Exhausts and Engine » Check your gear linkage.

I was riding south and had been sat on the M3 and A303 for 50miles in 6th. As I approach the big Amesbury roundabout the traffic lights controlling it are just changing to green, I changed down to 5th gear and went for 4th but the lever had 'gone soft'. I let the clutch in and I still had drive, tried for another downshift but again the lever was there but had dropped from it's normal place and I couldn't get it to move up or down a gear.

I rode around the roundabout with nine kinds of nightmare worried about what had gone wrong, I got off the roundabout and pulled over at the side of the road. On investigation I found the hex-head screw that holds the select lever mechanism to the gearbox selector shaft had come undone allowing the whole GASP selector arm to work free. Fortunately the frame rail stopped the screw coming out and dropping on the road. I removed the link between the gear shift lever and the selector arm (10 mm spanner) and got the selector re-seated, there seemed to be only one place it would push back on snugly and an 8mm spanner got the offending screw done up.

I set off again tentatively but gear selection was all working fine, both clutched and clutch-less, I stopped and checked it after another 10 miles, and it was still done up. I double-checked it at ever stop there after and by the time I got to Land's End decided it was going to stay on and quit worrying about it.

I have subsequently checked the screw now I'm back home, with the intention of putting some thread-lock on it, BUT it and the shaft it screws into are covered in a 'silver' grease, and there's no way I can get to the internal thread to clean it up enough for thread-lock to actually work, and it was still done up tight after the 520 miles I put on it with countless shifts. No idea what torque it is supposed to go to but I will keep and eye on it and only worry if it starts to back out again. My 2015 chassis/gearbox has covered 25,000 miles always serviced by BM dealer, I change gear using the clutch and clutch-less probably 50/50.

This is the screw I'm talking about
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This was how I found it when I pulled over
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And how it should be but with out the hi-light
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Jason.

Just checked mine and put about 1/16 of a turn on it. It was snug but I tried and it turned a little. Thanks.

Frank

Thanks for the heads up Jason. Just checked mine and it was tight enough already to move the linkage when I put a spanner on it.

" ... and by the time I got to Land's End ..."

So a short ride this time Jason. Just a 550 mile doddle there and back.

Cheers for the heads up. checked mine and its all snugged up.
Sorry to hear you had such bad luck but glad all is ok now.

I'll check mine right now.

Cheers for the HU

Thx, i could tighten 1/4 of a turn.

Thanks for the info. Heading out on a weekend ride to the Sierras so I am going to check this tonight.

Zitat von JasonQ im Beitrag #1

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.......... My 2015 chassis/gearbox has covered 25,000 miles always serviced by BM dealer, I change gear using the clutch and clutch-less probably 50/50.

This is the screw I'm talking ....

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Zitat von Boxerboy55 im Beitrag #9

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Zitat von JasonQ im Beitrag #1

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.......... My 2015 chassis/gearbox has covered 25,000 miles always serviced by BM dealer, I change gear using the clutch and clutch-less probably 50/50.

This is the screw I'm talking ....

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That’s an odd one.

My bike is same vintage and mileage. And I change gear like you do.

Screw is rock solid.

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Glad you shared this, checked mine today, absolutely solid. Still I will keep an eye on it from now on.

I have the opposite problem - a gear linkage that has been overtightened and has stripped the thread as a result. Do be careful not to overdo it!

I wear Daytona M Star boots with 2.5 mm thick soles to permit me to ride average height bikes without risk. So every bike I ride I need to adjust the gear linkage to accommodate. At the moment I can barely snick half a toe under to change up on the RS. The contrast with the F800GT when I took it out to proof a run yesterday is marked.

I set about sorting the problem last night. Try as I might I cannot raise the toe of the lever enough. The linkage is now in pieces and I cut a bit off one end but the thread is too damaged to re-thread it all. So I have been in touch with Motorworks. They suggested a linkage from an ST might be shorter and are looking out what they can find for me. Meantime I am filing away and working on the damaged thread.

(For anybody that might be interested I use toe and instep on the pedal going up the gears and raised heel & ball of my foot to go down through the gears.It is second nature to me now on the F800GT)

2.5mm soles, they sound more like ballet shoes!!!

Just to be clear ... are you talking about the nut holding the quick shifter, as per the original OP, or the threaded rods that make up the linkage itself? I suspect the latter.

2.5 cm! My bad!

Chris