Is the bike actually running? Doesn't sound like the doo to me, if that goes, it usually takes out the top end and nothing runs.
Motor humming along smooth. Just no gear to find in tranny. I'm thinking maybe a shift rod, 'cause I'm not sure I got a solid downshift into 4th. Seems like it disengaged as I powered up a steep hill. I rolled to a stop at the top and tried to find a gear. None.
Yeah, definitely not the 'doo then. I know next to nothing about motorcycle transmissions, any chance it's clutch related?
There is no such thing. I know in the 10,000 miles that I had my KLR the counter shaft splines showed a decent amount of wear. Some of the Single 650 GS's have stripped their countershaft splines and place the blame on aftermarket sprockets that are too hard and wear the shaft splines down instead of wearing the sprocket splines. I'm just guessing though, but it's pretty easy to determine if the counter shaft is turning, just pull that sprocket cover off.
Sounds like the shift pawl spring. I've replaced two of them this year in my shop for other riders. No big deal...removed right side cover to verify. You'll need outer case and waterpump gasket as well. Good time to clean the oil screen too. Just in case did you get down on your hands and knee's and carefully look over your shift lever and its attachment point to the shift lever. I've seen quite a few factory lever's crack at the weld and not allow enough leverage to turn the shaft.
In the daylight, it turns out, I broke the drive chain. Problem solved..........................kinda! I guess this engine IS "Bulletproof"!!! So powerful it can break a perfectly good chain at full power up a steep hill.
Change your chain out sooner next time! At 23000 miles, I'd be thinking about chain number 3! To be honest, I broke a chain on my KLR once, too. 13,000 miles on the chain and a nice big rock between it and the rear sprocket and ka-pow!
Good grief...really? Thats 5 min of my posting life I'll never get back. On a serious note...engine that is 'bullet proof' is a direct correlation to the owners ability to properly maintain much less just keep oil in it.
Thanks for the advice BUT I don't remember telling anyone that was the original chain. In fact it was reasonably new EK as well as the sprockets. I bought the Bike in Aug. with 22K on it. Previous owner stated chain fairly new. And that was verified when the front sprocket was swapped out. The 15T I put back on was the original and it looked good to me ........... at the time. In retrospect, I may replace that one..................or both. I recovered the Chain just a moment ago when I came back for Dr. appointment. One link just broke.
I bought a DR650 that the PO said the brakes were new, "Just put them on prior to the previous ride". Well I don't know how long the previous ride was but they were toast. ie. The PO word might not mean anything. Regardless, at least you can fix the problem easy.
Coulda picked up a rock and c racked/stressed a link then on said day Kapowie! As it was, easy fix and glad it wasn't more.
Im still stumped at running a steep hill in 4th gear. Im happy to hear it was something simple and you didnt bust a case when the chain came off.
Earlier this year tried the Jardines RT4 exhaust on the bike but was unhappy with the volume even with the quiet insert. Rode it one time then took it off and put the stock unit back on. Had a chance this weekend to look at it with the idea of making it quieter. Took one steel wool pad and pushed it into the spark arrestor then took multiple pieces of fine mesh wire fencing and filled the rest and used it to hold the steel wool in place. Sound is now acceptable to me, much deeper than the stock but not loud. Jetting seems spot on with the .22 cent mod. I tried it with three steel wool pads but that was too much, backed up sounding, tried two but one was the magic number. Will keep checking to see if the steel wool holds together or not. With the new exhaust and the Li-ion battery you deduct about 17 pounds from the pig. Now I need to do my part and deduct 17 pounds from me!
My throttle/speed control issues are fortunately not the clutch. It's the trail. And the carb. And the operator. The spruce/fir duff changes texture constantly and the bike floats on parts then sinks into a sponge that takes a good bit of power. And it's all covered in needles and leaves so it's impossible to tell what kind of power is needed just ahead. At the same time the exhaust was popping a bit on closed throttle (on the road) so I richened up the idle mixture. EDIT: I'm not sure why the spruce/fir duff is more difficult for me than a rocky, murky water crossing. For water I can usually maintain the same moderate pace no matter what I hit below the surface. For duff, bogging in a hole and powering out then flings me forward. Both situations are about unseen obstacles. The 16t countersprocket isn't a problem on rocks. It's great on the highway. I'll see how the trail firms up in the next month or so.