2019 V-Strom DL250 stuck in third gear

[Valzdl650]

Before

[Valzdl650]

After

[purplebikeunicorn]

Valzdl: If it worked before but doesn't now then something isn't right, could the spring be put on backwards? Has the gear change shaft moved slightly?

Flyingcbf: don't get brake cleaner on any plastic or rubber bits (or painted metals). I wouldn't spray willy nilly around the clutch, there may be plastic gears and seals around ;-)

Be absolutely sure everything works before you button it back up...

[Valzdl650]

So I got the bike from a friend had sat for 2 years out in the elements with no cover , I basically stripped the whole thing down and half restored it , valve adjustments carb clean steering bearings etc but I don’t know if it was like this before , it’s only on the first gear just there it doesn’t spring up , every other gear is fine I think what I might try is undo the gear shifter and then take the small slack out of the rod and then nut up the the gear shifter , maybe there’s a bit of play there? Apart from that everything ( I’m sure) is where and how it should be hmmmmm

[Valzdl650]

Yh must be the spring! Been out riding and when you down shift you have to then lift the slack to then go down again, I looked at them and they looked OK but I guess oil drain and go again 😞

[Valzdl650]

[purplebikeunicorn]

Before you open it back up, disconnect the linkage rod from the gear shift lever and rotate that by hand (or with a pair of molegrips if it's stiff, not on the bare splines without some sacrificial material). Does it still get stuck? Make sure the gear shift lever also moves freely and doesn't get stuck in that downwards position.

If it doesn't, then it might be the position of the clamp on the shift shaft compared to the linkage. There is normally a little dot on the end of Hondas shift shafts from memory, line that dot up with the gap in the clamp.

[Valzdl650]

Yes OK I will try that!

[flyingcbf]

Valzdl: If it worked before but doesn't now then something isn't right

I've read your post late and gone around the clutch area and sprayed brake cleaner willy nilly 

[purplebikeunicorn]

Realistically a quick spritz probably isn't going to harm anything, but brake cleaner (again, depending on brand) can harm plastics and rubbers and painted surfaces.

[Rixington43]

If you're really worried then you could flush the engine with flushing oil or just a cheap engine oil once it's back together and then fill with your oil of choice from there so there's no chance of any contamination from residual brake cleaner.

[flyingcbf]

I'm not sure if using some sort of engine cleaner to flush out the engine oil is a good thing. I think some remnants of the old chemicals cleaning agents will likely reside in the engine unless you flush the engine oil twice but the second time using just engine oil. If that makes sense?   
I wil most definately have to flush the oil out once with just engine oil, get it to temperature and  hope all six gears will engage.

[Valzdl650]

https://youtu.be/X1p5APo2OMs?si=IYnqZ75qblFFFIzd

[purplebikeunicorn]

I'm not sure if using some sort of engine cleaner to flush out the engine oil is a good thing. I think some remnants of the old chemicals cleaning agents will likely reside in the engine unless you flush the engine oil twice but the second time using just engine oil. If that makes sense?   
I wil most definately have to flush the oil out once with just engine oil, get it to temperature and  hope all six gears will engage.

Brake cleaner readily flashes off, it'll almost certainly have gone before any "cleaner" is going to get in there and flush it out. Whilst I'd probably change the oil earlier than I would otherwise change it, I wouldn't flush it out unless there is. The most important thing here is to use motorcycle oil, do not just use car oil.

Valzdz - can you unscrew the ball joint bit from the rod, then attach that bit back to the gear shift shaft. That'll give you a bit more of an idea if the spring is perhaps just weak, or if the arm is indeed binding it up. Make sure to check for any indexing marks (dot on the end of the shift shaft, and a dot, or just the split in the bit that goes over it). A service manual might give you an idea of the OE positioning if you can't figure it out.

[Valzdl650]

Yes I found the dots 👌 but still the down shift don’t return, Yh OK I’ll try that, I had some one in another chat say that the swing arm looks bent and both should be parrell and close together to contact the little tab on the back side of the plate coming off the shift spindle ? I don’t know what he means by both and my swing arm look bent? This was the picture

[flyingcbf]

Morning Chaps,
So the bike is back up and running and MOTe'd. The one gripe I have is gear shifting.
I came into work today and the gears shifting was super smooth but only for the first 15-20 mins. After that, gear shifting became stiff and difficult (hard) to shift into.

Any suggestions?
Clutch Friction Plates?