Got No Drive

[JoeC]

Was riding along and just lost drive - engine running OK.
Clutch lever works but it won't seem to go into gear.
I know you can't really comment without seeing it but any thoughts on what it coud be?

Cheers
Joe

 

[davegs]

Stripped clutch splines?

 

[DrFarkoff]

When you say it wont go into gear does the Gear position indicator change, as you change gears up and down?

Is there a whirring sound when you let out the clutch lever??

If the answers to the above are yes then the most likely answer is that the splines inside your clutch have worn out or stripped out

Probably a replacement clutch and possibly a gearbox input shaft

 

[JoeC]

When you say it wont go into gear does the Gear position indicator change, as you change gears up and down?

Is there a whirring sound when you let out the clutch lever??

If the answers to the above are yes then the most likely answer is that the splines inside your clutch have worn out or stripped out

Probably a replacement clutch and possibly a gearbox input shaft

That is it.
The bike was never the same from a couple of months back when it turned out an exhaust valve had broke and fixed. The bike had been whinning since then.

I currently have it booked in with Williams BMW for an assesment of what it could be on the 16th July . This was the next available date they had. Question is ... should I go ahead with this assesment or should I take it that it is the clutch/splines/shaft and get somebody else to possibly fix it?

 

[twizzle]

If you are north or midlands get it to Mikeyboy.. South or London Steptoe...

 

[JoeC]

Splines ... wasn't there somebody, USA?, that was producing an add-on that increased the area surface that the splines went into?
Anybody know who this is?

 

[DrFarkoff]

I saw that somewhere recently

You are at Chapel en le Frith If I remember correctly from my Brown Brothers autoparts days ?

 

[kennyc]

Splines ... wasn't there somebody, USA?, that was producing an add-on that increased the area surface that the splines went into?
Anybody know who this is?

they were available through Chris Harris, I dont know if the actual producer markets them separately

 

[JoeC]

I saw that somewhere recently

You are at Chapel en le Frith If I remember correctly from my Brown Brothers autoparts days ?

Yep..

 

[JoeC]

Came across this video explaining how the splines get damaged. Looks like I have been rding too careefully ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx3e0gqzylY

Details of how to purchase the gizmo to extend the area that the splines/drive cover ... http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=964425

Details for Mikeyboy ... http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/343136-mikeyboy-overland-and-classic-i-am-moving

 

[flatdog]

Are you still booking it in at a BMW dealer for assessment?

Personally I wouldn't.
Just cost you lots of money to have someone confirm you need to break the bike in half.
Anything to do with gearbox,clutch,splines, will mean taking the gearbox out anyway.
Get it to the closest recommended indi above and let them do it.

 

[JoeC]

Got MikeyBoy coming over tomorrow to collect the bike so will cancel the BMW visit.
Thanks all for all the info and advice given.

 

[JoeC]

Turned out to be the gearbox splines to the clutch. Had to have a new shaft, complete clutch (turnd out that it had almost worn out anyway), final drive UJ's were tight so got those two replaced and a couple of other bits. £1300odd

Then ..... on the way home from collecting it looks like the rear brake was binding. Brake and final drive rubber gaiter caught fire
Now had to replace the brake pads and final drive rubber gaiter - could have been worse. Thought I could have got away with a slightly warped disc but don't think so so gonna have to order one of those.

All the above on top of £2K which I spent, it turned out in the end, on 1 damaged exhaust valves earlier in the year.

Hopefully, that's the end of it now. Otherwise, it's going in the bin.

 

[PhaedrusMC]

Sorry to dig this up half a year later.

How's the bike now? Was the clutch spline job the solution? How's the bike feel since? Did you have one of those kits fitted to improve the spline engagement?

That Chris Harris video could easily make a man paranoid...

How big a deal is the spline engagement in average-mileage bikes? How much a factor is how the bike was treated during its life in determining (guessing) the likelihood of an issue developing? How could a prospective buyer tell if there is an actual or looming problem with the spline engagement?