Tractor gearbox

[Coopz]

My XS's gearbox is so clunky it makes me think sparks are going to shoot out of the pipe when I put it into first. The other gears are not that bad altho it does shift into neutrel a lot when going from 1st to 2nd. Thinking it was the norm for the bike I ignored it, but yesterday I took my dads 78' model for a ride (finally) it has more k's on the clock but its gearbox was like a Suzuki's. Silky smooth (almost). No clunks, it just clicks and shifting was faster and easier as well. Just wondering can much be done to address it? The clutch was overhauled 12 months ago and works fine.

[gonzo]

tractor gearbox

I've found I have to pull clutch in and wait a few seconds before putting in gear or they will chatter until the teeth mess. as for the hitting neutral , it may be the return spring behind shifter cover? I,m sure someone will know better than me though.

[WMarshy]

The most important thing to do is shift with authority other wise you will get N between 1st and second and also a false N inbetween other gears. About the only thing one can do is make sure you have your clutch is properly adjusted and your idle speed isnt too high. You can also adjust the shifter lever to suit your foot, it was a for me. Try preloading the shifter (pick up on it slightly with your foot untill you feel resistance) before shifting.

[Geezer]

You probably have a draggy clutch. This will make even a great transmission clunky...

Geezer

[b.walker5]

XS11 tranny's can be called "Agricultural" at best. I've actually driven non synchro tractors, 4 wheeled ones, with a smoother shift. They probably can be made silky smooth but i'm betting it would take lots of internal surgery and considerable $$$$. A well adjusted clutch in good order, and a good positve shift is about as good as it gonna get. Look at it this way, it's 30 years old and hasnt broken yet, and not likley too either.

[WMarshy]

Increased idle speed will add to the clunk but clutch drag is probably more dominant.

[TADracer]

I know this will sound dumb to some riders but footware can make a difference in the quality of your shifting, especially with a 30 year old XS or XJ. You have to firmly shift these transmissions and your left foot becomes part of the shifting mechanism. If you are riding in tennis shoes your shifting will just not be as firm as it would be with correct riding boots. The boots will fit the space between the peg and shifter better and make your foot more rigid and that makes for a more firm and accurate gear shift.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Coopz,
If your Dad's is smooth, he's got a one in a million....

I have the same issues w/ my XJ tranny.... it occaisionally will hit N between 1-2 shifts as well.... mine has been reworked within the last year... all is normal. They're just kinda clunky. That's also why most compare them to a "Russian Tractor" tranny.... never tried to use one of those personally, but I do understand the analogy...

As they've previously said.... just shift w/ authority.

Sounds like you've got a normal XS tranny to me.

Now, if while in gear you hammer the throttle, and it feels ratchety, and sounds like a machine gun... that's a different story.

Keep on ridin'....

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Coopz,

There's an alignment procedure to ensure that the shift drum and shift pawl are well centered, see the manual for it. Secondly, you can reposition the shift lever lower if you are wearing tennis shoes or smaller shoes/boots, so that you will start with better leverage to pull UP easier but yet more forcefully. The shift lever return spring is really only a problem for when you are downshifting, if it doesn't pull the lever back up far enough to reset the shift pawl ratchet, then it won't grab the shift drum pins properly!

Also, as stated, pull the clutch lever in, and hold it for several seconds before downshifting into 1st to reduce the clunk, lets the gears slow down their spinning before you slam them together. Some folks even will shut the engine off, shift into 1st, then restart before taking off!

Also do you allow the rpms to drop slightly before trying to shift up while you've pulled the clutch to take the stress off of the gears before shifting? Also, difference engine oils can also contribute to the quality of shifting.

T.C.

[barrelguy]

Ka-Lunk

That's the sound of shifting. I bought my 1980 Special last summer ( a sop to advancing years) and was initially concerned about the noisy shifting. As has already been mentioned, taking up a bit of slack in the shifter before changing gears certainly helps smooth things out but I will be looking at my clutch adjustment just the same.