Whuh? ...where's my shifter?!

[al_roethlisberger]

So, I was riding back from Berkeley today after our lunch with Mike, Janice, Jason, and Sonya... and as I was tooling along through Oakland, and felt around with my left foot to make a shift... and.... nothing.

 

I don't mean "nothing" like a missed shift, I mean "nothing"... like well.... air

 

 

Heh, so I looked down, and saw my lever flopped down as far as it would go, against the side plate <_ so i got my toe under it and was completely loose just hanging on pivot src="%7B___base_url___%7D/uploads/emoticons/default_wacko.png" alt=":wacko:">

 

Well, I wasn't sure at this point if it was the dreaded "return spring failure" or if some part of the linkage had let go, but since I was on the freeway buzzing along in 4th or 5th gear(not sure, but I'm pretty sure 5th)... I just thought, "well, just keep on going." Only another 40 miles to go

 

 

So, since I knew I was in a high gear, I just prayed that I didn't need to actually stop between Oakland and San Jose. And for the most part I got lucky. There was one or two backups where I had to split lanes to keep up the pace, but for the most part is was "smooooth sailing".

 

However, I began planning early where the most opportune exit was for my trip through town back home

 

Upon getting to San Jose, I took the best exit that was close to home, and offered an almost immediate dive into a service station parking lot, where I could inspect what was really going on down there.

 

So, after pulling into my local Shell station, I cut the engine(remember, no neutral ) and checked out the shift linkage. Sure enough, the bolt on the back of the shift lever, that attaches to the dogleg/linkage, had just vibrated right off... somewhere in Berkeley <_>

 

I then tried to see if I could shift the linkage with my hand to get it into a lower gear. Well, have you ever tried to shift the transmission by hand? ...without the leverage of the linkage?? ...uh yeah,

 

Heh... so I hopped back on, started it up, and experimented to see if I could actually ride the bike stoplight to stoplight in 5th gear.

 

Well, for those wondering, yes... you can ride the V11 Sport/LeMans(carefully) stuck in 5th gear. Thank God for torque

 

 

So anyway, alls well that ends well... I got it home without any drama, and it's an easy fix. Just bring on the loctite this time!

 

 

Oh, and as an aside... this should be a lesson. These bikes know when you are "talking about them" It was just during lunch today before riding back that I told Mike and Jason that the only parts I'd like to have machined from "quality stock" were the rear brake and gear shift levers, as they were cheap cast parts that break easily. hrmmm

 

 

 

 

 

al

[Mike Stewart]

Al,

 

I did not know the Guzzi could start out in 5th gear! I know I have started out in 2nd gear a few times without any problems. My shifter rod pivot bolts have come loose a few times and the last time it happened, I decided to add a few drops of Loctite to the bolts. Problem solved.

 

Nice to see you at lunch today, we need to start a monthly get together on this side of the bay!

 

Mike

[callison]

The linkage on my Sport 1100i broke a couple of years ago 50 miles from home. You can indeed get the beasts going in 5th. The whole story of replacement parts is on guzzitech.

[al_roethlisberger]

Thanks Carl

 

http://www.guzzitech.com/1100shift-carl.html

 

...sounds like you lost the whole linkage?

 

In my case, it's just the bolt that goes into the back of the shifter itself, that attaches it to the dogleg. So I got a bit "luckier"

 

BTW, it's just an M6 Hex head bolt that goes there, right? I looked through the parts and service CD and didn't see an exploded view of the gear selector linkage

 

There's no special bushing or anything that I lost as well eh?

 

al

[twhitaker]

When my shifter return spring let go September before last I was stuck in third gear. What an optimum gear to be stuck in. Have to be careful with the clutch starting out and 60 MPG is easily attainable.

[emry]

This made me think of the time I lost the "entire shift lever" on my 900 ninja. I was in sixth and about an hour from Death Valley Ranch. And yes it was hot.

 

Just the M6 and a nut, ever since the "trip" I always locktite or double nut my linkage bolts.

[callison]

I didn't lose any of it, the rod broke in half. I now have a spare set of ends and some rod in a drawer in my garage somewhere. Hopefully, I'll never need them. The garage is a disaster area.