82 Maxim 650 stuck in 1st gear...Help?

I dropped my bike last week and today while I was driving I had trouble shifting up to 3rd but I managed to get it to shift around again until I stopped at a red light. I couldn't shift it out of 1st gear! I had to park it still in first gear. I can't even move it to neutral!
What's wrong with it? (Feints from stress...)
My motorcycle is a Yamaha Maxim 650 1982. It feel down on the rear brake side.

 

Welcome to the site !!

The Crystal Ball says that you have chain guides (tensioners) that have already started to fragment, and by dumping your bike, you re-located some crumbs into your shifter drum grooves.

You can fish and pick them out or dislodge them, but that doesn't completely solve the problem; it requires splitting the case and fitting new guides.

Hope you're OK, and read the rear brake warning in my sig.

 

Your words...They confuse me! I'm not a mechanic or a know how so is there perhaps a walkthrough?

 

get yourself a copy of the xjcd. There's a WEALTH of info that you WILL use as an xj owner. There's also a really neat section on "Emergency Roadside Guidectomy"......how to remove the pieces of the guide without splitting the case. At least it's something that you can try..........

welcome aboard.

dave fox

 

1). Are you willing to remove an engine and take it almost completely apart?? (fix everything- spend $600?)

2). Are you willing to buy another (good) engine and swap??

3). Are you willing to pull the left shifter cover and "fish around" a bit, getting you back on the road for $5.00,

4). Are you willing to take it to a shop??

Those are your basic choices, the good folks on this site will help you, no matter what you decide.

 

Yeah, good luck on #4.

The problem with #2 is it would be a ticking time bomb as well.

HOWEVER: Let's not completely jump to conclusions. It's also possible (yes I know but worth a shot) that something is wrong with the shifter "mousetrap" itself.

Either way, you pull the shifter cover. Inspect the mech. If it's fine, you get your flashlight and a set of LONG HD hemostats and go fishing.

The primary chain guide in these bikes is known to break up though; picking the pieces out is prolonging the inevitable, but for who knows how long? Could be 10 miles, or 10,000. The true repair is expensive if you don't do it yourself, and difficult to find someone to do it for you.

Sorry. Maybe you'll get lucky and it's only a broken shifter spring. (For now.)

 

Ug...I'm trying to ballance school and ideas to fix my bike. Could I get some help with option 3? (Earlier I wrote 4 by mistake) It seems fairly simple and cheap for me to try. I have the XJ manual but I can't make heads or tails of it unless someone has a specific page in mind. Also whats the shifter spring? If its easily recognizable I'll check it out.
btw Thanks a lot guys! I don't have the money for a shop trip and this is my only means of transportation to school (besides my parents, (thanks parents!))

 

polite bump?

 

You'd have to tell us which book you have, and someone here would tell you a page number, but it would be in the engine overhaul section.

In the Haynes manual it starts on pg 41, but doesn't get interesting till pg 63 it even shows how to make your own Torx tools out of allen wrenches!!

I don't think there's a walk-thru on this site, as Fitz and I said, you open 'er up and fish around, the $5.00 is for a tube of sealant, but you should buy a new cover gasket (from Chacal, top of every page)

 

Oh man, I hate seeing stuff like that happen to a guy who hasn't had the experience of getting deep into his engine yet. Most of us have been there....something big happens and it's WAY over our heads.....hey, come to think of it....we HAVE been there and we DID get it fixed! So, this is where you sink or swim...this is YOUR MOMENT!! The only question I see remaining is whether you're going to do it or sell it???????

The guys here will bend over backwards to help you as much as they can but you are going to get your hands VERY DIRTY....but when it's all back together, you're going to be light years ahead of where you are now, mechanically speaking.....so ask the questions, gather the tools and a clean place to work and get to it!!

You might want to update your user panel so we can see where you live, you might be really close to someone that can and is willing to help you get this resolved.

jeff

 

All right thanks guys.
Jeffk you're right if I accomplish this feat I will be better but the fact is I'm at level zero when it comes to any type of mechanical part. So for instance a shifter cover is something I knwo nothing about. Though that is to say I don't mind trying to wotk it out but those willing to help this poor guy should try to bear with me.
So how about the left shifter cover? Where is it and how do I fish around? For that matter what am I looking for being wrong?
Also yes, I do have the Haynes manual for the XJ 650 and 750 Fours.

 

Okay so the shifter assembly could very easily be your issue. I had a very similar issue with my 650 Midnight, and I ended up just needing to replace ALL THREE spring clips inside of the shift cover. Mine wouldn't get out of 1st/neutral, then it was neutral/2nd. Back and forth, I didn't have any other gears. I thought for sure the transmission had gone since the shift lever was working up and down, but lo and behold $40 worth of parts and she was running like new.

If you take the cover off and even ONE of the three is broken, trust me and replace the other two. I made the mistake of doing only one and about a month later another went. They are fairly easy to get to and don't require draining the oil (assuming you lean the bike way over onto its right side to do the job).

 

I went around looking on this site and can I safely assume the link shows what springs I'm looking for?
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=239859.html
I thought I'd ask before I start. It's raining to day anyways.

 

Yep. There's that spring (the "mousetrap" spring) plus a couple of smaller springs on the arms/pawls. You can see one of them clearly in the pics in that post that show the assembled mechanism.

ALSO shown in those pics (the ones showing the assembled mechanism) is the "fishing hole."

Just above the shifter "drum" in the left upper corner of that cavity you'll see a round hole. That's the hole you peek into with a flashlight and "fish out" broken pieces of the chain tensioner if it turns out the shift mechanism is fine. Being right above the shifter drum, it allows you to see the shift cam and part of the shifter forks, which is usually where the jam occurs if that's what's happened instead.

