Ok Kids. This is my first post here. You all have an awesome site and I have learned so much already. I am very mechanically inclined (I build Jeeps), and have been out of the MX/woods bike sport for about 8 years or so now. I used to restore bikes and quads to perfect condition from junkyads when I was younger. Here is the deal:
I bought a 1990 KDX 200E Friday. When I took it out for a test drive, everything worked AWESOME. It is in good shape.
I noticed that the shift lever was a little loose, so I tightened it as soon as I got it home.
I rode for about two hours (probably only 15 miles or so of pretty damn tight woods) on Friday with no problems at all. Then I took it out today and it worked good for about 20 minutes. Then I was on the street heading to some trails near my house. I threw a downshift from what I think was fourth to third , and all of a sudden, the bike now pops into nuetral on the 1->2 shift often and also when in higher gears as well. I go to throw a shift between pretty much any two gears, and all of a sudden I am in nuetral.
I have done a search, the trans oil is full and clean, and the shift lever/arm is tight and I don't think it is bent. I have dropped it very softly a couple of times already in the woods, but not hard at all. Very soft drop and I held it up well so it came down very very slow.
The shifter returns to middle position, so I think the springs are OK.
All od the gears pull fine and clean with no excessive noise, when I can get it in gear that is.
Sometimes I need to hold the shifter down so that it will stay in 1st or second gear just so that I can get home.
What are your suggestions? Should I change gear oil just because I don't know when it was last changed? Any chance that this issue is that simple?
Should I pull the RHS of the cover just to check the shift shaft, etc., or should I break it all the way down and see what else might be broken/bent?
I see marks in the cover where the gear shifter lever had been hitting the LHS engine cover previously, but did NOT have ANY problems shifting until today....sometimes I will be in gear and not touch anything but when I give it gas I am in nuetral. It is that bad.
When it stays in gear it works awesome though. :aj:
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise everything is coming apart and that sucks on a bike that you have owned for three days...
I am fearing that everything might have to come apart because I have a bent shift fork, messed up drum, etc.
Please help!?!?!?!?!?
Thanks in advance,
Ken