VL transmission not down shifting smoothly

[50Panhead]

After a long winter restoring and now that I got all the necessary insurance and licensing on my 32 VL I have been able to take it out on the back roads.
I have one problem that I'm not really sure if its ME, the Clutch or Transmission. But when I shift up through the gears it slides smoothly in the gears. But down shifting it does not. I don't like the sound of grinding gears. I have ALL the free play adjusted out of the Clutch. When at a stand still, bike running, clutch disengaged and in low gear it does not feel like its grabbing at all.
I have been riding very conservatively, I still have to get used to the feel of this machine.

Your thought are welcome.
Thanks

[Steve Slocombe]

It's a crash gearbox 1915-36 so you need to be going pretty slowly when shifting down from third to second gear, and first gear is often best engaged from a standstill. Give it a couple of hundred more miles and see if it gets easier.

[50Panhead]

Thanks Steve

[Jim]

I agree.... downshifting into 1st gear is best to be at a stop or just about stopped (slow walking speed). When coming off a main road and I want to downshift from 3rd to 2nd, I am going about 15mph making the turn and I have no trouble downshifting into 2nd.

[50Panhead]

I agree.... downshifting into 1st gear is best to be at a stop or just about stopped (slow walking speed). When coming off a main road and I want to downshift from 3rd to 2nd, I am going about 15mph making the turn and I have no trouble downshifting into 2nd.

When it quits raining and the roads dry up this weekend I'm going to get it back out on some back roads. I want to try keeping the rpm's up a little higher when shifting down from 3rd to 2nd to see if that helps. I'll get the hang of it after a while. I just want to be the only one on the road until I do.