Crash Pivoted Gear Shifter Straight up

[WilliamMunny]

I managed to drop the bike in a low speed crash when the rear end slipped into a muddy rut again. I need to stay away from those things because it is exactly how I did it last time. This time it took the kick stand spring off and rotated the gear shifter upward to about 12 o'clock. Fortunately I had the correct tools and put everything back the way it was supposed to be. But...

With the bike in the center stand I put it in gear and heard a little bit of a clunking noise on each rotation. I don't think I have ever done that before so am not sure if it is a normal sound. I called a friend to have him listen to it and of course it no longer made the sound. He agreed that the short shaft on the gear shifter likely flexed enough to let it cam over. He thought it was unlikely to have damaged anything internally. I rode it home and it seems to be okay. Has anyone had any experience with this happening in a crash? Did it or would it damage something internally? I don't know what the internals look like to know if something may be damaged.

Thank you.

 

[WilliamMunny]

Can someone advise if they can hear a noticeable noise, like gears turning, when in neutral? It stops when the clutch lever is depressed. I am sure some noise is normal, but after jamming the gearshift I am wondering if something is damaged.

Thanks

 

[Checkswrecks]

Most folks here are usually eager to jump in and help and give opinions - after all, it's the intertoobes!

Unfortunately, it's really hard to offer any advise with a written description about a sound. Hearing something on every rotation is generally not a good thing.

 

[WilliamMunny]

Thank you for the response. As active as this forum is, I was wondering why there were no responses. There is so much knowledge out there. You are correct about diagnosing a sound. I wasn't really asking whether my transmission was damaged. More is it normal to be able to hear it turning, when not moving. Of course a person gets paranoid when something like this happens and begins wondering if something is out of wack.

Maybe someone could advise what their experience was jamming the shift lever straight up. Did it cause internal damage in your situation? Would doing that be likely to cause damage with the way the transmission is designed? I can't be the first to have this happen... or am I?

 

[HeliMark]

I jammed mine straight up on a drop last year. After I picked it up, I grabbed the shifter and it sprung back on its own. That was 20K miles ago. No sign of any problems yet.

I still need to get one of the folding ones.

Mark

 

[taskmaster86]

Can someone advise if they can hear a noticeable noise, like gears turning, when in neutral? It stops when the clutch lever is depressed. I am sure some noise is normal, but after jamming the gearshift I am wondering if something is damaged.

Thanks

Yes, that sound is totally normal. I would recommend you wash your bike thoroughly and check for small leaks and seepage just to make sure you didn't jar any seals or gaskets. Moto Machines and rideonadv make an aftermarket shifter if you want to replace yours. The aftermarket shifters are longer, more heavy duty and have a folding tip which will probably hold up better in a light crash or tip over.

 

[Kevhunts]

I managed to drop the bike in a low speed crash when the rear end slipped into a muddy rut again. I need to stay away from those things because it is exactly how I did it last time. This time it took the kick stand spring off and rotated the gear shifter upward to about 12 o'clock. Fortunately I had the correct tools and put everything back the way it was supposed to be. But...

With the bike in the center stand I put it in gear and heard a little bit of a clunking noise on each rotation. I don't think I have ever done that before so am not sure if it is a normal sound. I called a friend to have him listen to it and of course it no longer made the sound. He agreed that the short shaft on the gear shifter likely flexed enough to let it cam over. He thought it was unlikely to have damaged anything internally. I rode it home and it seems to be okay. Has anyone had any experience with this happening in a crash? Did it or would it damage something internally? I don't know what the internals look like to know if something may be damaged.

Thank you.

The clunking sounds you are hearing is the backlash of the shaft drive which is normal with the wheel off the ground.
My trans/engine sounds quieter when the clutch lever is pulled in which is normal from what I've heard on this forum.

 

[WilliamMunny]

Thanks for the info. I rode to work today and it seems fine. Other than the shift rod being very slightly bent I got off easy. Fortunately no sign of any leaks either.

The shifter with the folding toe piece sounds like a great idea.

 

[HeliMark]

I guess I should add, the adjustable rod on mine had a pretty good bend in it after the drop. When I got home I took a rubber malate to it to straighten it and rode it for some time. I ended just replacing it.

Mark