bike broke down

Was stuck in shaftsbury for 3 hours waiting for the AA on Sunday. I was riding along at 30 went to change gear just after accelerating. Didn't stick it up enough and went into neutral. Then got it in gear (no idea what gear). Rode along 15secs fine. Then clink clonk, back wheel locked a bit and back end skidded a bit. Pulled over and could hear metal flicking on metal. Figured chain was the problem.

Now my thundercat won't start unless I pull clutch in. If I try starting in neutral without pulling clutch in it jumps forwards as if its stuck in gear. I can't shift gears up to 2nd ot anything. Only down to first and neutral. When pushing the bike switched off the chain skips and flings about and sticks at certain points.

It passed its mot Friday with no advisories which is typical.. hope its not major broke :( i have no experience of clutches or gearboxes. All I'm able to do is have a look where the chain goes in towards the engine.

Just bought some new leathers which also takes the biscuit!

Anyone got any ideas or suggestions as to what I should be checking? Many thanks in advance

as for clutch is it adjusted at the lever correctly? maybe that its just slipping and why won't engage or start properly.

chain sounds like its loose and maybe popped off the front sprocket i'm no expert but thats what springs to mind for me.

where you based?

Bad news Ash, hope you get it sorted soon and it's not too expensive. Could be the chain or sproket, when did you last check your chain and was it ok?

BB

I'm still learning my way around the bike mechanical side! I think the chain currently is too loose. It was in need of oiling begore it went in for mot. I think it could have been too loose then mixed with chain lube and popped off ?

I am in Trowbridge. Got Wednesday off so will give it a good look over and do a visual inspection. Fingers crossed it'll be somthing simples! Keep you posted once I've opened her up !

If your chain was loose enough to jump off the sprocket it wouldn't have passed the MoT. This sounds more like a gearbox issue to be honest if it's stuck in gear. Best of luck with it but a bit of specialist help may be required. :-/

Sounds like a bent selector fork to me, but before going down that line, check the primary drive and clutch.

It's not a Brit bike Jon, primary drive is directly geared from crank to outer clutch basket. ::)
The clutch sounds OK if it won't start without it being pulled in. Agree on the possible bent selector fork if it was kicked into gear with the engine under load after hitting the false neutral. Probably an engine out and split the cases job, I'm not aware of the ThunderCat being reknowned for in-situ gear selector access...

I know that!!!! ::)

Could still have damaged the gearing, bearing or clutch or clutch actuator.

:( Gutted really, will take it apart a bit and check the easy bits.

Ive just bought some new leathers, had it MOT and front fork seals done. Tax is due end of this month.

cost of recovery.

Spent nearly £800 on biking related in a few days, very sad :(

Sure someone could lend a hand... If you ask nice enough ;)

Jaydee's recovering from his knee op and is bored stiff at the moment, if you could get the engine to him I'm sure he'd happily pull it apart and sort it out for the cost of the parts and a few kebabs... I can always ask him... :-?

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Originally Posted by Scotty

Jaydee's recovering from his knee op and is bored stiff at the moment, if you could get the engine to him I'm sure he'd happily pull it apart and sort it out for the cost of the parts and a few kebabs... I can always ask him... :-?

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JD does like his kebabs ;D

I have done few initial checks today. Took the starter crank case off, that's all fine. Alternator case internals are ok, even though that's not relevant lol.

Took the casing off around the chain sprocket, all appears ok. Nothing obvious broken. Clutch bits seem fine too that go down to that area.

As you can tell I don't really know what I'm looking for. Sounds as though somthing in gearbox has kerplonked.
I assume engine out job now to get under it? If something gearbox has broken, chances of getting parts ? Cost of parts ?

Will also need to get a rear stand !

Mate, this is based on worse case scenario, but if it's engine out and splitting time then it's a few hundred £ even if you are doing it by yourself, a gasket set for that is about £120 from Wemoto let alone any bits you may need.

Trust me I know, mine got stuck in neutral once and it was a complete rebuild job.
I'm not saying your is though, no idea yet
I've sent you a PM

I have sent you a text. Will need to buy a torque wrench, and a better set of spanners. And maybe some bit attachments, ive got some but are cheapo versions.

Also a rear stand, found some new for around £25-30 but want somthing 2nd hand ideally, if anyone has anything let me know and ill buy!

Where are you?
Would be helpful if you could popualte your location as some fols may be willing to help or lend you stuff.

I've got a rear stand you can borrow if you like or an abba stand (although this may not be of use if your taking the engine out)

I am in Trowbridge, will sort out a rear stand then get the engine out. Anyone aware of any specific tools needed to remove? How much does an engine weigh ? I assume it drops out the bike ?

Found a good website for steps to remove the engine.

Will get notepad , camera, zip bags to keep all parts and screws together.

I actually seem quite interested..bit of a project... If i can get it fixes I will be very impressed !

Jonney where abouts are you? I would probably need it for around a week to get engine out. I've got this sat off and following thurs,fri,sat,sun. Would that be alright?

I'm in Swindon and around on sat

mate this is a mammoth job for someone who hasn't done it before. you will need to support ya bike and your engine (depending how it mounted) and you will want a mate to help you lift it, it is bloody heavy, and if you drop it, you might be scrapping it. not impossible by any means. you'll have it out in a day. label ya engine mount bolts, draw a diagram and mark where they go. they always seem to be what muddles me up. good luck. when you've done it once you'll have a much better knowledge of your bike. make sure you have a haynes, they can be a savior, also sign up to a thundercat forum, any questions you have will be better asked on there than here. good luck!

a good suggestion from a ehile back was to take pictures as you go of how certain things were/went, i cant remember who posted it but its saved me aload of agro doing it :)

Get a haynes manual. They are a godsend for these tasks.

Getting the engine out isn't usually hard, but is a long often fiddly process. I'd allow a couple of days, one to disconnect all the wires, pipes and linkages, then another to drop the engine.

soak the header bolts.... removing the exhaust will be your first big challenge. As above, photograph everything you touch. Store everything in order and in a safe place. There will be a lot of bits. Don't forget to drain the fluids with the engine in the bike..... is a lot easier.

As to removing the engine, ensure that the bike is very secure, get a mate of two to assist as the engine will be very heavy and you don't want to damage either the engine or the bike. The best way I've found is to put a trolley jack (with wood tom protect the sump) under the engine and use this to support the weight and manouver the engine in the frame as you loosen it.

I am in Trowbridge, but tied up this weekend. Am about monday evening if you need some extra hands then.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rossio

a good suggestion from a ehile back was to take pictures as you go of how certain things were/went, i cant remember who posted it but its saved me aload of agro doing it :)

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+1

Especially if you have to leave anything and come back to it. It;s not too hard to remember of you do it all in 1 big go, but leave a week or 2 in between and then you start to forget bits...

Also, re Haynes - I find mine prety useless. I downloaded the proper workshop manual (free) from http://www.repairmanualclub.com/moto...48c09ecd12e5d9

It has better split diagrams, and breaks down all the parts of the task MUCH better. Haynes assumes a reasonable degree of knowledge already I found...

Haynes Manuals aren't bad, but they suffer from being extended to cover successive iterations of a model line and sometimes a new model can be considerably different to its predecessors. A genuine manufacturer's Workshop Manual is often more expensive but the best option in the long term, especially if you intend keeping the bike a long time or doing anything substantial (like splitting the engine).

Good point from Jon W - drain the oil out of it and then refit the drain bolt (but leave the filter in place!). Actually splitting the cases may be a bit too ambitious for a mechanical novice as some special tools will be required, particularly to hold the clutch whilst undoing the centre nut - a rattle gun eases this task considerably if you don't have a clutch tool.

Before you embark on major work, get the bike on a rear paddock stand and with someone reasonably knowledgeable with you, demonstrate what the issue is - try and go through the gears by rotating the wheel and moving the gear pedal (Don't run the engine!) This should give some clue as to what the problem actually is. It's a good idea to start by knowing what you're looking for.

Ok, first step...locate a rear stand.

Jonneyflame, I would be interested but It'll cost me around £15-20 in fuel to get to you with my fantastic MPG mobile, and I then may aswell buy a stand to keep for myself I think.

thanks for the offer.

Will get the rear up and try going through gears engine off. Can you change gear without using clutch with engine off w/o causing damage?

Yes you can index up and down the gearbox with the engine off, you won't need to use the clutch either, nothing will get damaged. You need to be able to rotate the wheel a little to engage the gears properly. Without a paddock stand you'd have to sit on it and rock it back and forth to move the gears while going up and down through the box. Not easy on some bikes as Kawasakis used to have (maybe still do) a thing called positive neutral finder that would only allow you to get neutral from first at a standstill (saves the scenario of going up and down from first to second and back when trying to get neutral) but yours may not have this.

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Originally Posted by Scotty

Kawasakis used to have (maybe still do) a thing called positive neutral finder that would only allow you to get neutral from first at a standstill

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Is that why I can't select 2nd from neutral at a standstill? twice I've needed to bump start it, and both times I had to go into 1st, then into 2nd while pushing the bike. Not very easy!

Ive got a yamaha, but that may still apply. Didn't get it to go into 2nd whilst stand still. Will get a rear stand for next thurs then ive got thurs, fri, sunday to tinker.

hate seeing the bike just in the garage and everyone else out on their bikes. I'm willing to pay even to get it fixed sooner! :((

resisting the urge to just buy another bike.