Not good......

Took my 74 Commando out today - everthing was fine, checked all fluids, ect. Ran great for about 25 miles or so. Then I felt a kind of engine braking while shifting, did not change even with the clutch pulled in. I re-started the bike only to find the kick starter kind of frozen and not snapping back. The bike rolls free in nuetral but I think the trans is toast. Towed it home for safetys sake - any ideas? Thanks. I had a 74 back in the day and I remember the shaft in the transmission breaking in half but I still got home - I'm not that crazy anymore!

Time to pull the covers off the gearbox and have a look inside could be a few things that could have happened inside, not a hard job to do and let us know what has happen.

Ashley

Thanks - I just checked out the bike on the center stand - you can rotate the rear wheel free for some rotation , then it binds. At that same time , the kick start also binds ( wont' snap back under spring pressure) - perhaps the layshaft or bushing over the lay for the kickstart shaft? Hopefuly I can repair it without complete removal. Thanks guys

You may have lucked out an not had a complete lock-up with your layshaft bearing, but it will be interesting to see what you find.

Please let us know how it works out. All information is good. We love pictures too.

Dave
69S

hello,
sounds like a couple of issues. I once had the clutch operating lever body lock ring back off which did not allow the clutch to fully operate. when u shift up because gears slightly engaged u will have this breaking effect like u get as u down shift coming to a stop. Kick start lever not returning to normal position one would suspect spring problem but bearing failure can cause same similar issue. I had same symptom which started with sticking kicker and young and foolish at time I drove anyway. Bad move because the lever snapped around and slammed into the back of my foot and just let me say it really @#@ hurt. When I opened up gearbox covers pieces everywhere the bearing had blown apart. So yes please let us know what u find.
Dox

Dave and Doxford - Thanks for your input - I spoke to Fred from Old Britts, he seems to agree - layshaft bearing failure and yes, if I had had kept riding i would have gotten foot slapped as well. Might as well go through the whole gearbox at the same time. Right now I got a friends 69 GTO in the shop for some work, when I get some space back, I will dismantle and update all of you - hopefully I avoided some carnage - old age and caution over youth and stupidity sometimes works out! HA HA!

My mate blew his lay shaft up 200 mile away from home when we were on a run many years ago, he was lucky and was able to get it into 4th gear and able to ride it home, mine you he had to ride the clutch a few time when going through a few towns but he made it home, I was much luckyer as mine blew at 12,000 miles and I was just leaving home, but that was over 30 years ago and haven't had any more problems with it except replacing a few kickstarter pawls in that time, my gearbox has well over 120,000 miles on it now.

Ashley

ashman said:

My mate blew his lay shaft up 200 mile away from home when we were on a run many years ago, he was lucky and was able to get it into 4th gear and able to ride it home, mine you he had to ride the clutch a few time when going through a few towns but he made it home, I was much luckyer as mine blew at 12,000 miles and I was just leaving home, but that was over 30 years ago and haven't had any more problems with it except replacing a few kickstarter pawls in that time, my gearbox has well over 120,000 miles on it now.

Ashley

Click to expand...

Just reading through old post.s over breakfast,
You said "lucky and was able to get it into 4th gear and able to ride it home" does that mean in forth the lay shaft doe's not turn?

Cheers ludwig, i will bare that in mind...just in case :!:

I think that I'd want to remove the layshaft in case of that sort of emergency use. Although not driven, if the layshaft bearing has started to break up then there is a risk otherwise of fragments passing between teeth.

The old NOC Service notes mention this procedure so it's certainly not a new idea.

I'm always happiest getting bikes with this sort of countershaft gearbox into top fairly quickly. It's not just the lower revs that make things feel more relaxed but also the idea that there is a lot less metal whirring round under load.