Gearbox problem

[Al G]

Big gearbox problem

It is on my 1200 GS, 4 years old,18,000 miles, bought last summer. I don’t know exactly how it happened but after reversing the bike out of a tight corner in my garage last week and about to start off, I couldn’t get out of neutral. Also the gear lever was sitting at an angle of 45 degrees from the horizontal. I thought I had somehow hit the gear against something in the garage, damaging the linkage but it seems that the problem is the gearbox. (according to my local dealer)

I am new to BMWs. Does this seem likely?

My local dealer has had the bike since Thursday but cannot fix it this week or cannot even tell me when.

My problem is that I am booked on the Plymouth Santander ferry on Sunday.


Anyone got any ideas?

 

[Pukmeister]

These bikes are prone to a build up of dirt within the gear linkage, causing stiffness and reluctance to shift. Perhaps your gear linkages would benefit from stripping down, lubricating with a little grease and reassembly??

If it still wont shift gears after that, it is probably an internal gearbox fault such as a jammed selector fork in the detent of the selector drum, or a seized/broken ratchet pawl or return spring?

If an internal fault, it is probably not too difficult to repair but it would entail a stripdown of the bike to remove the gearbox and thats where the labour costs start to add up.

If you are in a rush to make that ferry crossing, and don't mind using a spanner, you could always buy the Haynes manual and read up on the technical details of the repair then try freeing up the linkages and see what happens.

 

[Al G]

Thanks for the reply. However things have now progressed; it is definitely the gearbox and not the linkage. The dealer has stripped the gearbox and something major is broken. Unfortunately the parts are not in stock although I’m not 100% sure of this because they are closed today.
Looks like I have to move the Santander trip back by one week but at least I know it will now be fixed. I actually count myself lucky because it as very close to happening during my trip.

Al G