towards Low.  I don't hold onto the shifter any more!), but usually only when I try to get it into gear.  Most of the time I can tell by feel that it wwent into gear but many times it grinds and sounds terrible so I always do the throttle blips and it gets annoying after a while.  I'm pretty sure it's gotta be an adjustment issue, especially with what you said.   Hopefully this does the trick as it is really my only complaint about this fantastic machine!  Thanks again!

Well..hold on...if it grinds going from neutral or park to a gear, then the transmission input shaft is turning.. and that will happen if either the primary isn't releasing completely, or the idle is too high or the belt's idler bearing is locked-up...which is between the two halfs of the primary and at idle the belt rides on it. Also...you should be able to start it in any gear as ling as your foot is on the brake enough to light-up the brake lights.

[RedZ1K]

No sorry it doesn't just automatically grind when I shift into gear, only after I've revved it up enough to engage the clutch and only if it isn't completely in.  I can move the shifter as I please but whenever I put it into a gear I always blip it just enough to engage first to make sure it's in gear so I don't mash it and have it grind all to hell.

Also...you should be able to start it in any gear as ling as your foot is on the brake enough to light-up the brake lights.

Also THIS, this is wonderful news to me!  Had no idea.  I was gonna disable that safety feature so I could start it in any gear but if this works I'm happy. 

[Skogsvarelse]

Adjst the shaft between the gear selector leaver and the engine. Its helps a loot if you adjust it, takes that avfull grinding away.. If you google how to adjust the shiften on a can am it almoust the same as on a cf moto, same princip.

The problem is when the shifter isn't adjustet properly leads to that the gears are not engeged all the way in the gearbox when your shifter is in the gears place.

[ctdls]

There is a known problem with the Z1000 transmission, you should have your dealer follow that up if they have not. I've heard it is primarily popping out of Hi Range.

Following NMK lead regarding the 800 shift lever, the plastic gate for the shift lever would not allow correct travel from Park to low range. I had very good results when I notch that shit lever gate, PIA as you need to get some of the plastics out of the way to see everything.

I copied this from the near useless service manual:

Inspect the vehicle smoothness
after install the shift rod assy. If not smooth
enough. Adjust the shifting pushing rod
length to see each gear can be accurate
positioned.

[NMKawierider]

There is a known problem with the Z1000 transmission, you should have your dealer follow that up if they have not. I've heard it is primarily popping out of Hi Range.

Following NMK lead regarding the 800 shift lever, the plastic gate for the shift lever would not allow correct travel from Park to low range. I had very good results when I notch that shit lever gate, PIA as you need to get some of the plastics out of the way to see everything.

I copied this from the near useless service manual:

Inspect the vehicle smoothness
after install the shift rod assy. If not smooth
enough. Adjust the shifting pushing rod
length to see each gear can be accurate
positioned.

Lol...yeah that's pretty useless. My gate detents were also off with the transmission's and had to .."adjust" them with a multi-tool to line up. I also found a quick-fix was to screw the shifter handle down one more...or at least a little more which holds the inner shaft down more and holds it out of the bottom of the Vs/detents. A bit sloppy but better then having it pop out all the time.

[RedZ1K]

There is a known problem with the Z1000 transmission, you should have your dealer follow that up if they have not. I've heard it is primarily popping out of Hi Range.

I think I'll look into that then, thanks.  Although, mine doesn't have a problem with popping out of gear once it's in, it's just finicky to actually get it INTO gear and not have it just partially engage and grind.  I'm hoping it is just an adjustment issue and I'm gonna tackle it this weekend.

And NMK, I had a chance to test that 'start in gear with foot on brake' thing today and it does indeed work!  Wish I knew that 2 months ago 

[RedZ1K]

Question for ya NMK, I've got 100 square feet of plastics removed now, trying to fix this issue.  Can I pop one of the ends of the shift rod off their ball without damaging it?  Trying to determine the detents.  I've loosened the jam nuts and have experimented a bit with adjustments, but I still get some grinding sometimes going between reverse and high/low.  Usually only grinds in a forward gear.  I've tried adjusting so the tranny lever is dead centre by feel (in neutral), and have tried with it adjusted so it pushes a bit more towards High, moreso to one side of the 'dead zone' I can feel, if that makes any sense.  Any tips? 

[NMKawierider]

Question for ya NMK, I've got 100 square feet of plastics removed now, trying to fix this issue.  Can I pop one of the ends of the shift rod off their ball without damaging it?  Trying to determine the detents.  I've loosened the jam nuts and have experimented a bit with adjustments, but I still get some grinding sometimes going between reverse and high/low.  Usually only grinds in a forward gear.  I've tried adjusting so the tranny lever is dead centre by feel (in neutral), and have tried with it adjusted so it pushes a bit more towards High, moreso to one side of the 'dead zone' I can feel, if that makes any sense.  Any tips? 

I don't think you can pop the balls out of the socket without damaging them. But you can unbolt either end as I remember. But first do this: Under the shifter knob there is a locking nut. loosen it well off. Then turn the knob down..to the Right..one turn or so. That will push the center rod down and out of the shifter's gate/detent. Then all you have is the transmission's. Put some masking tape over the P-L side. Then loosen both ends of the rod locks and move the shifter to the center position.. neutral I think is it. Looking down on the shifter unscrew the knob slowly. As it re-entered the shifter's detent the shaft will tend to move one way or the other. Adjust the rod so it settles all the way in and doesn't move. Then mark it on the tape. Then screw the knob back down a turn or so. Then shift it in to each position and mark the center of the shifter shaft  on that tape. After all are marked, go to each one and unscrew the knob as you did in neutral watching the shaft to your marks. If yours is anything like most others, they won't align exactly. To make them be in alignment you will have to either run the knob a bit down from where it was, keeping the pin out of the bottom of the 'V's or..do like some of the rest of us have and take the shifter out and open up the "V"s/ detents with a dremel or multi-tool just a hair. Hope that makes sense.   

[RedZ1K]

That does make sense after reading a couple times, I'll try that and see how I make out.  I'm starting to think it's something wrong inside the transmission though and if I can't figure it out I think I'm gonna have to take it back to them and get it fixed properly one way or another.  I'm about to go tackle if again and see what happens.  Thanks for the tips!

[RedZ1K]

Well I messed with it some more yesterday and may have helped it a bit, but I still get some grinding sometimes.  I screwed the shift knob down as far as I could and tightened it there and put it all back together for now.  Looks like I'm gonna have to get the dealer involved, but I may wait until later because I do not want to go all summer without this thing, ifs the reason I bought it!

Also, here is a screenshot of some people talking about the Z1000 having tranny issues, this is my problem exactly, minus the popping out of gear.  I'll mention this to them and if they aren't familiar I may have to go further up the chain. 

[NMKawierider]

You need to know that by screwing the handle all the way down that stops the shifter detents from doing anything. If you bump the shifter it will pop out of gear or into another...which can damage the transmission...and that act will void the warranty so..at least bring it up enough to keep it in the gear selected. It can be a little loose..that's OK as long as it doesn't pop out.

[RedZ1K]

Ohhh oops I guess I misunderstood that part a bit and thought it was ok to do what I did.  I'll loosen it back up a bit before I do any more riding in that case.  My dealer is within a stone's throw from my work so I think I'll stop in on my way there today and talk with them about the grinding and see what happens.  Thank you