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Message started by DasTeknoViking on 07/05/09 at 07:09:41

Title: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by DasTeknoViking on 07/05/09 at 07:09:41

Hello, well like the title says... shifter rod broke yesterday in a really bad part of downtown Chicago right after we rode 2 up to watch the fireworks. I parked the bike in a overnight parking garage and I am abot to go drive 50 or so miles now to get it.

How come it broke ? Its split right down the middle of the rod in half. The front piece is still attached to the selector, and the rear piece is hooked up to the selector on the trans. I am thinking of removing the shifter off my Honda RC51 just so I can ride it home vs towing it.

How do I prevent this from happening again ? Trans on this bike shifts ok, but it doesn't feel as smooth as a Honda. 5th gear in particular doesn't even feel like it "clicks" in ever, it just engages without much feel to it while selecting it. Few times it popped out on me into neutral when goin from 4-5th.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by srinath on 07/05/09 at 07:33:18

Happened 2 times on my savages.
The front is left thread if I remember. I also have had it break on a bike that wasn't left thread. So dont recall which way the saveg it. But yes it can break.
Cool.
Srinath.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/05/09 at 08:56:52

You could have it welded. You could even have it reinforced. You sure it wasnt bent?

If I had a bike stranded w/ a busted shifter, what would I take with me?
I would like a split, hollowed out wooden dowel, some epoxy, a couple of small hose clamps. Id get it home. Shouldnt take more than 15 minutes to patch it & let the epoxy cure.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by Stimpy on 07/05/09 at 11:28:56

Yup, they break allright.

Mine was exactly as justin says "welded and reenforced"
with a 2nd, parallel rod; now is fixed x ever :D

Good luck

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by JohnBoy on 07/05/09 at 12:08:05

I have never owned a bike in which the shift linkage "broke"...come loose, yes, stripped, yes...but Broke???

Is this an issue I need to be thinking about?

Thanks for the input guys.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/05/09 at 12:13:30

Not necessarily, give it a look & make sure its straight, grab it & see if it flexes too easy, dont stomp it into gear..

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by bill67 on 07/05/09 at 13:33:48

I think people must be banging on them,I've had a lot a motorcycles over the years and never had one break or come lose.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by Ed L. on 07/05/09 at 16:46:25

Yeah they are made out of some pretty crappy metal and break when stomped on. Get an extra to carry in your bag just in case.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by serenity3743 on 07/06/09 at 10:35:59

I've had one to bend and break. It bent first, probably from some rough riding (by me). I didn't know it was bent, so when it later broke, I took it and had it welded back together as a U-shaped rod. Only later when I was looking at a parts microfiche did I notice that it was supposed to be straight.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by DasTeknoViking on 07/06/09 at 21:05:36

I ordered up 2 rods today.... my friend works @ a machine shop and will make me one out of titanium just incase. We where pretty lucky, I send my RC51 seat out to Spencer's in FL for customization (highly recommended) and it didn't get back to me in time for our 400 mile ride out for 4th of July. If we went out that weekend, the bike would have broken down somewhere else faaar from our house. Since we are planing a few milti-hundred miles this summer, I need the bike to be reliable and able to run 80MPH all day long on the intestate.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by Yonuh Adisi on 07/06/09 at 23:45:51

Why do you need it to run 80mph when the interstate speed limit is 70-75?

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by DasTeknoViking on 07/07/09 at 16:04:26

Most states are just fine with 5 over the limit, which brings you up to 80MPH. On top of that, my bike doesn't like it slow. She doesn't want a sport bike, if that was the case she would be on a Interceptor. Honda signs my paychecks, I'm partial to the company.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by Charon on 07/07/09 at 20:31:37

The S40/Savage, in stock form, tops out in the area of 85 mph. If you really want to run 80+ mph, it isn't the bike for you. Yes, it can be modified to run faster. Generally speaking such modifications will reduce reliability and/or longevity. I think you would be a long way ahead to just find a faster bike. Others will, of course, disagree. I would point out (although you say Honda writes your paycheck and sportbikes aren't your thing) that the Kawasaki 250 Ninja is cheaper, faster, and burns less fuel. And its engine is smoother, too.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by DasTeknoViking on 07/08/09 at 17:17:03

Oh don't get me wrong, I like the Savage... its light and really simple design. But I am partial V twins, and I am into sport bikes- shes not.

I almost got her a Ninja 250, but 5K OTD price was pathetic for such POS. For that kinda price I can think of ALOT of diff bikes that are much better to ride. MPG isn't a concern for us, my RC51 gets 30-35MPG when I ride solo and 40 if I ride with her following me at slowish pace.

I believe the shifter rod will be in tomorrow, gonna order up a diff carb, cam and do all the tricks to it. My girl picked out the S40 at a dealer out of a sea of all kinds of Ducati, Triumph, Hondas, Suzukis and Yamahas. I got it for her because she loves it, and I respect that. I have ridden it quite a few times myself, but I find it uncomfortable as its too small for me. I guess I might be resposible for the shifter rod damage, I did give it quite the workout the day before on the way to and from work.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by Topher on 07/08/09 at 17:29:33

Too funny for me. Earlier today I posted how my shifter rod broke right after I finished fixing my bigger problem. When it rains...

