Hitchcocks Forum

Hi friends,
I'm Eolo from Ancona,Italy,owner of a bullet 350 year 2008. I've bought the bike used this year: with only 350km! like new...
No one problem on engine,electrical,chassis etc,but only one strange problem : Starting from standstill, when I leave the clutch, the kick start lever lowers, and the same happens when I change gear, second and third gear. This problem is felt more with the engine under stress.
I wrote to Hitchcocks, but they did not know me a lot, in fact it's an unusual problem. I tried to disassemble the gearshift cover, removed the starter spring, gear mechanism, disconnected the clutch and primary chain, but that's okay, and the problem remains ... can anyone help me? Here on my city I can not find a reliable mechanic for this problem ...Thanks

Are you sure that gearbox has only travelled 350kms?
Sounds like worn layshaft bushes or you have no oil in the gear box...

I have a year 2000 Bullet, 500cc.
It did exactly the same thing when it was brand new. After some time, it stopped doing it. I have no idea why.

I didn't do anything to rectify it, it just "repaired" itself.
The only thing that I discovered, was not to be distracted by it when riding.......

It is caused by internal drag inside the gear box, and is not uncommon in new bikes.


IF your gear box is still filled with grease, flush out the gear box with kerosene to remove the grease, and refill with #90w gear oil. Superior lubrication and less drag.


IF! IF!! your gear box develops a slight oil leak that appears to be coming from the Kick-start lever? It can be cured by simply drilling a small ventilation hole into the gearbox oil filler plug

Hi Guys------CHRIS, GWILLY, TIM I seem to remember this came up a few years ago....Isn't it something to do with where the kickstart pivots ??............As TIM says}--- "It's to do with internal drag" --- and as CHRIS says}---"After some time it stopped doing it".... maybe because those tight clearances have now worn down a bit ??........

Hi, thank you for answers,Tim...I'll try to change oil and I'll clean with kerosene. Yes Gwilly,I'm sure that gear box is new, and there is grease inside...as soon as possible I let you know

Hi Eolobass I experinced the same problem. It's a worn layshaft.

This is what the worn layshaft looks like when you take out the gearbox internals. You have to replace the layshft and the bush in the kick starter spindle.

new bush from our host

new layshaft end to fit into the spindle... regards Jacob