No 3rd gear.
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Please can you post items for sale or wanted in the correct For Sale section. Items / bikes for sale here will be removed without warning. Reasons for this are in the FAQ. Thanks
- iDemonix
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 651
- Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:26 pm
- Bike owned: '92 NC30
- Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire
No 3rd gear.
Here's one for you, chaps.
Took the bike out with a couple of mates, all was fine for the first 15 mins, I'd just rode back from work so bike was all warmed up and lovely. There were those little pedestrian crossing islands for a while then they disappeared, so I overtook a tractor quite quickly and was shifting through the gears when I heard the revs fly up to red line and hit the limiter. Figured I'd just cocked up a 1st -> 2nd so I gave it a kick up and continued.
Turns out I've lost my 3rd gear (anyone seen it?). With full shifts upwards (ignoring the half shift for neutral) it goes like this:
1 - 2 - N - 4 - 5 - 6
I shift UP from 2nd and the bike is acting as if it's in neutral (neutral light not on though) and you can spin the revs up or just let them drop to idle, then you give it ANOTHER kick upwards and it finds 4th.
Annoying as fuck as 3rd is my most used gear! No other symptoms really apart from when going down the box and I get to 2nd (from 4th now) it seems a little clunkier but that's probably just my mind messing with me. The shaft coming out of the engine which the gear selector rod attaches to, it seems like it has a bit of play to it but not tons, if that's related?
This has been a fucking nightmare week. Got home, mini wouldn't start. Bike wouldn't start. Got mini started, bought new battery for the bike. Mini engine sheds 5 liters of oil on the drive, had to buy new engine (not fitted yet). Take the bike out, stuck in traffic, overheats like fuck and have to sit waiting for 15 mins on pavement. Finally take the bike out for a nice blast, lose my 3rd gear. ARGH!
Dan
Took the bike out with a couple of mates, all was fine for the first 15 mins, I'd just rode back from work so bike was all warmed up and lovely. There were those little pedestrian crossing islands for a while then they disappeared, so I overtook a tractor quite quickly and was shifting through the gears when I heard the revs fly up to red line and hit the limiter. Figured I'd just cocked up a 1st -> 2nd so I gave it a kick up and continued.
Turns out I've lost my 3rd gear (anyone seen it?). With full shifts upwards (ignoring the half shift for neutral) it goes like this:
1 - 2 - N - 4 - 5 - 6
I shift UP from 2nd and the bike is acting as if it's in neutral (neutral light not on though) and you can spin the revs up or just let them drop to idle, then you give it ANOTHER kick upwards and it finds 4th.
Annoying as fuck as 3rd is my most used gear! No other symptoms really apart from when going down the box and I get to 2nd (from 4th now) it seems a little clunkier but that's probably just my mind messing with me. The shaft coming out of the engine which the gear selector rod attaches to, it seems like it has a bit of play to it but not tons, if that's related?
This has been a fucking nightmare week. Got home, mini wouldn't start. Bike wouldn't start. Got mini started, bought new battery for the bike. Mini engine sheds 5 liters of oil on the drive, had to buy new engine (not fitted yet). Take the bike out, stuck in traffic, overheats like fuck and have to sit waiting for 15 mins on pavement. Finally take the bike out for a nice blast, lose my 3rd gear. ARGH!
Dan
A roaring V4 is the summer soundtrack.
- thunderace
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 1584
- Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:03 pm
- Bike owned: R6, YZF600R
- Location: Blackburn, Lancs.
Re: No 3rd gear.
Sounds like a gearbox strip down. Could be a knackered dog or selector fork. Worse, you could have munched the 3rd gear cog.
Conventional wisdom says to know your limits. To know your limits you need to find them first. Finding your limits generally involves getting in over your head and hoping you live long enough to benefit from the experience. That's the fun part.
- iDemonix
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 651
- Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:26 pm
- Bike owned: '92 NC30
- Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Re: No 3rd gear.
I think the word I'm looking for is: Bollocks.
Ugh, this couldn't of come at a worse time, just thrown all my money at a new engine for my car that I can't even afford to fit
Ugh, this couldn't of come at a worse time, just thrown all my money at a new engine for my car that I can't even afford to fit

A roaring V4 is the summer soundtrack.
- iDemonix
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 651
- Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:26 pm
- Bike owned: '92 NC30
- Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Re: No 3rd gear.
I can'y really find any information on the forum at all about this kind of thing. I'm gutted.
I'm pretty sure a gearbox refurb is FAR beyond my capabilities, I struggled with the clutch! Does anyone know of someone in the midlands who could do this work and what a rough cost would be? Is it worth me just getting a new engine?
Fuck this week.
I'm pretty sure a gearbox refurb is FAR beyond my capabilities, I struggled with the clutch! Does anyone know of someone in the midlands who could do this work and what a rough cost would be? Is it worth me just getting a new engine?
Fuck this week.
A roaring V4 is the summer soundtrack.
-
- Site Supporter
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- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 9:15 pm
- Bike owned: RVF400 RGV250
- Location: Shropshire
- Contact:
Re: No 3rd gear.
People are often scared of a gear box, but when you sit down and do it they are quite simple. two or 3 shafts and a few gears. Get a manual and you can do it easy (if you have the basic tools).
- thunderace
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 1584
- Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:03 pm
- Bike owned: R6, YZF600R
- Location: Blackburn, Lancs.
Re: No 3rd gear.
I'd be happy to do it for you but I have no idea what the cost will be until I can see inside her 

Conventional wisdom says to know your limits. To know your limits you need to find them first. Finding your limits generally involves getting in over your head and hoping you live long enough to benefit from the experience. That's the fun part.
- iDemonix
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 651
- Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:26 pm
- Bike owned: '92 NC30
- Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Re: No 3rd gear.
Assuming the selector fork needed replacing, what'd that stand me at in £?
Although, you're over 100 miles away so >.<
Although, you're over 100 miles away so >.<
A roaring V4 is the summer soundtrack.
- thunderace
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 1584
- Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:03 pm
- Bike owned: R6, YZF600R
- Location: Blackburn, Lancs.
Re: No 3rd gear.
I'd have to phone Honda for a price but it'll probably be two days labour (£150 cash or £240 through books) plus parts, assuming nothing else needs doing....
Conventional wisdom says to know your limits. To know your limits you need to find them first. Finding your limits generally involves getting in over your head and hoping you live long enough to benefit from the experience. That's the fun part.
- iDemonix
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 651
- Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:26 pm
- Bike owned: '92 NC30
- Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Re: No 3rd gear.
Cheers for the ballpark figure. A bloke I know through someone on Facebook reckons he can do it, I'll have a word with him to make sure he's actually a decent mechanic then see what he'll charge.
A roaring V4 is the summer soundtrack.
- iDemonix
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 651
- Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:26 pm
- Bike owned: '92 NC30
- Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Re: No 3rd gear.
Facebook man, I've learned from his previous customers, is a bodge artist. I also remember him sorting out my brothers car and completely fucking it up, as well as stealing the 5-speed wiper motor + stalk and replacing it with his own 3-speed. Arsehole.
Still on the search for a local gearbox mech >.<
Still on the search for a local gearbox mech >.<
A roaring V4 is the summer soundtrack.