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by Savage Eddie on 07/08/09 at 19:40:48

CRAP! figures, i read this too late! im 35 miles west of Chicago and would have helped you out.....i have a slew of extra parts laying around!!

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by DasTeknoViking on 07/13/09 at 18:18:20

new shifter rod is in, and now I got a new problem.... gear engagement. From my personal experience with chain driven bikes, it seems like my belt might need adjustment ? I have checked the belt and I can turn it 90 deg and no more, I don't know if I want to mess around with it and make it worse ?

At times 1st gear is impossible to select, feel like the clutch isn't fully disengaging. When selecting all the gears, 5th feels almost impossible to detect that it went in. At times I've had it not "click in" and trans goes into neutral and then pops into gear.

Been searching the forums all over the place to find some kinda answer. Problem seems to come and go, it sometimes doesn't show its ugly face for 10-15 min into the ride, and then it won't let you shift into 1st 3 times out of 10. Could it be I'm using the wrong oil ? I just changed it 200 miles ago, Spectro 10w40 non synthetic stuff.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by verslagen1 on 07/13/09 at 18:35:21

Try moving the shift arm, the one in the back one way or the other.

Had this problem and relocating the shift arm fixed it.

I think you don't have the shift arm centered and when that happens you can't shift all the way up or down. depending on which way you got it biased.

then adjust the location of the peg so you can get your toe under it by twisting the rod.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by DasTeknoViking on 07/13/09 at 18:44:25

So what your saying is :
Remove the shift arm off the trans/spines ? and reposition it ? This trans shifter awesome for a few minutes after the new shifter rod, now it once again feels like nuts. Trans shift quality is just rubbish. I rode it to work and got under the bike in the shop to inspect the rod and it all looks good. The old one broke right in half.

I bought a spare rod from Suzuki, and a friend of mine says he can make me one @ work on a lathe or something

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by Ed L. on 07/13/09 at 19:02:51

If the bike is still shifting hard check the clutch adjustment. You need a little free movement in the clutch handle before you take up the slack. If it is too loose or too tight you can have shifting problems. Don't forget to check you oil level, if it gets low the gears won't shift as easy.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by bill67 on 07/13/09 at 19:41:21

On the brake Suzuki welded on another piece of metal I wonder why they didn't on the shift lever,If a person want to they could put some JB weld on the back side of the shift lever it should make it stronger.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by DasTeknoViking on 07/13/09 at 20:52:56

58794251331D0 wrote:

I have a oil leak out of the dreaded cap.... I need to yank the head off and reseal it. I do not know how old the oil was in the engine before I changed it nor do I know what kind it was.... I bought this bike a month ago and put 800 miles on it. I changed it and the filter, I have to add about 1/4 of oil every 250 miles it seems like. To add the bike has 5600 miles on it now and its a 97.

I actually carry around 2 12mm wrenches when she and I go riding. If the clutch gets out of wack I tell her to pull over and I adjust it on the fly. Right now it releases really high but it does not slip, I figure that if it releases high, it will FULLY disengage the clutch if I press on the lever all the way.

I'm gonna try Rotella T oil in the engine to see if that Spectro I used has any side effects. My Kawasaki for instance did NOT like one brand of oil I used on it and when I went with Amsoil the trans shifted nice. I been using Repsol 4T Racing oil in my RC51 along with Motul, Amsoil, HondaLube. She doesn't really care what oil I use as long as its synthetic, 20K miles and I haven't had a single issue and the bike gets abused.

I don't have the time to wrench on it when its mid 70s in the midwest right now, and I try to get on 2 wheels as much as I can. Its my fiancees bike and she gets worried about all kinds of noises, oil leaks etc.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by verslagen1 on 07/13/09 at 22:18:33

All the gears on this bike are cut straight.
Shifting smoothly is a learned art.
apply force in the direction you want to go, release the clutch and it should pop into the next gear effortlessly. You can even forgo the clutch and blip the throttle. Going up from second can be real smooth. Haven't mastered going down yet.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by grandpa on 07/13/09 at 23:47:24

My shift rod broke shortly after I bought my bike. Found out the previous owner (all 76 miles of ownership) had run it up on a curb on the left side and bent the shift rod. Evidenced by the curb rash I had not noticed underneath the shifter mount. I had just pulled into work when it broke, 26 miles across town from home. I just put it into 3rd gear. Suzi' has enough torque to pull in 3rd gear from a stop even on a hill if you are gentle with the clutch. Even with my 326 lbs back then!! Ran 3rd gear all the way home on the back roads. New shift rod was about $5.00 13,000 miles ago. No problems since!!

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by DasTeknoViking on 07/14/09 at 16:52:09

2E3D2A2B34393F3D3669580 wrote:

I actually use the clutch on both up and downshifts on the Savage, I'm used to riding my sport bike and I do clutch less up and downshifts. I am afraid to break the trans. To me it feels fragile as hell, my problem is getting it into 1st is a huge issue.

Gonna toy around with it sometime later today or tomorrow. Gonna try that Rotella T stuff in the engine.

Title: Re: shifter rod broke ?!?!
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/14/09 at 17:47:25

1st to second, up or down, kinda tuiff clutchless, but I do the rest of it clutcholess anytime I want, Easy,