In trouble.. in Wales. gearbox selector problem.

Hi All, I've just arrived in Llangollen in Wales for our bank holiday weekend (IRL) and my R100GSPD is stuck in 2nd gear. The gear selector is not engaging with anything internally at all.
I was wondering if there are any Airhead experts nearby who might come to my rescue.
I'm based here until early Monday morning.
PM me if you can help.
Cheers
Fran

Fran its likely your selector spring has broken

Allegedly "IF" you can invert the motorcycle you can go up a gear but I have not done this

Somewhere on AdvRider someone explains how they fashioned a coat hanger or similar to operate the gear selection via the oil filler plug. Worth a try.

The same thing happened with my R650LS years ago. The gearbox was rebuilt and the said spring replaced with one made by Bob someone or other, someone will be along to tell you Bob who. It does not help your predicament now I know but I too was told by the technical editor of the BMW Club (a very knowledgeable man) that it is possible to turn the bike upside down and select a more usable gear to get you home or wherever. Good luck and I hope someone comes to your rescue if only with a trailer. Sorry I can't help.

Thanks all, worst case my insurance company will get me home but I'm old school and would prefer not to avail of them.
I'm at our base, the tent is up and I'm in the pub..
Cheers
Fran

Oh dear ... happened too me years ago with my old R100RS (1979)

Coming down a motorway slip road in Germany, coming down the gears ... got second, then nothing else

Gearbox out, total strip down, to replace a ten bob spring, first thing going in there when being built, last thing to come out when being stripped

Try giving Rob Morris a call. He's based in the Centre of town and runs a trail riding business. He has a good workshop and is super helpful. +44 7759 009019 tell him Simon from plymouth told you to try him (ventrices mate)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In the good old day's we used a couple of strong elastic bands to return the gear lever.

Hi fran.Probably a bit academic for you at thids stage but I posted about that tool here http://ukgser.com/forums/showthread...-stuck-in-second-gear?highlight=stuck+in+gear

you could fashion it out of 5mm rod or wire and I'd say with a bit of luck you'll get it into 2nd or third but you're in trouble every time you have to stop and you'll hardly ride alll the way home in 3rd.

I hope you get sorted soon.

If I were you, I'd have a pic of that cutaway gearbox in my hand while I use a crudely bent piece of 5mm bar or even threaded rod ( B & Q sell such stuff as well as local famers co-ops etc). I'd then rummage away in the gearbox with it with a mental puicture developing as to what I'm touching in there guided by that picture in your hand. I'd get it into 3rd or even 4th and rely on hill stops and pushes from other bikes to get rolling speed up before engaging clutch plus detours around any built up areas. The clutch could ened up burning out though if theres too much of that but at least I'd say it'll get you to the ferry. Post a thread in the main forum too and see if anyone is bringing a trailer/van in direction of home and who'd put bike in back.

Thanks everyone. I now find myself on the ferry to Dublin with the bike due to poor communication from Carol Nash. I'll post my story when I get home and get to a real keyboard.
Cheers
Fran

Franm said:

Thanks everyone. I now find myself on the ferry to Dublin with the bike due to poor communication from Carol Nash. I'll post my story when I get home and get to a real keyboard.
Cheers
Fran

Click to expand...

Hope you get sorted soon

Hope all works out right for you. JJH

Hope you got home and sorted, a bad experience to have...

Yes, I'm back safe and sound, the gearbox is out and with a friend of mine in Tralee who knows about this stuff.
It was an interesting few days to say the least in relation to the recovery and I learned a lot from the experience.
In summary my experience went something like this.....
Contacted Carole Nash at 9am Saturday morning, just looking for information and to know what my options were.
15mins later it ended with them saying that someone would call me within an hour.
No call received.
2.5 hours later a recovery Van arrives at campsite whilst I am sunning myself.
Panic packup and load in to van.
Nice 2 hour trip to the ferry in the van.
Attempted to make arrangements for collection on the other side but had no success. I assumed that I was going to be collected and brought home with the bike.
Others assumed (including the recovery company) that I would be collected and brought to a nearby garage.
Negotiated getting brought to a friends house in the southside of Dublin city.
Was not met off ferry on Saturday evening.
Called Carole Nash again and was transferred again to a line that just rang out (International recovery I believe).
Called CN back and told them that I was totally fed up at this stage and that I was taking matters back in to my own hands.
Drove bike at 25kmph to friends house, much to the annoyance of other road users.
Had a cuppa and quick chat then got a taxi to Red Cow and Dublin City Coach.
Got bus home (2hrs)
Told all of the above again to my sympathetic wife including my plans for next two days.
Sunday, back on road again to Dublin with car and trailer.
GOT A CALL enroute from the recovery company equiring about my experience AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Collected bike from my friends house.
Back home at 4.30pm, gearbox out at 5.30pm.
Monday, dropped gearbox to Tralee whilst admiring all the Harleys and others returning from Killarney Bikefest.

All in all I logged 11 calls re the recovery of which four lasted around 15mins (most of time on hold).
I also had to give my reg number and name/address for data protection reasons each time, AND a lot of these calls included a transfer to another agency where I had to repeat the infomation all over again.

Also I'm not really sure who I was talking to each time I was on the phone. I checked my policy when I got home and whereas I thought I was talking to Carole Nash, I was in fact talking to Inter Partner Assistance / AXA Assistance recovery group who provides this service to CN. (I could be wrong here though).

Lessons Learned........
Know exactly what your policy covers you for. It was my first time using this service in around 37 years of biking so I wasn't that clued in.
Be aware that if you are just looking for info then you might set a full recovery in motion.
My biggest issue really was not getting that first promised phonecall re giving me information and options.

Anyway.... older and wiser now.
Fran

Carole Nash were a shower of shite when I broke down in Romania. They basically told me to abandon the bike, get a plane home and they'd then send me £1000 for the bike (R100GS PD).

Franm said:

I also had to give my reg number and name/address for data protection reasons each time...

Click to expand...

It's this witless bollox that is driving me away from CN...

But are any other companies any better..?

I am also with Carole Nash; but when my 100GS split its oil cooler in Devon and the bodged repair then failed I called the RAC instead.

They sorted it all out and I was shipped home to Edinburgh (4 trucks!). It took all day and half the night but I wasn't messed about. The truck drivers were a good set of blokes and we had a good laugh .

Fortunately that's the only time I have had to be formally 'recovered' with a bike, but it sounds as though I made the right decision.

We learn from experiences (ours and others').

Bob.

What an ordeal that must have been Fran, prompted me to dig out my policy and see what it says. I'm with RSA and the optional breakdown cover would have been with MAPFRE ASSISTANCE Agency Ireland, I don't think I took it out as its not available for bikes over 15 years old so that rules my bikes out. I was stuck with them this year as I had been off bike for a few years and renewed so as to avoid losing the NCD, anyway I'll be paying close attantion to that area come renewal in October although I've a big trip hatching in my mind for before that so not sure what I'll do if something unfixable happens on the road.

I'm with BeMoto, great people to deal with

Two bike's on full Continental European cover and recovery by the RAC Platinum scheme

Not had to use them yet ... fingers crossed

Someone also said to me Bill that you can also take out some kind of AA cover which will get your bike home.
I haven't checked this out though.