 

Crow

If you need we can do a Webex meeting, I just finished modeling the shift mechanism in 3D, not the transmission just the levers and springs. We can do a webex meeting if you have a DSL or Cable internet connection. Fitz and others have seen my work so they can maybe say if they think it would help to see the models.

I provided you with a PM with my contact info so we can have voice communication during the meeting

Let me know if you are interested

FlyGp

 

Well since it's finally stopped raining I'm going to open my bike up today. I'm a bit nervous, thinking I might make it worse but it's already broken right? Anyways thanks FlyGp I might take you up on your offer but I'm at least going to work on it myself first.

 

Alright so I got it started before I did any work (weird) and managed to change the gears back and forth. However it's not 'catching' gears or 'engaging' gears. I give it gas and the motor only revs. It won't actually drive. Any ideas on what that could be? I've heard it's a possible clutch problem but I'm not sure.

 

Sounds like you need to start where you had planned to.

Just on the surface, it sounds as though the lever is moving but it's not actually selecting gears.

Proceed as planned.

 

Let's hope that it's the simplest of things that cause a Bike to not Shift.

The TENSION Spring:

Look for it when you Pull the Cover.

At the Front of the Cover is a Small Safety Plate Cable Guide.
Before you re-install the Cover, ... Make sure the Wire that Plate Protects does not get 'Pinched'.

:::::: Small TENSION Spring ::::::

 

I'm having a difficult time getting the screws undone. Any tips? I'm going to be getting wd-40 after school so that might help.

 

The screws on the cover? Impact driver. If you have a harbor freight near you one can be had very cheaply. If not a sears or similar tool place will have one resonably priced.

WD-40 is not going to help much. PB blaster or better still would be Kroil. But you'll need to let them soak in for a bit.

 

Use an impact screwdriver to losen them up.

 

Impact, ... that's the ticket!

I use a 3/8ths Drive Metric Allen Socket on a CRAFTSMAN Ratchet Handle.
I bring-out my Trusty Hard-wood Hammer Handle.

Apply a generous amount of Undo Turning Torque to the Fastener holding the Ratchet at 12-O'Clock.
Using the Hammer Handle as a Billy Club ... Smack the Ratchet a good lick.

Smack the Ratchet on the RIGHT Side ... moving it too the LEFT<.

Righty = Tighty
Lefty = Lucy.

"Say 'Goodnight, Gracie'"
"Goodnight, Gracie".

 

Ok, so I hit some bumps. I can't seem to get one screw out due to the footpeg.
The clutch cable that runs into that area I'm not sure can be removed or not or for that matter 'should'.
Also another screw beside the clutch cable I'm not sure if it should be removed.

 

If you are looking for what's in that picture you're on the wrong side of the bike based on your pictures. The cover you need is on the left hand side where the shift lever attaches. What you see in the above image lives behind the cover attached to the same shaft as the shift lever.

The one you're removing based on your pictures is the clutch cover. Entirely different animal behind there.

 

Well son of a bitch...How could I get that wrong? Looking back at the link and yes, I see the bike is actually facing the other side I'm working on...
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=239859.html

''Cough'' ''cough'' Well! Did anyone hear about...you know, that one guy's mistake..? (Humor me..)

 

Well at worst you've cost yourself a clutch cover gasket. Everyone makes mistakes.

Yup that link looks good. Be careful getting the lever off the splines. Don't pry against the cover. It can crack. Ask me how I know that.... on second thought don't.

In the first pic of the link you can see just the wires mentioned previously. They come out of the timing/crank cover in the front.

 

You ABSOLUTELY NEED a Workshop Manual.

Buying a Factory Workshop Manual would be best.
That Manual contains BOTH Owners Manual and Workshop Instructions which are specific to your bike.

A HAYNES Manual is a suitable reference.
Covers ALL Models of the class.

Beware of the product known as:
The XJCD Set.

The Criminals responsible for this enterprise have knowingly and purposefully
Violated the Copyrights for Literature held by YAMAHA Motors Corp, Motorcycle Periodicals, MotorSports Reporters and Freelance writers by flagrantly and shamelessly publishing their entire works without proper authorizations or licenses.

 

Ok, so here's some pic. From what I can tell everything is normal yeah? Is there anything I'm missing?

 

Try as I might I can't get 2 more pics uploaded. They show the area I took apart and the third spring that looks the same as the big spring in the previous post.

 

get a photobucket account (or similar) and then paste the IMG tags. Then we see the pics in the thread instead of a zip file.

I can't tell much from the pictures you posted.

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/19/img1278z.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/607/img1279j.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/687/img1281i.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/507/img1282h.jpg/
^Parts.

 

Alright could some one help me get it put back together?

How should the spring go?
http://s1051.photobucket.com/albums/s42 ... G_1299.jpg

And how should it be put in?
http://s1051.photobucket.com/albums/s42 ... G_1300.jpg

 

Scroll-Up and look at the Schematic.

The Spring has to "Catch" the "Lip" on the moving part.
The 2 Parts have to align so that the Toothed-Cog Ends mesh.

 

The problem I'm having getting it back in is I can't seem to get the long arm of the spring down. I'm using the attached image as a reference, so from what I can see the circular little piece goes under the gear shifter and the spring arms goes under that. Should the spring be forced or does it just slide in?
Thanks for the help guys. Though the springs wasn't the problem...

 

Yes the spring will be under some tension when it's installed against the bottom of the case.