3rd gear slippage?

[glandry924]

i just got a 1981 1100 special, very happy with the bike, but under medium to hard acceleration, it jumps out of third or slips, which doesn't seem like the right term, but under light normal driving third is just fine. any ideas? i will post on forum also. also how much of the engine has to be disassembled to get to the tranny? thanks
wayne

[prometheus578]

"Explain yourself, Sir!"

Ok, you've described two different problems.
So, which is it?
When you accelerate, does it 'mechanically' jump out of third gear and you have to shift it back in again?
Or..
When you accellerate, the clutch slips...meaning the engine revs, but the bike doesn't move faster in synch with the rpm?

Jumping out of gear could be the shift pawl/drum assembly not centering itself in the 3rd gear position (accessible from the outside), or a gear/shift fork issue (on the inside.)
Slippage just means clutch plates.

(Yes, I know... a slipping clutch would act up in all the higher gears, not just third. But he doesn't state if he takes it past third when this happens and if the other gears react the same way.)

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Glandry,

Like Prom said, IF 3rd gear were actually popping out of gear and then back in, it would be a definitive jerking/popping kind of sensation. But IF the clutch is slipping, it will occur at the higher gears, but can happen in the lower gears as well when it gets worse, but like you described, with minimal throttle input, it can behave okay, but under load the plates slip and the rpms can rise without any increase in bike speed!

Check out the tech tips for the proper way to adjust the clutch cable at the engine, and THEN the handlebar and see if it still does it! Also, would be good to pull the cable OFF, and check it for smooth motion or sticking, can possibly fix by cleaning with carb cleaner spritzed down the cable innards first, then a good NON evaporating lubricant(NO WD-40!) Also check the routing of cable, if badly bent can also cause sticking!
T.C.

[glandry924]

it just pulls too good in the other gears for it to be a clutch problem. slip may be the wrong term, as it makes a grinding noise when it happens. i just skip and go on to 4th.