Downshift problems after 2 weeks storage

[nanomed]

Hi fellas, sorry couldnt do search for some reason so here goes my problem.

Ive got a copper pointy sporty from 2003.
Bike has been rarely ridden for the last 10 years. I bought it in july last year and done about 3000miles. 8000miles total now. Im in UK.

December 23rd i have left the bike at my workplace warehouse. Everything was working great. I MIGHT have left it in 1st gear.

January 6th i start it up and roll out. Immediately notice that I now have a PROBLEM:

The bike doesnt shift into 1st gear while in motion, or doesnt shift couple of gears down.
So if I go to 3rd gear, i can shift to second, but not 1st. If i go to 5th gear, i can downshift to 3rd, but no lower and will have to start from 3rd..
Atleast thats what it feels like.

- I press down on the lever, it goes all the way down but nothing happens. Just a free motion. Nothing engages. After some riding or shifting up and squeezing clutch on bitepoint, i finally manage to shift down.
- When it finally drops into 1st gear, the gear lever doesnt get blocked, like usually, from pressing down. (Thats when you know youre in 1st, you know what i mean?) It still has full motion just as if there was somewhere to shift into, except nothing happens.


I hope you guys can help me out with this... I suspect that the mechanism that blocks the lever from going down while youre on 1st gear is getting stuck? Lubrication needed? But then why would i have full motion of lever but no shifting? Like Ive said, befora storage everything was working great.

Oil change 10w40 was done 200 miles ago, its still pink inside... I doubt temp in the unit went below 0 degrees celsium much during those 2 weeks. Ive ridden the bike for 2 hrs+, on 2 separate days now.

QUESTION: Is it better to be left alone untill i figure whats wrong, or do i ride it to work and hope problem goes away as mechanisms get worked through/relube in process?

Thanks for reading.

[R1ffR4ff]

Have a read here it might help,

https://cx500.000webhostapp.com/SV650ClutchLifter.html

and read the,"Clutch Mantra",

https://www.svrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54588

[embee]

Is the gear lever free on the pivot and are the rod ends free and lubricated. It was quite a common problem on the early SV bikes for the lever to seize up on the pivot pin, IIRC there is a plastic bushing in there which can break up (may be wrong, can't recall exactly and it's a long time since I was in there on mine).
If a stiff lever pivot is preventing the selector mechanism from returning all the way to the centre even by a small amount it cannot catch the next downshift.

[nanomed]

Thanks guys, I sprayed some wd40 in the morning and i think situation had improved a bit, coming back home, although maybe I was just lucky. Ive put some gt85 for the night to see what happens.

[nanomed]

Originally Posted by embee

Is the gear lever free on the pivot and are the rod ends free and lubricated. It was quite a common problem on the early SV bikes for the lever to seize up on the pivot pin, IIRC there is a plastic bushing in there which can break up (may be wrong, can't recall exactly and it's a long time since I was in there on mine).
If a stiff lever pivot is preventing the selector mechanism from returning all the way to the centre even by a small amount it cannot catch the next downshift.

You were correct. It was the stiff gear lever.

Problem solved.

I lubed all the cables and readjusted clutch following clutch mantra. Dissassembled fully the gearchange lever - it was VERY stiff to turn, so removed it from footpeg assembly (using a vice to hold the lever and banged a rod into the inside of the bolt hole to get them separste), removed the brown bush, cleaned all the **** and greased the bush from inside. Lever became smoother after reassembly, and all works great now. Thanks

[embee]

Excellent. Always nice to have a clear fix.