Gearbox modifications.
Gearbox modifications.
(OP)
I have decided I'm fed up with neutral between first and second gears, and will
re-mortgage my house, give away my first born child, and sell my soul in the
pursuit of having a truly sequential 'box!
Is there any reason a new selector drum couldn't be carved to this end? If so, what's involved? Anyone ever machined a selector drum?
It would make life a lot simpler and less risky for those like me who use
electric/air shifters. I have removed the neutral detent and spring to avoid
grabbing neutral when shifting by button. It makes things somewhat awkward
trying to select neutral in the pits though!
I'm not too good on gearboxes, which will explain the next
question.
Has anyone modified either 1st or top gear to act as reverse? I know some
quads have a reverse gear in a motor that's not too far removed from it's
two-wheeled-no-reverse cousins. Yet on the other hand, AFAIK, the Goldwing
has an electric reverse, which seems odd for a megalith which has everything
else under the sun fitted, and isn't apparently concerned by gross weight.
Am I right in thinking that one or more models of BMW have a reverse gear?
[img]http://emoticon.go2.be/crazy/1139.gif[/img]
re-mortgage my house, give away my first born child, and sell my soul in the
pursuit of having a truly sequential 'box!
Is there any reason a new selector drum couldn't be carved to this end? If so, what's involved? Anyone ever machined a selector drum?
It would make life a lot simpler and less risky for those like me who use
electric/air shifters. I have removed the neutral detent and spring to avoid
grabbing neutral when shifting by button. It makes things somewhat awkward
trying to select neutral in the pits though!
I'm not too good on gearboxes, which will explain the next
question.
Has anyone modified either 1st or top gear to act as reverse? I know some
quads have a reverse gear in a motor that's not too far removed from it's
two-wheeled-no-reverse cousins. Yet on the other hand, AFAIK, the Goldwing
has an electric reverse, which seems odd for a megalith which has everything
else under the sun fitted, and isn't apparently concerned by gross weight.
Am I right in thinking that one or more models of BMW have a reverse gear?
[img]http://emoticon.go2.be/crazy/1139.gif[/img]





RE: Gearbox modifications.
Those little lights that come on in neutral are something else I have never seen a need for. You need to be smarter than the equipment you operate or else you are simply a "Motorcycle Driver" and that IMHO, is a killer.
Rod
RE: Gearbox modifications.
The problem you will have with fitting a reverse gear is finding somewhere to fit an idler shaft and gear necessary to reverse direction of the mainshaft, most of the early ATV's have a reverse stuck externaly on the side of the normal box using extended gearshafts.
Sean
RE: Gearbox modifications.
One way to theoretically get a reverse without an idler is to cut the gear teeth down and weld or braze on a couple of small sprockets and a short chain loop. I've seen some lawnmower gearboxes that looked kind of like that.
It sure seems like you should be able to rework the shift drum to make the forks do anything you want.
BTW, see if you can find some info on the Hodaka gearbox--it's really clever and totally different than normal bike transmissions. I think I've heard it referred to as a Zundapp design.
RE: Gearbox modifications.
For those who pay attention, after 15 years I bought another bike---1948 Norton---with a shift on the 'right' with a 'one up' and 'three down' pattern. I'll just get used to it I guess.
Rod
RE: Gearbox modifications.
The Hodaka was a real learning experience for a 14-year old. And yes, I still have it. It's sharing chickenhouse space with a '72 husky (unrestored but rideable) and a 90% finished '67 BSA 441. At my current rate, the BSA will be complete and we can have the roll-out ceremony in 2062.
Congrats, Evelrod, on the Norton.
RE: Gearbox modifications.
The biggest problem with moving neutral to the bottom of the box is that 1st to neutral is half a shift. So you would not only have to remachine the grooves for the forks, but alter the pins on the end of the drum as well or you'd have trouble finding 1st, and keep hitting second.