fluid levels or cancer?

[greg maz]

bike gets sometimes in between gears when first gear is applied:

let go of clutch

nothing happens

bike hops

here we go but for how long?

Doctor, is it xs cancer or just fluids levels?

[DGXSER]

What you briefly describe sounds like indication of the need for a dremel fix. See tech tips. Won't stay in gear, hops in and out. That is the key indicator.

[CatatonicBug]

Is it just jumping out of 1st gear, into Neutral? Any nasty grinding noises? I agree it does sound like it needs the dremel fix. It's normally applied to 2nd gear, but I had to do it to 1st, 2nd AND 3rd. Make sure that if that is the route you go, look carefully at all the gears. You may want to back-cut all of them just to be safe anyway. And do the washer swap while you're in there.

[DiverRay]

Also check the shift pawl spring. If it is weak(after 30 years???) it will not push the pawl to the return position. One quick check is to pull the clutch back in when it does this, and LIFT the shifter slightly with your toe. If it now works correctly, without sounding like a machine gun, then it's the spring. I think it's still available from Yamaha, and can be replaced in under an hour WITHOUT draining the oil! Just lean the bike onto something on the right side, such as a jack stand, and the oil will run to the right.

[greg maz]

thx will begin messing with it

[greg maz]

looked at the dremel fix

is there any surgeon capable in or around LA?

This doesn't look like I should try by myself.

[CatatonicBug]

looked at the dremel fix

is there any surgeon capable in or around LA?

This doesn't look like I should try by myself.

Don't sell yourself short! It's really not as difficult as it looks. The trickiest thing is getting the shift forks back in afterward. Just take it slow, read all the instructions, and you'll be fine! Really!

I had never been inside a bike before in my life, and this was the first mechanical thing I did to mine. Took me all day on a Saturday, all by myself.

[greg maz]

shut up and do it huh?

ok

where do you live? So that I show up all angry because "I am doin it wrong".

As for the symptoms, too much gas (torque) in first makes it drop gear and hop, so that's that.

Still love that bike I guess it's time to prove it, thx for diagnostic and moral support.

[DGXSER]

Yep, that sounds liek the gear fix is in order. FWIW, I had my 11 for about a month when I figured it needed this fix, not nearly as bad as your does though. Mine was 2nd gear and it only did it when I hammered it at about 5k and up. I had never been inside a bike engine or tranny, and with the help and support of the members here and the tech tip, I completed the task. For me the two toughest parts were getting the gears back in and cleaning the fricken gasket surface of the shift fork cover.

I also just tuesday evening helped another member do this repair to his bike on the centerstand on the back yard patio in about 3 hours. Only thing not completed was putting the three covers back on. Now we used some spare gears he had and did not dremel them.

The dremmel work will take an evening really. Just go slowly, you can always take more off but hard to get it back on. the angle does not need to be much, liek the tech tip says, those angles are exagerated for pictorial purposes. I used a little playdough to check my fit to the mating gears, like plastigage. It does not have to be perfect to work great, mine certainly were not and so far, 3000 miles later, I can hammer the crap out of it with no problems at all. HTH

[DiverRay]

You can always try and see if anyone from Sun Diego would be willing to ride up and help. You WILL need to provide food and drink, but it should not be that bad! They really ARE a good hearted bunch!( I have the photo's to prove it!)

[greg maz]

I am more worried about having the proper toys to play dentist. No torquo wrencho, no dinero, no nada...
Got dremel, will travel... not for long

[DGXSER]

Hey Greg,

Dremel is the most expensive need. The bits are not to much money. I think I spent about $30-40 on them maybe, you could maybe get away with one instead of two of each size bit described in the tech tip for less, but they do get smaller as you use them. Another $10-20 on gasket material. Tools can be borrowed. I think most Autozones will loan you a torque wrench, well they sell it to you then refund when you bring it back.

[CatatonicBug]

I spent about $8 (maybe less) on a tube of Ultra Black at Autozone, and have used only that to replace ALL the gaskets I have had to remove. No need to use a real gasket on these parts. Just be sure you clean all the surfaces of every trace of oil (including fingerprints) before applying the Ultra Black. To be honest, a torque wrench is probably not really needed either, but an impact makes the clutch removal a bit easier. Just turn 'em "gootentite", and that should be fine for any of the parts in there.

[greg maz]

so fitty bux and a week end

sounds decent, sold

[DGXSER]

As far as torque wrench goes and just tightening things by "eye"/hand. Just remember most of the stuff your working with is aluminum and will strip MUCH easier than most automotive stuff. Thats why alot fo it is just 7-1/2 ft lbs of torque and 14 ft lbs of torque. But then you get things like the countershaft bolt and the clutch bolt up to 51 ft lbs, quite the difference.