Houston, we have a condunuram.

[Marcarl]

It's an 84, with 160,000km on the clock. It's Mark's bike and he asked me to go over it and fix anything that needed fixing. I almost got it back to road worthy/safe condition, took it out for a test ride and found that shifting up wasn't bad, not great, but did work, but downshifting was and real issue. 2nd had been done some km ago and Mark says it hasn't shifted right since then, but he lived with it. Linkages were an issue but I fixed that and installation is on the marks. The knuckle behind the stator cover is in the up position, so we ripped into the clutch. Without the clutch nut installed it will shift by hand when turning the back wheel, but if we finger tighten the nut, shifting is hard to do if at all. I have an idea what maybe the issue, but I don't want to expose such an idea and cloud out the REAL thoughts coming from those who know.

So help us out here, get those brain juices running and offer your input. The winner gets to bring coffee on the next visit.

[luvmy40]

If it has been hard shifting for a long time, is there any chance the shifting fork(s) may have bent?

[Marcarl]

19 minutes ago, luvmy40 said:

If it has been hard shifting for a long time, is there any chance the shifting fork(s) may have bent?

That thought has crossed our minds, but it shifts not bad when the clutch nut is totally loose. So in my thoughts is that any tension on the transmission shaft changes things. Why?

[luvmy40]

[skydoc_17]

 

In the attached pic, If Washer #2 is missing, then the Clutch will bind when the Clutch Nut is tightened. Check to see if this washer is missing. Hope this helps, Earl

[Marcarl]

Washer is in place, clutch doesn't seem  to bind yet, haven't got that far. Took the slave out as well due to investigation and found the seal to be weak, so now  need a seal there. Tranny should shift without the clutch and does so quite nicely, until I  snug up the nut on the transmission shaft, then shifting becomes an issue. Clutch plates not yet installed.

[uncledj]

For what it's worth.

I replaced the crank bearings on an 87 Honda XR600 once, and when re-assembling, I was very concerned that I couldn't shift the thing by hand.   Went over it a few times but couldn't find an issue.   I ended up putting it back together and it shifted fine.   I never did figure out exactly why.

 

[Marcarl]

1 hour ago, uncledj said:

For what it's worth.

I replaced the crank bearings on an 87 Honda XR600 once, and when re-assembling, I was very concerned that I couldn't shift the thing by hand.   Went over it a few times but couldn't find an issue.   I ended up putting it back together and it shifted fine.   I never did figure out exactly why.

 

Interesting thought, thanks.