5th Gear Problem?

[GtrMn]

Just curious here....What is happening when you hit the false neutral in between 4th and 5th gear shift. Is the gear not moving over far enough? In other words...5 going into 8?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Gtrmn,

I thought I had posted this link to the Repairs Transmission section before, it shows how the tranny gears appear and explains in great detail what's happening during the different shifts!? Check it out!
T.C.

[GtrMn]

Oh yeah T.C. I copied the pics before and put them in a slide show...cool stuff.

Today I intentionally tried to do the Ka-Klunk thing in 5th gear. Doing about 35 up a bit of a hill...rolled out it...and yeap..Ka-Klunk. Slowed a bit without downshifting...and damn couldn't get it to do it again...tried 3 times!

[GNEPIG]

Out of the 8 of these that I have owned, to shift from 4th to 5th gear has always been the easiest.

The big nut that holds the clutch basket on also holds the Main Axle Shaft all of the way to the right, if that big nut is loose, could the Main Shaft move over enough to cause improper engagement between 3rd gear Pinion and 5th gear pinion?
Also if the circlip on the outside of 5th gear pinion came loose/ moved towards the case/bearing some, wouldn't that cause improper engagement? What if the circlip between 3rd and 5th gear pinion was boogered somehow and holding 3rd pinion away from 5th?
It would be easy to think that this is just a bent or broken shift fork, but you won't know until you start taking things apart. Removing the oil pan is a good and easy start.


Or maybe you just need your carbs sync'd. Yeah, that's it.

[GtrMn]

Hmm sounds like another couple of possibilities. Just got a set of tranny parts today...learning how everything engages and what not.

[Yamanatic]

Funny what you don't find when you least expect it :-? I am doing a 40 year service on a '67 Guzzi V700 and lurking inside the gearbox I discover a Cush Drive! It is amazingly similar to the one on the XS11 with the main difference being the use of a massive coil spring instead of the spring-washers; it is almost identical in size.

Did you ever get your 11 on the bench? It will be interesting to know what you find...

Cheers!

[GtrMn]

The big nut that holds the clutch basket on also holds the Main Axle Shaft all of the way to the right, if that big nut is loose, could the Main Shaft move over enough to cause improper engagement between 3rd gear Pinion and 5th gear pinion?

Haven't checked that yet. I did look at the cush drive from another transmission...would say there's virtually no way in my case that's it. Way too much torque to make that spin. Plus, once it does the k-clunk once it won't do it again no matter how hard I try... until I shift back to 4th..then to 5th again. Just tried it again yesterday...won't do it! geeez!

[Yamanatic]

Hey GtrMan,

I agree, it's not the Cush Drive - I just thought it was wacked that I would find the same arrangement on a 10+ year older Italian machine.

It sounds like you are just not getting a full engagement on your upshift, and the gears are taking their time indexing properly. Drive it 'til it develops into a severe enough problem to be obvious when you take it apart. A few nights at the dragstrip should help!

Cheers,
Warren

[Guy_b_g]

Warren,

Cool bike....me, Ive always wanted an immaculately restored 850 El Dorado police special, with a 1000cc kit !!



My last 2 bikes were a 78 LeMans II, and a 97 Centauro.

If there was ever a bike as over engineered for durability as an XS11, it's the Guzzi.

[GtrMn]

Yeah that cush drive is a pretty cool design...Basically a big torque shock absorber I would guess...either accelerating or downshifting. Didn't realize Guzzi's had them too. wonder what other bikes were made that way?

Oh BTW not gonna tear mine down until the weather shifts...way too nice not to be riding!