Wilsons Sandbox

Hello: Finally got around to tossing the OEM skid plate and replaced it with the Moose unit. At the same time I change the oil and filter. Had a big ride planned for the next day. {now next day) Start bike, try to put bike in gear, grinddddddddddddddddddddddd. What the heck? Doesn't want to go in 1st. Oh well, must be the oil change has affected something (Amazing how you can rationalize any problem that comes along). Snick the bike into 2nd gear and then down to 1st. No problem. Ride 25 miles to bagel shop to meet your friends to ride. Bike will not go into first from neutral. Damn. What can it be? I can't possibly think what might be wrong. Stop at gas station to tank up prior to meeting friends. Look down at shift lever to see if something's wrong. Roh Roh. I see the issue. I'm an idiot. One of the 4 metal straps that go around the frame to hold the skid plate on is directly below where the shift lever must go. The additional 1/16" of an inch of metal is not allowing the shift lever to go down enough to get a good click into 1st. Get 10mm wrench from tool roll, remove shift lever, replace shift lever up 1 "notch" on the shaft. Problem solved. Five minutes tops. I'm sure this has been discussed before, but for those new owners out there, FYI. Moral of the story: 1. do not make changes to your bike before a big ride 2. Take a test ride after changing anything. Even if you think it's not going to change anything. Tom A13 ===== ========================================================= Tom Vervaeke, Colorado, USA |Email: tom_vervaeke@... '99 Kawi KLR-650 A13, 4.1K |Ph: 719-495-2152 (home) '96 BMW R1100GS, Black 60K |Ph: 719-590-2133 (work) Colorado DualSporters Group |Ph: 719-650-4578 (cell/riding) Try: http://www.egroups.com/group/Colorado-Dualsporters ========================================================= __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/

> Tom > A13

Happened to me as well. I took my dremel tool and carved what looks like a 7 out of the bracket (leaving an opening where shifter hits frame). I do believe one other lister moved his shifter as well but didn't like the position so ground his bracket as I did. Mike Awesome A1 klr650

> I see the issue. I'm an idiot. One of the 4 metal straps that go

around

> the frame to hold the skid plate on is directly below where the > shift lever must go. The additional 1/16" of an inch of metal is not > allowing the shift lever to go down enough to get a good click into > 1st. > > Moral of the story: > 1. do not make changes to your bike before a big ride > 2. Take a test ride after changing anything. Even if you think

it's

> not going to change anything. > > > Tom > A13

I installed the Moose bash plate with out having this problem, but I had also replaced the shifter with a Moose unit previously. Perhaps I already had the shifter relocated by one notch. Have to agree with you on the test ride thing, even after you have it in a shop. I once headed out from a shop, but after a mile or so I just happened to see something shiney bouncing across the road. I stopped, went back, found it and returned to my bike. It took about half a minute to find out is was my front wheel axle nut! It had looked like it was in place when I was leaving the shop, but the short ride backed it off (That bike didn't have provision for a cotter pin). The mechanic obviously didn't tighten it. Never trust your life to someone else. Do a thorough check over. John Canuk on a KLR