Damn shifter

T

too many toys

Registered
Out on a ride with some friends and we went from NYC out to Pa. Im over 250 miles from home and coming down a off ramp at a normal pace with traffic. As Im coming to the light at the bottom of the ramp I downshift into second as I slow for the red light. Before I get there the light goes green so I start to accelerate. When I go for third gear I cant seem to get it so I look down... And do you know what I saw ? NO SHIFTER ! Yup thats right the damn thing snapped off!!! Boy was I pissed. Thankfully there was a good ol boy in a local garage who was able to drill a hole in what was left and install a bolt for me so I could get home.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? My bike is a 07 with about 7k miles on it that I bought new. I dont race, stunt or abuse my bike in any way. Ive never even had it up to the rev limiter. It just annoys me that it broke so easily thats all.

Thanks for listening to my rant. :beerchug:
 
WTF? Thats really weird. Has the bike ever fallen on that side and weakened the matal so it just finally gave way?
 
Fastfrog007 said:
WTF? Thats really weird.
Click to expand...

No doubt!
Sounds like you may just have been blessed with a one in a million, bad casting. Look at the broken end and see if there is a smooth surface section on it that would mean a "bubble" in the cast.
Total PITA I know, but look on Ebay, there are several, pretty cool looking, aftermarket shift (and brake) levers floating around there for $25-$30.
 
07 with 16.5k and no probs... Not even a little bit. That is weird. Unless it's been dropped before.. Like a garage fall or something. Unless you're trying to stand on it. hahaha.
 
You didn't say it broke off, so I assume the entire shifter is missing.

The shifter is kept on with a retainer - if the retainer is missing, the shifter might come off. Anyone was playing with the shifter? During your pre-ride bike inspection, was the retainer present?
 
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Well he said it "snapped off" so I assume that meant broke. And being that a whole was drilled and a bolt was used in place, I am guessing too that there was still the arm there and they just used the bolt as the actual peg.

But during my 'pre-ride' inspections, I didn't know I was checking for a retainer.. I just did things like lights, oil, tires, chain, grips, and a few other things.. Never looked for a retainer. Figured this was more mechanical thing (like your mechanic should tell you it's missing or you see it's missing when you're doing mechanical work on your bike) so my question is, is this retainer one of those things that are here today and gone tomorrow so you should look for it every day/every other day when you decide to ride? Or something you look for during PM monthly or what?
 
houstonbussa said:
Well he said it "snapped off" so I assume that meant broke. And being that a whole was drilled and a bolt was used in place, I am guessing too that there was still the arm there and they just used the bolt as the actual peg.

But during my 'pre-ride' inspections, I didn't know I was checking for a retainer.. I just did things like lights, oil, tires, chain, grips, and a few other things.. Never looked for a retainer. Figured this was more mechanical thing (like your mechanic should tell you it's missing or you see it's missing when you're doing mechanical work on your bike) so my question is, is this retainer one of those things that are here today and gone tomorrow so you should look for it every day/every other day when you decide to ride? Or something you look for during PM monthly or what?
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You got my pre ride inspection beat. If mine rolls down the driveway, and has gas it pretty much passes :laugh:
 
My Busa has not done that, and it's a 2002. I did have a 1983 Honda 650 do the same thing, broke right off. I assumed it was a bad casting and do to the vibration why it broke. Sounds like you had a bad casting also. Buy a new one and ride on.
 
The area where it broke off looks very gray and porous, so maybe a bad casting ? Yes I dropped the bike (on myself) in my driveway but it was on the other side. And since it fell on me the only damage was a very small dent in my gas tank from my head.

Now I know you guys (and gals) are wondering how I did this ? Well, I was pushing the bike and it ran over my untied shoe lace. When I went to take a step I tripped, went down and brought the bike with me. Now ya know.
 
houstonbussa said:
Well he said it "snapped off" so I assume that meant broke. And being that a whole was drilled and a bolt was used in place, I am guessing too that there was still the arm there and they just used the bolt as the actual peg.

But during my 'pre-ride' inspections, I didn't know I was checking for a retainer.. I just did things like lights, oil, tires, chain, grips, and a few other things.. Never looked for a retainer. Figured this was more mechanical thing (like your mechanic should tell you it's missing or you see it's missing when you're doing mechanical work on your bike) so my question is, is this retainer one of those things that are here today and gone tomorrow so you should look for it every day/every other day when you decide to ride? Or something you look for during PM monthly or what?
Click to expand...

No, it's inlikely to just be gone. However, over a period of time a fastener can get lose, a retainer may lose its rigidity, or maybe it was seated improperly, or whatever. The thing is it takes a couple of minutes to go over all those things on the bike - controls, fasteners, bolts, fairings, brake lines, calipers, levers, fluid levels, chain condition and slack, oil level, etc. You can do a search - what to check. If you do it regularly, you know how things look and how everything feels. So, if something is not right, you notice it - before it became a serious issue. A small thing can save your life. When I am out there riding, I don't want to have any doubts. It's naive to think that a mechanic will take care of it. At best, a mechanic can do a decent job of working on your bike. Unless of course a mechanic inspects you bike before every ride.
 
too many toys said:
The....

....Now I know you guys (and gals) are wondering how I did this ? Well, I was pushing the bike and it ran over my untied shoe lace. When I went to take a step I tripped, went down and brought the bike with me. Now ya know.
Click to expand...

Well I would have let you make it not telling that one.. haha.. just kidding. Although my wild imagination has got me rolling right now.. :rofl: The bike fell on your head. Well I guess the bike's ok though right.. I mean pass the dent! just kiddin.

IG. said:
No, it's inlikely to just be gone......
....Unless of course a mechanic inspects you bike before every ride.
Click to expand...

Well something like that I probably am not checking every ride and since that would be something more likely to wear over time and fall off my mechanic (or the whole shop rather) will look your bike over like it was their own. (most of them are track racers with championships and the owner is an engineer. You know how their minds work) But you made it sound like that's something that was a regular problem on a busa.. I won't say over kill, but being I ride daily, it'd probably take me and extra 30 mins to get out the house every morning. Wow.. Well unless you're an engineer like my friend Patrick and his shop... :lol: I just give you a hard time bro.. :please:Don't go getting swoll up on me now :):poke:
 
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