Check your shift lever snap ring

[h2olawyer]

While on a long ride the last weekend of June, I had an unexpected experience.  After a long slow ride from Ft. Collins up to the Alpine Visitor's Center in Rocky Mountain National Park, a couple friends and I headed on westward to Grand Lake for lunch.  So far, it was an uneventful ride.  Lunch in Grand Lake was most excellent - I had a Bison French Dip Sandwich that was perhaps the best French Dip I've ever eaten.  Tender & spiced just right.  As a side order, they didn't offer fries, so I chose some corn nuggets.  Deep fried corn bread balls with whole corn kernels inside.  The cornbread batter was the sweetest I've ever eaten.  The three large glasses of iced tea washed everything down well.

Anyway, we finished lunch, got back on the bikes and headed back out of town, towards Granby.  Made it through town (at about 15 MPH) and turned west back onto US 34.  Made it through the gears just fine and was cruising along in 5th, going about 55 MPH.  Came up on some slower traffic and slowed down.  The car turned off the road and I started to speed up.  To keep up with the VFR800 and the Kaw Concourse, I decided to drop a couple gears.  Put my toes down and felt for the shifter - it wasn't there!  Moved my foot all around & it was definitely missing.  Bummer . . .

Pulled over to the edge of the road & discovered the shifter gently hanging from the shift shaft, entirely free from the pedal pivot.  I proceeded to put the lever back in place and kept my foot in the ready to shift position in order to keep it in place.  Stopped for fuel in Granby and got out my collection of zip ties to see if I could figure out something to take the place of the snap ring & washer - which were long gone at this point.

I put one large tie around the aft end of the lever / connecting rod joint, looped it around the footpeg and zipped it closed.  Got out a small zip tie and fastened it around the lever pivot, where the snap ring used to reside.  Made sure it was as tight as I could make it without breaking, and then started the next leg of the journey - 50 miles North to Walden and the additional 100 miles from Walden back to Ft. Collins.

The ties held just fine and I had no troubles shifting.  I did spend most of the time with my foot in the ready to shift position, but not as much as I had been before making the temporary fix.  After all, in 150 miles, and some great twisty roads, it is nice to be able to move around a bit.

I cannibalized the clip and washer from Tractor to use until I get new parts.  Should be available at my local hardware store - but I may spend the bucks and order them from Yamaha.  This clip was sprung a bit and holds, but not as tight as I'd like.

Moral of the story:  Keep some zip ties handy when out riding - no telling what use you will have for them!

H₂O

[inanecathode]

On the rd, i put some rear sets on it, and i had forgotten to tighten the jam nuts on the shifter bar, so they loosened and it fell off on the road. I had to walk a mile of pavement two directions until i found the little bastard. That was when 3 cars and a truck ran it over in quick succession. Thankfully yamaha used hardened steel so it was no worse for wear :)

[xswheels]

About a month ago, my clip left home as well. Luckily I noticed it when the bike was in my garage. The lever was still attached, but half way off the shaft. I safety wired it and rode to the TSC store and bought a 1/2" C clip.  Oh yeah, I stopped for lunch. I had a Chicken Caesar wrap and a Dr. Pepper.

[Night Vision]

my circlip headed west at some point on a ride to a remote destination in Canada

the shifter didn't fall off, just noticed the missing clip.....

....luckily there was this small shop that had all sorts of Vision parts  ::)

[pullshocks]

Back in the day I had a Renault 5 (aka "le Car") whose shift linkage was held together with a circlips.  After several circlips breakages (with loss of sifting each time) I drilled out the shaft for a hefty cotter pin.  That lasted until the car was totaled  in a  head on collision.
Thinking back, that car was a bit like the vision, a great design in many ways but some really aggravating and recurring problems.  And like the vision, it really needed another top gear.

So H2, how did the bison burger compare to Smokin' Dave's?

[Kid Jedi]

wile in traffic the link on the automatic transmission fell out. wile at the light i was able to climb out, under my car, install the hair clip and get back in before 2 cycles of the light. my buddy was impressed. that clip is still holding, 45k  later

[Tiger]

....luckily there was this small shop that had all sorts of Vision parts  ::)

:o....... ;)

[h2olawyer]

....luckily there was this small shop that had all sorts of Vision parts  ::)

:o....... ;)

That was my first thought . . .  8)

H₂O

[Glyn]

I had one of those Renault 5's, I'd have another any day, but they have all mostly rusted to dust now.
The clutch cable on mine snapped and it was my only form of transport at that point. Rode it for a week with no cable. Started it in first gear, changed sweet like a bike with no clutch. Went on for another 50,000 or so km's after that. Don't make em like that anymore. Esp if they start with Mitsubishi...