Gear selection issues

[petalbriefs]

Just recently I seem to be having real trouble selecting gears at times.
Sometimes it wont go into first from neutral and sometimes it wont change down at all from whatever gear I am in.

I cant think of any common factors, seems to happen when hot or cold, I end up really stamping on the gearchange.
Its a real pain in the arse at times, got stuck at some traffic lights the other day cos it wouldn't go into first, had people having to drive around me

Its a CBR125 07my

Any ideas please?

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

How long since last oil change?

I also find a well-cared for chain helps.
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[petalbriefs]

I bought 5/6 weeks ago and the dealership I bought it from serviced it before I bought it, so last oil change would have been then.

How regularly do I need to lubricate the chain?

[gavcarter]

[Teflon-Mike]

Hmm, sorry to be a synic; but Trevor did ask when was the last time the oil was changed... NOT how long ago do you THINK the oil was changed... Dealers may have done no more than checked the oil level.

Next; 5/6 weeks... doesn't really tell us much. Oil change intervals on bikes can be short, on small bikes with small oil capacities, very short, as in 1250 miles short... that's a whole summer's sunny day bimbling for some riders; a months commuting to another, or a week-end out and about to some-one else.

What's the oil change interval in the hand-book? How many miles have you done since you had it?

AND... either way; get the book, get a spanner or two and do your OWN oil change any way, so you KNOW its been done, and when.

Following on from Gavs suggestion you look at the gear-lever.... your selection troubles wouldn't have started slightly co-incident with your 'chased' incident and dropping the bike would they?

Re-inspect the lever; it could be bent, the pivot pin could be bent, or loose, the adjuster-rod could be loose. Common that a random selector problem can be a floppy lever.

Also, its a 'rear-set' lever with linkage; a 'cheap' linkage being a commuter bike in a frock; and it's 7 years old. Good chance that the ball-joints have corroded/worn out. When you look at it you may notice that there are small holes in the middle of the linkage cups.. this is so you can squib a little chain lube in them when you lube the chain... probably never done.... and Bike could be due a new gear-lever assembly....

Next, as Trevor says working back down the line; chains is important; if you remember your CBT you ought to be checking chain tension every time you ride; chain ought then be adjusted every few hundred miles, and lubed at the same time, or weekly, whichever is the sooner.... so by current reckoning possibly 6 tensions and lubes behind the times if not touched since you got it.

AND... like most small bikes; gear selection made worse by slop in the transmission, and the added slop of oft unknown of or ignored 'cush-drive-rubbers'. These live in the rear wheel hub, behind the sprocket, and are basically blocks of rubber that fit between paddles on the sprocket carrier and webs in the wheel hub, and transmit drive between the two, but give some cushioning 'compliance'.

At seven years old these are probably due a replacement as they age harden regardless; but short lived on learner-legals, hammered by newbies with less than gentle clutch control, frequently 'over-shifting'*, often clumsily, and doing lots of slow speed manouvers, practicing for Mods.

I STRONGLY reccomend you do a precautionary replacement of them.

(JM grumbled of gear selector problems on his CBR when he had it couple of years back; when we had a look there was about a 3mm gap between each rubber block! Fixing that and he reckoned it completely changed both gear selection and the bikes 'responsiveness'... it can make a really big difference, and its SO cheap and easy to do)

Cush Drive Rubbers from Dave Silvers, get genuine OEM parts, not after-market rubbish or you may as well not bother; are about £15. Easy DIY fit, using bikes standard tool kit; all you have to do is take the back wheel out; then lift the sprocket carrier off the wheel, take out old bushes, and fit new ones; put carrier back on, put wheel back in... adjust chain.

Little bit of time, and we are talking a couple of hoirs here, for an oil change, CDR replacement, chain tension and a little bit of tweeking & Tightening on the gear linkage, lubing clutch cable, adjusting clutch, and other basic fettling, as reccomended by the Haynes manual, perhaps a Sunday Mornings work... and you will
a) eliminate variables if not 'problems'
b) get to know your bike
c) get to know basic bike maintenance
d) make your bike a WHOLE load nicer to ride

Maintaining a bike is as much part of owning one as riding; they need a LOT more regular attention than cars, and they do not like being neglected... they are a bit like women in that

* TIP:- 'Over-Shifting' making more gear-changes than needed. Common Newbie fault; changing up too early, and riding in too high a gear, not letting engine 'rev'; so denying throttle control and 'responsiveness', as well as making work, and adding wear and tear to bike making too many unnecessary up-shifts, that then beg as many unnecessary down shifts, which also need to be compressed into shorter period during braking/slowing down, making more work, making riding harder, less smooth and adding wear and tear to bike.

