[Shifty Otter]

I did a search on google and on this forum before posting but wasn't able to find anything.

I've been riding for 12 years now and just this morning experienced something that I have never experienced before. I was getting on the interstate on my way to work and was in 2nd gear when I decided to give her a little gas. Everything was fine and normal but then when I went to shift up clutchless (something I have been doing for 11 years on every bike I've owned) it was like the shifter had suddenly loosened up on the shaft and it was able to move up a lot more than it is supposed to. It still got into 3rd gear fine and I kept on it and shifted up to 4th clutchless again and I really noticed that extra vertical travel this time.

It never came out of gear. There was no grinding. No hiccuping. Bike feels completely fine otherwise. When I got off at my exit for work, I tried shifting up gently with the clutch while only accelerating slowly. Shifting up felt fine. I could feel it stopping where it is supposed to like it always has. As soon as I tried to shift up under brisker acceleration, even with the clutch, I could feel that extra travel again.

Even still, there was no gear grinding. No popping out of gear. No loss of power. No problems of any kind...other than there being too much travel when I shift up under load. It is a 2010 10R. ~5700 miles. Oil change within the last 2000 miles.

Help!

 

[SkyDork]

Welcome! You came to the right place. :ayyy:

Sounds like the return spring broke. You're going to have to get into the case a little bit and check the shift shaft and detent mechanism. But usually if the return spring breaks, it produces exactly what you're describing. Not nearly as involved a repair as the tranny itself, but it will involve pulling the clutch basket out to get to the detent arm and spring to verify it.

 

[Shifty Otter]

Return spring? Even though it comes back down on its own?

 

[SkyDork]

If the return spring breaks, then the mechanism doesn't recenter properly and the next shift takes more movement to get it into gear. The lever may recenter under it's own weight, but that's not what returns the shift drum properly. And it won't be consistent on the shifting either. Sometimes it will shift right and other times it won't.

It's the first thing I would be looking at along with the shift star and shaft shaft itself. All of which is behind the clutch basket.

 

[SkyDork]

There are 2 springs in the mechanism, one on the shift shaft itself and another on the detent arm.

 

[Shifty Otter]

Well, I suppose it is time to try and exercise that warranty a little bit then. Thanks for the help.

 

[SkyDork]

Well, I suppose it is time to try and exercise that warranty a little bit then. Thanks for the help.

You still have warranty left on a 6 year old bike? That's impressive. Good luck with it! Hope you get your issue corrected. :ayyy:

 

[Shifty Otter]

I bought it from a buddy who bought it as a leftover in 2013 and he got the extended warranty. I have coverage until 2018

 

[SkyDork]

I bought it from a buddy who bought it as a leftover in 2013 and he got the extended warranty. I have coverage until 2018

Nice!