Intermittently hard to shift into 3rd gear

[so1102]

Every once in a while my bike just doesn't want to shift into 3rd gear, even with the clutch pulled in all the way.  All other gears, no problem -- just doesn't like going from 2nd to 3rd occasionally.  Not even under a hard load, maybe 6K RPMs max (and of course I let off on the throttle).  When it happens I have to let out the clutch and pull it back in a couple of times.
 
Most of the time the bike shifts just beautifully, and I have gotten much smoother with my shifts now that I've gone to the "apply a little upward pressure first then pull in the clutch lever" technique.
 
The bike also had an oil change recently -- full synthetic.  Free play at lever is a few mm -- as desired.
 
Anyone else have this issue?

[Beemer]

Did it act that way before you went to full synthetic?

[piebald]

Funny you mention this. I missed 3rd a few times during my little two-hour shakedown cruise earlier this week. In my case, it didn't seem hard to shift -- it was more like I felt like I shifted the lever, but when I let the clutch out, I was still in 2nd. It happened several times -- each time I clutched again and made a concerted effort to shift, and the bike found 3rd right away.
 
I just chalked it up to me not being used to the motorcycle.
 
Also, my shift lever wasn't adjusted correctly for me. I'll correct the shift lever and pay more attention next time I ride.
 
Also interested to hear from other riders whether they're experiencing the same...

[Beemer]

I wish I knew the answer to this and I looked around a little and found this. It appears someone else had the same problem but only with a different gear on a different bike but I think the two are closely related. Hopefully it will be helpful. It appears that maybe that spring that completes the shift (pulls it the rest of the way into gear after you lift up on gear lever) is worn some and needs replacing.
 
 
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=A0LEVzpK4dlWGPsAfEZXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEycGtoOWFqBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjE3OTJfMQRzZWMDc3I-?qid=20070910063358AAwVsFr&p=what%20can%20cause%20it%20hard%20to%20shift%20a%20particular%20gear%20on%20a%20motorcycle

[Guest Ralph]

Never a problem with mine but make sure you take
all pressure off the leaver between changes, the leaver
has to be allowed to return fully to its resting position between
changes.

[piebald]

It appears that maybe that spring that completes the shift (pulls it the rest of the way into gear after you lift up on gear lever) is worn some and needs replacing.

Mmm... good research. Although hard for me to imagine that the spring on mine is worn (fewer than 1,500 miles on the odo). 

Never a problem with mine but make sure you take all pressure off the leaver between changes, the leaver
has to be allowed to return fully to its resting position between
changes.

Yep, most likely this for me. The shift lever was adjusted too low, and I was having a little trouble slipping the toe of my boot under it -- really had to make a concerted effort to point my toe downwards. I suspect because it was so low, once I got under it, I wasn't releasing all the way between shifts. 
 

[xcarbonsteelx]

I have this happen a few times a week when going from 2nd to 3rd.

[delbee1]

This has happened to me a couple of times and a guy also in a local accessories shop also complained about this before I had experienced it, he also said a couple of other guys he knows were complaining about the same problem.
Heres another thread of someone else complaining about the same thing
http://www.motorcycle-talk.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-581.html

[Pick]

It's happened to me several times as well.  I didn't think I was changing gears any different to what I always do, but in the back of my mind I was wondering if it was just me, because I've only been riding since late November, and this is my first motorcycle.

[yamahaha]

Never a problem with mine but make sure you take all pressure off the leaver between changes, the leaver
has to be allowed to return fully to its resting position between
changes.

That is a quirk that still catches me once in a while. 

[doublergirl]

I try not to switch it to fill synthetic too early, usually wait a couple thousand miles

[gregjet]

THE most common cause of shifting problems on a motorcycle is the shift lever not adjusted for the person AND their boots. Not the only problem but the most common. Almost nobody adjusts their controls to their body and boots and gloves and helmet ( yep that too has an effect on where you sit and your overall posture).
The MT/FZ seems to be a bit more finicky as well to this. My girlfriend ( rides a KTM 690 Duke), who is 6 inches shorter that I and had 4 sizes smaller feet, commented she couldn't get here foot in the right place between the lever and the peg, so a geometry problem in there somewhere.
Make sure you adjust the lever with the boots you usually ride in and NOT LOOKING DOWN at your foot. Looking down changes the orientation of your foot.

[so1102]

Never a problem with mine but make sure you take all pressure off the leaver between changes, the leaver
has to be allowed to return fully to its resting position between
changes.

Ding ding ding we have a winner! Realized I was being lazy and leaving my toe under the shifter in between shifts. Stopped doing that and now the shifts are buttery smooth

[piebald]

THE most common cause of shifting problems on a motorcycle is the shift lever not adjusted for the person AND their boots. 
Make sure you adjust the lever with the boots you usually ride in and NOT LOOKING DOWN at your foot. Looking down changes the orientation of your foot.

I adjusted my shift lever earlier this afternoon and just got back from a short ride. No missed shifts. Good stuff, easy fix.   8-)

[roawser]

I had the same, going from 2 to 3 but I thought it was my inexperience as a rider. Both my bike and I have almost 1000km now. Learned that the foot pedal can be adjusted, what should I look for when not looking down at my foot? When do I know it is right?

[norcal616]

I have had it happen a few times...each time I caught myself not actually fully letting the shifter all the way down..just missed it by a hair and if it does happens it's usually on a rough patch of frost buckled road surface spot ...gotta love the Michigan roads -_-

[Guest Ralph]

One thing worth doing is a drop of oil each side of the gear lever pivot,
I had mine disconnected the other day and wile nowhere near seized it was
a little stiffer than I expected and I oil it now and then.

[weazsel]

Same thing happened to me on her maiden voyage home last year. It's the result of the shifter not returning to neutral for whatever reason like everyone else has mentioned. You could imagine my concern and heartbreak not knowing what it was on my first hour with her!
 
I've adjusted mine lever once with the stock rear sets and again with the ebay rear sets. All good now.
 
 

[bugeyes]

Experienced the same and it all started when I got new boots, stiffer an larger than the previous.
Time to adjust the lever
 
Edit//
Adjusted it yesterday a little bit up and it did the trick.

[CarGuy7a]

I've had mine do it countless times going from 2nd to 3rd and mine is a 16 model with right around 400miles. Kind of embarrassing when in traffic especially when you are an experienced rider, makes you look like such a noob. I know for a fact that it is caused by not letting the shifter return all the way. If I take my toe completely off the shifter between shifts, it never misses a shift.
 
I'm just so used to my Honda CRF450R supermoto's short shifter throw that you can put more pressure on between shifts. I get on the FZ and I have to re learn everything.