XVS125 1st Gear loss

[STEVE MERVE H]

Afternoon all,

A little advice needed before I take it down to the garage.

Was riding to work today all fine and hunky dory until I got to just outside of work and then chugg......No Neutral or 1st gear. All other gears ok. Drop down to 2nd and then nothing on the Gear Lever, No pressure. almost like it never had anything lower than 2nd. I've rode it around the car park a few times this afternoon to see if any change but none. I have to start with clutch pressed as no Neutral.

A little history-

Its about 2 weeks out of dry winter storage. Had a service just before Christmas with a Fuel pump( if you can call it that ) and HT coil change. I've rode it for a year and half covered around 5-6000 miles.

Thanks

Steve

[Cynic]

Lets get the stupid questions out the way first.

Have you counted up from the lowest nd down from the highest.

Have you checked the neutral light and its circuit.

Can you select all gears rocking the bike with the engine off.

Difficult to guess without spanners and its an expensive what if. The selector mech is behind the clutch And it could be an issue there.

Just odd that it rides ok.

[STEVE MERVE H]

With or without the engine on I can tell I am missing 1st and I can access all other gears. It doesn't go into Neutral. I've been up and down trying to find it feathering between gears in the hope that I can feel it but nothing. I've rode it for a long time now so I can tell by the feel I am pulling off in 2nd (best I can explain). Low revs as soon as I depress the clutch feels like pulling off in a low gear. I drive as well so it feel similar to pulling off in 2nd in a car need higher revs to get going. I just went outside again. 5,4,3,2 all there then nothing and 2,3,,4,5.

[Airhead]

I dont suppose the gear lever has slipped a spline?

[STEVE MERVE H]

Afternoon. Sorry I don't no what you mean by slipped a spline.

[neversaydie]

Check to see if the mark on the splined gearchange shaft is in line with the slit, and that the arm is securely clamped onto the shaft. If it isnt, line it up.

Check that the gearchange linkage is secure at both ends, and that the uniball joints are free to move.

Check that the gearcahnge pedal is free to move.

If still no joy, you may have to try adjusting the uniball joints to see if that improves the problem. Make a note of measurements before making any adjustments so that you can return it to where it was.

Check your clutch adjustment and oil level, right type of oil in? Oil change due?

[Ttaskmaster]

Check the oil level.

Too much and the gear change will be anything from 'fiddly' to 'fuggin' impossible'.

[STEVE MERVE H]

Oil change was only 200 miles ago and all other gears working fine. I'll have a play with it next weekend and let you know how I get on.

[Ttaskmaster]

Yes, but check you haven't accidentally overfilled it as this is often what causes the problem, specifically changing between positions 1, N and 2.

[Iceni]

Did you get this fixed?

I've had mine in bits this week.

Is the gear shifter feeling the same when you change gear? It might be that you have slipped a quatergear up on the shifter linkage.

Drop the oil.

Remove the sideplate clutch and outer basket.

At this point you should be able to see 2 quater gears on the shifter mechanism. Make sure they line up dot to dot.

If those dots don't line up you'll have to take the oil pump slave gear off. It's a circlip. When you do this bung a rag in the sump drain under the shifter mechanism. I allmost lost a clip down that hole!

[STEVE MERVE H]

It's been a long time so sorry for the extremely late reply. Never did look at it. Just drove the car around until now. Just passed my proper bike test and currently looking for a bike bigger bike so decided it's about time I taught myself about motorcycles. Have my xvs 125 in pieces. Have a nice workshop manual all printed out in a folder. Disassembling and reassembling over winter and having another bike puts less pressure on me and allows me to enjoy it. I'll update on the last suggestion and hopefully anything I find may help someone in the future when they do a Google search.

[blackhat250]

Yeh that's the good thing about these threads, . informs others

A year + half " has got to be a record for a reply tho,,

[STEVE MERVE H]

I can only hope for a record.

Update-

Clutch and friction plates measured at max of tolerance. Surprised must have be replace just before I got it 3 years ago. Bike has done 25k. How long do they usually last. Think normal riding. No thrashing.

[blackhat250]

I suppose its an unmeasured answer this,,,if gentle riding I think probably the life of the bike,

I burnt out the clutch of my DT175 in 1977 . in 1 ploughed field ,got bogged and had to slip clutch to get out,, fried and knackerd completely,,