| Author | Message | ||
     Zuhl |
Hi, everyone this is my first post here, as I just recently got my 2006 Buell XB-12X. The previous owner had decked it out with a Jardine exhaust and race ECM to give it more oomph. I love the sound, but I found out that it has waaayy more power than I was prepared for and it popped and "unauthorized" wheelie on me that left me sitting on my butt and the bike laying on its side in a muddy field. Fortunately I was fine except for a small scrape where my jacket rode up (had all gear on) and the bike only suffered about $150 worth of external damage. The shifter and left footpeg broke off in the fall. The shifter broke off its carriage bracket and it snapped the linkage that connects it to the shifter lever. It appeared to be no big deal. And to top it off, the bike ended up in neutral after the fall so I was able to push it home with my scraped butt and bruised pride. When I was removing the broken piece of the shifter linkage assembly at the top screw, the torque from my allen wrench caused it to rotate the shift lever counterclockwise, which should be a downshift. I suppose this happened once or twice. I thought nothing of it. But now, it is stuck in gear, I am assuming first gear, and I cannot upshift. I feels like it should when it is in first, but when I lift on the shifter, something is definitely jammed. I have taken off the access covers on the tranny but I cannot tell much from that other than the clutch cable is actuating properly and the shifter stop pins and return spring appear to be fine. I can start it with the clutch in, and I may be imagining things but I sense a very slight pull right when it starts, but that does not conitinue. It also will run with no grinding of dogs, but I have only done this once to see if I could get it to shift after I engaged the tranny. No luck. Any ideas on what could be causing this and how to fix it? I dont know if it is a problem in the shift lever assembly. Or maybe one of the forks or the cam assembly? Maybe it is simply a clutch adjustment issue. I cannot imagine how it could be a problem in the actual transmission gearing. It just seems very odd. I am not afraid to try to look at it myself, but I am afraid if it is complex I may be in over my head. I also want to find out everything I can before popping off the tranny cover and ruining my gasket. The only Buell mechanic I know of in the Houston area is at Mancuso, and I don't want to take it out there for fear of being ripped off. Does anyone know of a reputable Buell or Harley mechanic in the Clear Lake/South Houston area that is reasonabley priced? Thanks to all for reading this and helping me out here! | ||
| Reepicheep |
Thats not unusual. The shifter axle goes through the primary cover, between the clutch / stator bell / primary chain, and actuates a pawl that engages posts on the shifter drum. That assembly just bolts onto the case, and can (and does) get bent or damaged on harder right side bonks. Did you go far enough into the case to check it? Meaning you took of the clutch / stator bell / primary chain as a unit? There is also an adjustment procedure for that pawl, or at least there was on my M2. I assume its similar on the XB's. You put a special sized drill bit through a hole to line things up when you tightened down a bolt. That assembly is probably just bent, or out of adjustment. That can make it bind in a number of ways. It all should be very familiar to a mechanic used to working on a sportster, so that might open up options for you. Good job getting it in neutral mid loop! That's talent right there!  Glad you are OK. The last bike I looped was a KLR-250 in the middle of some impossible series of dirt moguls. The first three went great, the fourth launched me backwards and the bike forward and I remember landing on my butt while the bike was about 4 feet in the air without me  | ||
| Zuhl |
Thank you very much for the help. I just ordered the Uly repair manual to make sure the steps involved in what you say are something I am willing to attempt. | ||
| Reepicheep |
It does take a few special tools, big sockets, a big snap ring tool, and an aluminum locking bar... It's been discussed in the knowledge vault about a zillion times. Do a search for "primary locking clutch chain" and you will get a ton of hits. You will basically be doing most of what you have to do to replace a dead stator, so you can search on that as well. The manual is great also. Very doable though. | ||
| Zuhl |
As long is it does not require any truly specialized tools, I should be okay. I have (or can have access to)most of what you describe above. Going on vactaion, tomorrow out of town, so if Gustav leaves me a bike for when I return I will give it a shot next weekend. Thanks! | ||
| Zuhl |
I got it fixed!!! Thanks to the help of Reepicheep and the service manual I found that it was simply the ratcheting pawl arm from the shifter. Had to remove the primary cover to get to it, but that was not too bad. Then once inside, I did not take the clutch off or mess with anything else. All I did was spin the pawl 360° to its proper position where it hits the hard stop and re-attach the spring. Primary cover back on, a little tranny fluid and back in business like it never happened. The biggest challenge was getting the fluid because Ike shut down everything in Houston for a few days. Primary Cover Off  Lower Shifter Pawl out of position  Lower Shifter Pawl in proper position  | ||
| Reepicheep |
Great news! Wonder how that thing got flipped all the way over, that's impressive... | ||
| Zuhl |
I cant figure that out either. There is a stud that the pawl hits on that it must have found its way over. But the pivot point of the pawl is secure, not loose and wobbly. I cannot imagine it actually rotating 360 backwards because it would have had to knock the spring loose to do it. And the spring was still attached securely. These springs are really weak though. So who knows what happened. | ||
| Faceman |
Zuhl, Did you ever have this problem again?? Mine has popped off twice and i can't figure out if I just need a new spring or if it is more serious. Thanks! |
