Motorcycle Gearbox Problems

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If you are riding a motorcycle for a long time, you already know about the motorcycle gearbox problems. There are only a few users that haven’t faced these. When there is a problem with gear changing, it can result in clashing along with grinding while shifting!

The best way to keep your bike in better condition is to ride it! Yes, such devices are designed for using and if you don’t use them for long, there will be shift mechanism issues to bearings and gears issues.

However, if you are unable to understand where the problem is in your gearbox take a look at this list of problems, you might find yours!

Motorcycle Gearbox Glitches

From poor shifting to hard shifting to clutch problems, we have listed almost all the common problems and easy repairs here. Go through them!

Shift Mechanism

One of the very common problems when it comes to the motorcycle is the motorcycle gears shifting problems. Before solving the problem, you have to know a little more about it. This specific mechanism translates the shift lever motion and turns it into shift slider motion. It happens within the transmission process. Th this can be the most probable reason.

Mostly, the hard shift occurs for damage or corrosion. And when you use the shift lever, you will surely feel it! At times, the shifter pawl return springs will fail. And eventually, it will result in a limp shift lever. At times, you will see a temperamental shifter or a non-functioning shifter! e shift mechanism of a motorcycle is a spring-loaded cam.

In some cases, it is a drum-shaped device. The work of this is to actuate the sliders. For the process, it goes through shift forks. If you are facing problems with the gear shifting, it might be for friction. The reason behind this friction can be wear or damage. In some cases, corrosion can result in this too! If you see the motorcycle gears not engaging.

Motorcycle-Gearbox-Glitches

Bearings and Gears

Sometimes, if you are going through the bearings or gears problems, you will know it through sound diagnosis.

Gears

At times, the gears are worn. When the gears will start wearing, space will develop between the teeth. There will be a distance between the gear lash. And when the gear lash will be excessive, gear-clashing is very common! The gear-clashing sound is the result of the gear lash being excessive. Whenever it comes to shifts and you are trying to release the clutch, the gear-clashing noise will annoy you. Even in the case of compression braking, when the momentum shifts, you will listen to the same noise. Go through the motorcycle gear repairs so that you can solve the problem regarding the worn gears.

Bearings

Just like the gears, bearings can be the reason for your gearbox problems too. When it comes to the bad bearings, you all know how the noise sounds. Yes, whenever you hear a growling sound during the turning of the transmission, you must understand that it is your bearings!

All you need to do is find out which bearing isn’t working fine. Check the sound carefully and you can decide easily. Sometimes, you will hear a growling sound when the clutch lever is out. In that case, if the transmission stays neutral here, there are issues with the main shaft bearings. On the other hand, if you hear the growling noise while the transmission is in gear but the clutch is out, there are no issues with the main shaft.

Instead, the problem is with the countershaft bearings. Apart from these, in the worst-case scenario, you can hear growling noise all the time too! No matter what the clutch position is if you run the engine and you hear it, the problem is with the clutch hub bearing! The hub bearing here is damaged.

Bearings-and-Gears

Shift Forks, Dogs, Pockets, and Sliders

At times, the shift forks are bend or worn. It will result in slider-gear cluster binding. On the other hear, you might see poor dog-gear engagement. If the dogs and pockets are damaged or worn, the slider will jump out of the gears. It will happen during the compression braking. In the case of rapid acceleration, this can occur too. If you see worn pockets and dogs, the reason behind this is the bent or worn forks. In some other cases, the incorrect shifting can also be the reason behind this. For solving this, check all of these parts and repair them if needed.

Chain Tension

Keep in mind that some bikes have a primary drive chain added. It stays between the clutch hub and the engine output sprocket. This can also result in growling noise. In this case, the chain will be too tightly set and will load up the clutch hub bearing. A good idea is to go through the manufacturer’s instruction and check it. Checking the chain tensioner setting will help you. In this case, you do not need to check the clutch hub bearing and fix it! For this problem, you have to ensure that the chain tension is set in a way the manufacture recommended and that’s all!

Clutch Drag for Weather

Some people often complain that there are no issues with the gears or bearing but the shifting is hard. What’s the reason behind this? As much as it sounds different, but the weather can be the reason!

Yes, if the body of the bike has turned cold, the shifting can get hard. And when the gear clash is too hard and excessive, you might see clutch drag problems occurring. Check the clutch cable for solving the problem. Go through the cable and readjust it. The locking adjustment can help you out. Loosen it a little. Move the handlebar and get your hands on the clutch lever.

First, you have to take it right and then go for left. By loosening the clutch a little, you will see that the gear shifting is getting smooth. You might see the same situation in the winter. For this, the best way is to keep the bike neutral. A few minutes will do the job. It will help the fluid warm up a bit. And then, the gear will be smoother, as you had expected!

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Wrap Up

These are some of the motorcycle gearbox troubles that you might face while driving the bike. Just like clutch drag can be the reason for hard shifting, a bad throwout bearing can also result in a high-pitched bearing howl!

The best thing you can do to solve it is to go through every part carefully and then decide which part to repair or replace. And if you are not experienced enough, we recommend you to visit an expert to find out the problem and solve it for you!

hossain
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Helmetslab is a website that focuses on providing in-depth reviews and information about different types of helmets, including motorcycle helmets and others helmets. I am writing a post with proper research on the info that helps helmet users.

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