Avoid over-shifting; use revs not gears; stretch out gear-shifts, give yourself more time to make shifts; make fewer shifts... a LOT of 'shift issues' are likely to go away, as you are making them simply from shifting when you dont need to and its less helpful.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Az]

[CaNsA]

[baldy]

Or shift one gear at a time instead of coasting to a stop and trying to shift down through them all.
____________________
One day i will rule the world, just not today.

[Islander]

[petalbriefs]

Just been to Halfords.........Wish me luck!!!

[Nobby the Bastard]

A problem with gears not selecting (if there is the right amount of oil in there) is usually down to the clutch. On yours it's probably cable driven.

I'm surprised that no-one has suggested adjusting that....
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[petalbriefs]

Is this too much slack?

https://vimeo.com/98219140

[thomp1983]

is that at the tightest point in the chain? what does the book specify for tightness?

[gavcarter]

[gavcarter]

[petalbriefs]

[quote="thomp1983"]is that at the tightest point in the chain? what does the book specify for tightness?[/quote

I think so, never looked at one before, book says between 25-35mm, this looks like more than that to me but the rear axle nut is tight as a nuns under draws!!
Just wanted opinion of more experienced bike fettler's!

On the upside, I have changed the oil, so that's one less thing to worry about!
Now on to that pesky clutch cable..............

[gavcarter]

[petalbriefs]

[gavcarter]

[Pete.]

That chain looks a little loose but not much at all if the wheel is off the floor.

Don't stamp through the gears, no matter how much you're struggling with the change. It's not necessary and you'll only bend something important.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[busbar]

I bought my YBR a month or so ago, 2012 model, low mileage, service history and well-looked after. After completing my CBT, and in my first few days of riding, I noticed a couple of times I attempted to pull away in neutral when I was sure I'd kicked down into first, but I put it down to me being a newbie numpty. Then one evening, when in neutral, I tried to kick down into 1st and it simply would not go in, much to the frustration of the driver behind me. I eventually got it to go in, probably with a combination of rocking the bike and/or letting the clutch out some way. I then read on this forum about the benefits of a properly-adjusted chain and an oil change. So that weekend I did both and guess what? Not one neutral-to-first problem since.

[talkToTheHat]

Take it to a independent garage, they'll have the nut undone in a few minutes. Watch out for the nuts and bolts made of cheese. I did that to the rear spindle nut of a 125, and the sump plug of my 535.

A smear of copper grease on exposed and hard to undo nuts and bolts is often useful the next time you attempt disassembly,

A hexagonal (not bi-hex or 12 point) socket or if you can't get a socket in there a hexagonal ring spanner (rare as hell) is your friend.

As suggested above check the ball joints of your shift linkage are running smoothly, use wd40 to free them up, let the wd40 run out or wipe it off, then apply a squirt of engine oil 10w40 or similar.

Check the adjustment of your clutch cable.

[P.addy]

I'd ride with that slack but be changing it as soon as I got 5 minutes alone, it isn't going to kill you but it does only get worse and likely cause more wear.

If you want to start doing your own work, I'd suggest getting a decent set of sockets, even the halfords pro kit is quite nice, I've still got it and I'm ham fisted. You'll want a decent bar of some description top undo the rear nut, I just use an old piece of exhaust if I don't have a long bar, my dad has plenty and I may have borrowed one a while ago

[Rogerborg]

It's not too tight anyway, which might have been the issue.

Now, did you actually get around to adjusting the clutch cable? There's an adjuster on the bars, it's just a case of unscrewing it a bit in order to take up most of the slack in the cable. Takes longer to type than to do it.

There will be another adjuster at the engine end, but you don't need to mess with that unless you've run out of adjustment at the lever end.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Teflon-Mike]