[McTavish]

imported post

A friend has a 1985 GL1200 that is stuck in second gear. We were out driving and he was downshifting coming to a rest area and the lever got stuck in second gear. Made no noises at all when this happened. Has anyone else had this problem and how hard to fix? He checked at a dealer and they said that they could not look at it for 2 weeks and the motor would have to be pulled to find the problem. To me it looks like the front cover can be pulled with the motor in frame. I will try to help him as long as it doesn't get too involved. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[GLester]

imported post

Have him try rocking it back and forth with the engine off and foot trying to change gears. Sometimes that will pop them loose.



Gene:waving::11red::11red::11red::11red:

 

[Grouchomax]

imported post

HelloMcTavishand greetings. We've had simiular discussions about this before. You'll find the answers to it in this thread-

http://www.goldwingfacts.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=1424&forum_id=1&highlight=stuck+gear

 

[McTavish]

imported post

With the bike cooled down he rocked it and it poped back into nuetral. THANKS!!:clapper:

Now, is there any idea what caused that? Is that something that needs to be fixed or is it just soomething that happends from time to time. We went on a 100 mile ride tonight split between city and highway and it worked fine. But, wouldn't want to have it break down again out in the middle of nowhere (like last time)

 

[rcmatt007]

imported post

two others of us have had this same problem (mine was stuck in third) When it happened to me no one had ever heard of this problem. did find that efter the bike sat, and cooled, I was able to start it in gear, and rock it to be able to shift. I must admit the first time it happened the bike sat in the garage for a couple of weeks before I did this. The second time it sat an hour or so. So far there hasn't been a third time.

I did go ahead and chnage out the external shift mechanism and don't know if that helped or not.

Both times it happened we were at toys-for-tots toy runs with lots of stop/go driving.

 

[johnmac]

imported post

I'm sure glad I read this post! If this happens to me, I will know how to deal with it.

 

[McTavish]

imported post

The day it happend he ended up driving his bike 80 miles in second gear while I went to get a truck with ramps. We were about 150 iles from home at the time. He could only go 27 mph , and we didn't get home until 1AM. I will keep everyone posted if the problem changes. I think this board just saved him over $1000 Thanks again for all the resposes!!

 

[englishted]

imported post

Your friend might be lucky. This often happens once or twice and then doesn't happen again for years! :waving:

 

[exavid]

imported post

It's cruel and nasty but I had an old Yamaha some years ago that would hang up in gear. Usually it would do it while riding. I found that if I pressed the shifter either up or down and flogged the throttle open and shut smartly a few times without theclutchit would usually come loose and behave for awhile.

 

[rcmatt007]

imported post

if mactavish's bike is anything like mine, when it was stuck there was nothing to get it to move come h*ll or high water. the first time it happened, I rocked, I started , I rocked again I did a lot of cussing (that did not accomplish anything) and then my wife drove it 35 miles home going about 35mph. a couple of weeks later I went to foul with it, started it rocked it and voila it shifted. The second time (both on toy runs/stop and go) we hung around the after run party, went out to a cooled bike and it shifted.

 

[philcsand]

imported post

Mine does something similar. Often times if I shift into neutral, while the bike is running in traffic (to give my hand a rest) it doesn't want to drop into 1st or 2nd.

What I generally do is hold the clutch in, roll back a few feet, and stomp down a few times. That will generally pop it down. Otherwise, reving it a little with the clutch in, and then slipping the clutch a little generally releases things, and it'll drop into gear. The problem has largly gone away since I put Castrol GTX 10w40 into the crankcase.

 

[rcmatt007]

imported post

last november when I first posted about this problem, no one had heard of it, I guess there is some comfort in now knowing it has happened to three other people



rodger

 

[BRowan]

imported post

rcmatt007 wrote:

last november when I first posted about this problem, no one had heard of it, I guess there is some comfort in now knowing it has happened to three other people



rodger

That's safety in numbers rodger! :waving:

 

[Tonys96]

imported post

I'm thinking you might want to try a more premium oil.

Some oils, especially the newer "high mileage" oils are a little thin for motorcycles.

I won't tell you what oils to use, but try the Honda brand oil at you next change and see if that makes a difference.

I'm not trying to open the oil can o' worms again, just making a suggestion.

 

[Eamonn1200]

imported post

I use thin oil in winter time on my 1200, but change to 20w/50 in summer. The thin oil in hot weather makes my engine sound a bit tinny and the gearchange more clunky than usual.

 

[McTavish]

imported post

Changed his oil yesterdayto 15-50. He says it seems to shift quieter now. After a couple hundred miles of riding the shifter has not got stuck again. We are going on a ride this weekend and will be putting on about 1000 miles with hot weather in the forecast. I'll let you guys know how it goes!

 

[McTavish]

imported post

Just got done with the 1000 mile weekend. And his bike worked perfectly. He told me to tell you guys thanks for the advise. Saved him over a $1000 in repair bills. Great site!!!! :clapper:

 

[AZWinger]

imported post

That's good news McTavish!:clapper: Hopefully he won't see the problem again.

Bob :11grey:

 

[finner]

imported post

I have a 1975 gl1000 that is currently stuck in 1st gear.Itjammed a few times prior to this in other gears not allowing me to shift up, but I'd simply downshift and come up thru the gear again with no trouble,but now it's in 1st,no down and won't go up. this is the first post I've found on this subject and i've looked hard. I'll try an oil change and play with it I hate to tear it down right now(mid-summer)but leaving it sit is no good either.I'll post results.Thanx for the info great site

 

[Redwing]

imported post

Hey McTavish :leprechaun:Greetings and welcome to the Forum. :clapper:Money saved already by using the best Forum on the net. :weightlifter:

:banana::18red::banana: