I Believe The Word Is DUH

[ezrydr]

So yesterday I took the bike out for a quick run just to make sure everything's working OK before setting out tomorrow.  And as usual everything was indeed running like a Swiss watch; except that as I got out onto the bypass and started working up through the gears, I began to detect a certain sloppy feeling when I shifted, especially when shifting up.  It would shift, it wasn't missing any, but the lever travel felt excessive and the movement rather mushy.

Oh boy, I thought.  I'd had that feeling a couple of times before, with other bikes.  In one case it was merely that the pinch bolt on the shift lever was loose; a little Loctite fixed that.  The other one had developed serious transmission problems and it had been a job on the cob to fix it.

And then too Magnas have a reputation for dodgy shifting, though I'd never had any trouble with mine...all in all I was plenty worried by the time I got home.

Pulled into the yard, got off, reached down and gave the shift lever an experimental tweak.  Yep, way too much movement.  Lay down on the ground for a closer look.  Paused to whack the dog and inform her that I really did not want her nose stuck up my behind just now.  Wiggled the shift lever again.

And - you're way ahead of me, huh?  Yeah.  One of the bolts that holds the shift lever assembly to the frame had somehow gotten loose and fallen out.  The whole shift lever assembly was pivoting up and down on the remaining bolt.  (The rear one.)  Actually it was pretty impressive that it still shifted at all.

It was a simple matter to replace the missing bolt with one from my lifetime collection, and snug it down good and tight, and Bob's your uncle - and, if you're from San Francisco, quite possibly your aunt as well.

But let me tell you I felt many kinds of dumb for not figuring out what was wrong.  I mean, if I'd just looked down while shifting, I'd have seen the assembly moving up and down, and saved myself all that worrying.

Of course that would have been the easy way, but it wouldn't be the MOOT way....

[greg_o]

....of 'course at the speeds MOOTS normally travel......
spending any time lookin down could be down right hazardous
ya could end up in the next county.....
looking for the wiggle in the shifter

[trapper]

Glad you found it out and all is safe to go now for your trip rather than having the entire thing fall free during your trip.  Be safe...!

BTW...and you guessed it....I'll be checking the shifters on all of my bikes this evening.....lol