Dropped the bike - iffy gears - tips?

Managed to drop the bike this morning for the first time - embarrassingly at
about 7 mph in our icerink work carpark when a woman stepped out from behind
a van on a corner. I thought at the time I'd mostly damaged my ego and bent
the indicators (quick tchwack and that was sorted)

However the gears have been playing up on the way back. It keeps sliping
back into neutral, especially if I change gears quickly. 2nd seems most
affected if that could be relevant - it can slip out while just driving
along while 1st and 3rd don't?

I'm guessing something in the gearbox needs tightening up - or is it worse?
Any recommendations from old hands on these matters?

Oh yeah - it dropped on the left.

Robert

 

Robert Irwin wrote

Commiserations dude but don't say we didn't warn you.

Yeah, every fucking time. Tinted visors are handy if you intend to make
a habit of it, no **** can see the blushes.

 

You've probably just bent the gear lever. Hit it with a hammer and bend
it straight.

If you're *really* unlucky you've damaged the selector.

 

Umm. make sure the gearlever isn't fouling the engine casing - this
can wear out the selector forks and cause sticky changes too.

Did the clutch lever survive OK and is it in adjustment?

See also if the gearlever shaft is straight - it might be stiff if
it's bent, which might cause problems. They're pretty robust, though.

It's possible that you've done what I did on my DT, which was to snap
off the post that acts as both an anchor for the gearlever return
spring and as a limiter for the gearlever movement. This is in the
clutch housing on the RHS of the engine. Not advisable for it to be
left floating around if that's what's wrong. Trust me on this.

You don't need to drain the oil to get at this, just lay the bike on
its left side. Make sure no crap falls in if you do this. IIRC it has
a locknut and may be accessible without removing the clutch but I'm
not sure.

If that's broken then it won't be difficult to repair or bodge with a
modified bolt or studding.

 

The bit about the post which acts as a limiter 'feels' liek the culprit now
you say it - the clutch lever has a lot more travel in it than usual when I
think about it.

I won't really have achance to look properly till Saturday, but the gear
lever survived and on very superficial inspection looks straightish (the
footrest on the other hand is pointing up by 30 degrees at the mo - hammer
job for Saturday.

Is this kind of thing (dropping bikes) a regular occurence in biking or is
it just me being a lemon?

Many thanks

Robert

 

It happens.

 

To us all, sooner or later. Try to get it out of your system before
you buy one that's shiny or has plastics on.

 

<thinks>

I think there were a couple that were never dropped. Oddly, these were
the only two kawasakis[1] I've had. Make of that what you will.

[1] GPz550 and gpx600.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

Ace said...

<Touches wood>

In the last 15 years I've only dropped three bikes that can be
attributed to my own fuckwittedness. Firstly my brand new Firestorm that
went down on diesel a mile after I picked it up new, next was my 350LC
when I ran out of room wheelying across a car park, and the last was the
Thunderace that I dropped twice while turning round at very low speed.

I've had other accidents, but they weren't my fault. The most notable
was the time my daughter's NC30 was written off by a plumber's van when
I was borrowing it.

 

If God didn't want bikes to be dropped he'd have given them three wheels
or given me stronger legs and quicker reactions.

 

Are real twat drops the bike on the car. Double whammy.


<fx: wanders off whistling>