2000 R1 falling out of gear.

[Tylar]

Sooooo rolling along on SB I-25 after the bike had hit about 220 degrees sitting in traffic, i backed off the throttle in sixth (no braking) and the bike fell out of gear. some clanking as i think the dogs were getting mashed pretty good. As gently as physics would allow, i put it into 5th with power off the clutch and that was seemingly explosive. Had power in 5th until i backed off again, and out she went again. It's done this before, but few and far between and usually after some very heavy canyon riding. It would also just happen once then act fine.

Summary: the bike inconsistently falls out of gear in all but 1st, and now going from second to first now requires a visit to neutral as well (annoying more than anything). I'm going to roll around during lunch and see if it's predictable or somethign that happens only at a higher temp (possibly irrelevant, but good to know).

I'm told by Vickery that the motor has to come out to investigate dog/fork issues. I'm also told that the earlier R1s had a centralizing spring issue but i'm having a hard time seeing how that would cause this . . . but alas, i'm a computer nerd, not a mechanic.

Any input, opinions, thoughts or slander is appreciated as I'm quite attatched to my bike but dumping ~1k on a bike that's worth maybe 4 is something I'm having a hard time getting over.

[konichd]

PM SugarRay as he's rebuilt his 99 R1 5 times this week.

[Tylar]

PM SugarRay as he's rebuilt his 99 R1 5 times this week.

Will do.

[MetaLord 9]

Sounds like a clutch issue for sure. I'd go with bum clutch springs. Could just be time for a new clutch tho. How many miles are on the bike & clutch?

[Tylar]

Sounds like a clutch issue for sure. I'd go with bum clutch springs. Could just be time for a new clutch tho. How many miles are on the bike & clutch?

19k miles on bike and clutch, I bought it with 12k on it in 06 and reportedly not touched clutch.

My only thought as to why it wouldn't be the clutch is that when i back off of power adn it falls out of gear, it sound slike i have rocks in my gearbox . . . like the dogs fall out of the gears and clank against them until i use the lever to force them back in.

Going to investigate clutch as well though (God that'd be nice if that's all it was.)

[MetaLord 9]

It really sounds like a clutch issue to me. I'm not an expert, but it sounds like your springs aren't holding the bike in gear and things are disengaging/hitting false neutrals. After 19k miles it might be getting to be time for a new clutch altho that's a little early. You know if the bike was stunted, wheelied, or tracked?

[Tylar]

It really sounds like a clutch issue to me. I'm not an expert, but it sounds like your springs aren't holding the bike in gear and things are disengaging/hitting false neutrals. After 19k miles it might be getting to be time for a new clutch altho that's a little early. You know if the bike was stunted, wheelied, or tracked?

It'd be great if that's all it was.

The bike had not been stunted or tracked and the forks showed no evidence of wheelie-ing. It looked like the bike spent it's first 6 years being cruised on Main street in Longmont with teh chicken strips on the OEM tires to prove it. My riding style is largely as a commuter with about 3-4 trips to the canyons a year.

[Bueller]

http://fiche.ronayers.com/Index.cfm/...up/SHIFT_SHAFT_

Check the spring #19

[Tylar]

http://fiche.ronayers.com/Index.cfm/...up/SHIFT_SHAFT_

Check the spring #19

Thanks.

[Tylar]

Took it out for lunch and played on Parker road and Jordan and it won't friggin do it. It is a bit clunkier going into gear and coming out, but it wouldn't fall out like it was on I-25, bless it's little heart.

I think i'm going to rule out the clutch either way and get some fresh oil in it.

[sugarrey]

I had a similar issue, for me it was the spring. There is a cover just above the front sprocket that the gear change lever connects to. 5 screws on mine. My issues was laying in the bottom of that cover. See pic. David of Colorado helped me bend the original spring so it didnt cost me a dime to fix (the original spring broke at the hook about 1/4"). I was also told by many shops it was my shift fork or gears. You can see the broken spring sitting on the bottom on the 2nd pic.

[Bueller]

Dude that spring is like $.98, replace it. The orig is broken once and weakened where you bent it, it's just a mater of time.

The R6's of that era were prone to this too

[Tylar]

Perfect, thanks, SugarRey.

[sugarrey]

so what happened with this?

[Tylar]

so what happened with this?

The night it happened i rode home incident free. Changed the oil the next day and rode it for a few hours the following weekend without problems. Been on vacation since.

Bike needs some maintenance loving, so i plan to do that and have them take a look-see.

[Tylar]

I also was thinking about how on the past oil change, my riding pattern changed from nothing but highway and nothing less than 100 mile trips to primarily only going 4 blocks and back 5 days a week and 2 or 3 longer trips. I think this might've changed the quality of my oil faster.

Until i get it looked at, that's all I've got as to why.

[Bueller]

I can almost guarantee it is that spring, it is very easy to check. Pull that cover and replace the broken spring with a new one.

[Tylar]

I'd expect it to be a lot more consistent, but pulling the cover is something i can easily do.

[Bueller]

It happens when you unload the tranny. Probably when you are leaning in a corner and let the bike coast, Not on the power and no engine braking.

[sugarrey]

Along with the spring, you are probably gonna have to replace the cover gasket, cause it will definitely leak. Unfortunately my gasket was mostly stuck on the engine side, about an hour and a half with permatex gasket remover and a plastic scraper.

[Tylar]

Along with the spring, you are probably gonna have to replace the cover gasket, cause it will definitely leak. Unfortunately my gasket was mostly stuck on the engine side, about an hour and a half with permatex gasket remover and a plastic scraper.

Gotcha.