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[alphashifter]

Howdy folks.
Working on a 2001 Bullet 500 with left side shifter.
Just replaced the footstart pawl and upon reassembly, I no longer have 1st gear.
Observations;
1. Very little downward travel of foot shifter to engage 1st gear (as if gears won't mesh).
2. When attempting to downshift into 1st, I hear mild grinding as if clutch is not completely disengaged.
I've realigned the shift lever to no avail.
I've adjusted the clutch cable to the point of slipping with same result, so I feel I've eliminated that possibility.

I'm pretty sure something got misaligned during the procedure, possibly the alignment of the foot control stop plate (#13 and associated parts on page 23 of Hitchcock's parts fiche /1814/Gear_Box_End_Cover).

I did scribe marks and replaced the plate at least very close to where it was. Not sure how critical or sensitive that is. It could be that is the problem, and I just need a reference on how to realign it.

Any insight?

(for the record, I'm posting this on other forums since there is more activity on some than on others.)
Thanks in advance!

[Norm]

Problem will be in the adjuster plate, put the bike on the centre stand, with the back wheel off the ground and the outer gearbox cover off and rotate the rear wheel and shift it through the gears. It is much easier than putting it back together to try it. If all this doesn't work throw the lot in the bin and convert it back to right shift how it was designed to work in the first place. The left shift is just at total bodge that doesn't work after a while

[Les H]

Appologies to Alphshifter for adding the following rather than give fixing help but it carries on really from Normans suggestion of converting back to RH gear change: How on earth having left side foot-change is considered better than a right hand is totally beyond me. Yes you can used to it, as you can get used to anything if you are forced to! The whole synergistic physical pleasure of riding a motorcycle is severely diminished in my opinion, as the cross sided diagonal body movement that feels natural and balanced is lost. Gear changing is by far the most common foot control movement compared to applying the footbrake which is many riders often don’t bother with anyway. As only around 10% of people are left footed, then 90% of the population have to use their “deader” foot to change gear. Imagine if the throttle on a car was set up with the left foot having to operate it, oh yes, you would “get used to it”….but why have it that way and why not swap it over? I have Japanese bikes and Italian bikes which all have left foot gear changes, but when I change back to riding any of my British bikes, it always feels so natural and so much nicer to use the right foot for the gears. What amazes me is that the British motorcycle dominated the world markets yet we let the newbies come up with their new ideas and accepted it with hardly a murmur. I’m pretty sure it was done just for the sake of being different and not taking into account what riders really preferred. To think that there will never be any modern bikes ever built again with the correct method of controlling them and that new riders will never experience how much nicer that right hand gear change is, saddens me immensely....Rant over.

[Norm]

Les, left shift, right shift, this isn't the issue here, it is the bodge they came up with to make it comply to suit the American market that is the problem with about 15 changes of direction with levers and arms that is the problem. They were a problem from new and the more times you changed gears the worse they became as all the linkages started to wear. I have another one sitting hear waiting on parts to be converted.

[simon]

My 860GT Ducati has a similar after thought left hand side conversion and for the same reason so that it complied with the American import rules. Fortunately in the Ducs case the change over whilst fiddley is at least effective and with regular lubrication perfectly satisfactory. What I find interesting is that after years of having bikes with gear changes on the opposite sides I barely register the change when I get on. There is obviously a considerable difference in weight and power between the Duc and the Bullets but that aside I never (well almost never) confuse the two. gives me faith in the power of the grey matter even when the colour seems to be leaching to the top!

[Les H]

I do realise that Norm. I just added an anecdotal comment, which is why I apologised first.