Stiff Gear Lever

[fizzwheel]

Now I've got the SV running. I took it round the block just to see if it rides OK.

The gear box is incredibly stiff. I can get first and 2nd, 3rd if I do a clutchless shift. It changes down the box OK. But it does change down better if I dont use the clutch on the downshift.

My SV has been stood in the garage since I took delivery of the GSXR in march. So I'm thinking that I have a sticky, corroded up gear lever. I've done a search and found this bit of advice from Sid Squid

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

Remove the lever from the footrest and remove the fibre bush from inside the lever *very carefully* - the bush isn't available seperately and it's easy to damage - if you look close you can see where the bush is split, gently get behind it and roll it up a little you'll be able to pull it out, if you look inside the lever you'll see where corrosion has built up behind the bush, expanded, and squeezed the lever onto the footrest pivot, causing oit to drag, if you gently scrape away the corrosion smear the area with a little grease so it doesn't corrode so easily and reassemble it should be fine.

Which seems to make sense. If I move the lever manually with my hand it doesnt seem to reset after I've moved it to change gear. If I push the lever again slightly after changing gear it seems to click and I'm then able to change up to the next gear. I can get all the gears if I follow this process.

Downshifts seem to be OK.

I dont think the clutch is the problem as the bike doesnt creep forward with the clutch in.

The bike was fine the last time I rode it before I picked up the GSXR.

I'm going to have a go at taking the gear lever apart and giving it a good clean as Sid suggests. Anything else I should be aware of ?

Its a K1 SVS

Thanks

Fizz

[timwilky]

yeah Fizz, I was surprised that mine had suffered this without my knowledge. I suppose you get use to it and as it further deteriorates, you just assume it is how it has always been

The bush is almost like a lacquered paper, gentle when you remove it, I simply wrapped some sandpaper round a suitable drill and cleaned up the lever. once refitted, the lever would turn on the peg under its own weight.

[fizzwheel]

I couldnt get the bush out it, I rolled it up and no matter what I did I couldnt remove it. Maybe I was being to gentle. Anyway I squirted alot fo WD40 into the gap I had made after I rolled the bush up and then gentle moved the lever round on the shaft a whole load of rusty brown gunk came out of the other side. I then repeated the process using some silicone lube again more rusty brown gunk. I did this a few times and now the lever moves round the shaft nicely. When I bolted it all back together before I reattatched the shift rod the lever was spinning round under its own weight.

I rode it up and down the road and I have all my gears again now.