Want to improve your gear change?

[PIGGLET]

After riding through the winter I decided to give the bike a good going over. One of the areas I earmarked for a strip and clean was the gear lever and link rod assy.
Prior to me cleaning the afforementioned the gear change was fine, no missed gears or false neutrals. A bit clunky but after owning 5 GS's seemed pretty normal.
Anyhoo, I whipped out the 2 retaining clips on the ball and socket joints, pulled off the link rod and cleaned up both the ball's and sockets with a bit of brake cleaner and wire wool.
I then whipped out the pivot bolt that hold the gear lever on and gave the internal brass bush and bolt etc the same treatment.
A dab of molly grease on the brass bush and pivot assy and bolted that back on.
Gave the lever a few wagles to make sure it was free (so when I let go of it it would fall to the six oclock position under it's own weight).
then re-attached the link rod putting a dab of molly in the sockets.
The gear change is now noticeably smoother.
The above took about 10 mins

 

[~Stef~]

I'll need to add that to my spring clean list after riding through the winter.
It'll go right after 'remove concrete type substance from wheel rims'

 

[davegs]

Gear lever

I hope you put the pivot back with locktight else you'll suddenly find no gear lever.

 

[Fanum]

I'll need to add that to my spring clean list after riding through the winter.
It'll go right after 'remove concrete type substance from wheel rims'

Good to see you back Stef- where the hell you been?

 

[Carl]

I hope you put the pivot back with locktight else you'll suddenly find no gear lever.

20,000+ miles without loctite and mines still there

 

[PIGGLET]

I hope you put the pivot back with locktight else you'll suddenly find no gear lever.

I hardly bother with loctite, just yucked it up good and tight
If you don't and you're lever falls of though don't blame me, you've been warned by Dave!

 

[King Rat]

I have never found a problem with gearchanges, not even on the 100 airhead tractor.

I was told, years ago, by and aging and very well travelled motorcycling gentleman, who used to be editor of The Motorcycle the way to change gear upwards and get smooth changes on a BMW is as follows.

Put foot under gear lever and lift, THEN pull in the clutch lever. Sure enough, clunks gone. A smooth, seamless change - but it is more of a selection than a snick.

Snickers are not good for you. They are full of squirrelshit.

 

[Steptoe]

I have never found a problem with gearchanges, not even on the 100 airhead tractor.

.

You've missed the point entirely - it's not the gearchanges, it's the gear linkage.

 

[King Rat]

But please Mr. he said the gearchange was noticeably smoother afterwards - and clunky beforehand.

That was what I was going on.

maintenance? Pah. Ride it like you stole it.

 

[PIGGLET]

Smoother/lighter/easier whatever, it made a positive improvement (no it didn't transform it into a super slick box, you wish) for a couple of minutes fettling