wtf?

[Honzilla]

OMG can you believe this crap!?!

So everything seemed fine on the way to work this morning.
Checked the oil when I finished work at 5, and it was the same level as the morning. Check...

Got about 10 minutes into my ride and found it to be VERY VERY difficult to down shift! Up shifting was no problem... But I had to literally kick the shifter to down shift.

Now the mystery comes because when I do get it to down shift, there is no jerking action. So it feels like the clutch is still doing its job.

If the clutch fails enough to cause this symptom, would it still "feel" like it was working???

[Honzilla]

anyone???

i should hear back from my shop dude tomorrow, but i was hoping to hear what you guys in here had to say about the symptoms...

[Re-run]

Well generally if the clutch is going out, it keeps going out. Sometimes if oil is getting worn, shifting will become harder. However, if the clutch is not opening all the way, downshifting could be harder unless you bring up the RPMs to match.

[Honzilla]

I talked to my mechanic again today and he keeps insisting that he thinks it is a set of "fingers" in the transmission that basically change the gears.

The bike has a little more than 60,000 kilometers on the clock, does this sound like an issue that arrises in the CB's?

I would imagine that to split the transmission to look for these "fingers" and if they are damaged would be an incredible amount of work...

Could it really be something as small as the clutch???

An important bit of information that I may have forgotten to include is that there seems to be an oil leak coming from the bottom of the gear box on the brake side of the bike.  Very close to the center stand.  Could this be the reason that he is guessing the finger thing???

Oh my god, please let it be something simple, I want my bike back!

[Honzilla]

I talked to my mechanic again today and he keeps insisting that he thinks it is a set of "fingers" in the transmission that basically change the gears.

The bike has a little more than 60,000 kilometers on the clock, does this sound like an issue that arrises in the CB's?

I would imagine that to split the transmission to look for these "fingers" and if they are damaged would be an incredible amount of work...

Could it really be something as small as the clutch???

An important bit of information that I may have forgotten to include is that there seems to be an oil leak coming from the bottom of the gear box on the brake side of the bike.  Very close to the center stand.  Could this be the reason that he is guessing the finger thing???

Oh my god, please let it be something simple, I want my bike back!

[LukeM]

You can refurbish the clutch pretty easily, without taking other stuff apart.  The manual for your bike is elsewhere on this site.  If that doesn't resolve your problem, you may be looking at something in the transmission.  Getting that far into it calls for removing the engine from the frame, pulling the head and cylinder jugs, and cracking the case halves.

Beware of "as long as we're here" mode.  Anything that looks suspect should be replaced, since you're essentially pulling the whole engine apart, and it's a LOT of work getting it apart and back together (as you suspected).  

I'd try the clutch route first.  Cheaper and easier than pulling the engine, and may (I repeat MAY) fix your problem.  Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

Luke M