honda 250sx - upshifts fine but when downshifting goes to neutral

[Ghostkai]

Hey guys and gals,

New to this site posting but do use it often. As the title states i'm having some trouble shifting on my 250sx. I noticed that the shifter was sticking a little and ever since when I down shift from any gear, it goes into neutral and the shifter sticks downward. Shifting up gears is fine. Could anyone help me understand what the problem is? Has my transmission gone? It seems loose. Is there a way to tighten it? Any help would be greatly appriciated!!!

[dougspcs]

Start with taking the left side cover off..there is a small pin that provides the shifter return spring an anchor point.

If it is sticking down the pin is likely broken off (common issue)..though it seems like you went to neutral you really didn't. It's likely in the gear you just downshifted into, but the shifter being stuck in this position is keeping your clutch disengaged making you think you're in N!

The pin is about $12 and is still dealer available..then replace the side cover gasket and your oil of course since you have to drain it to get the cover off. Try to find the piece of pin while you are in there..no point leaving it in the bottom to cause more damage later..

My money is on this being your problem..fairly simple and cheap.

Good luck..

[Howdy]

My money is on Doug's description / solution. I have personally seen 10+ of these with this problem, not counting all the ones posted here over the years.
Howdy

[kb0nly]

I will chime in merely to add that i have seen this as well.... Look around good for the piece that broke off, like he mentioned you don't want pieces floating in there to cause more problems later.

I did see one that the actual spring was broke and not the pin, but it seems its always that pin. I wonder, is the pin not hard enough to handle the stress?

[tri again]

That's some beautiful country you live in.
Nice to see it on an sx too.
Take a deep breath and see if the search key works. Try "sx shift" as keywords
or shift linkage.
A few of us went through this last summer.
Lots of great pictures and advice.
Not to be funny but I had one where the shifter would physically drag on the outside of the
engine case.
Worked on transmissions my whole life and missed it for a few days.
Kinda like forgetting the kill switch, which we've ALL done.
so beyond the obvious, I had my sx dead level to the ground so I could get the side cover off.
There's are 2 threaded pins.
One straddles the shift shaft spring and is real obvious.
The other one is in the end of the shift drum and mine came loose but was NOT real obvious since it's under an oval bracket with tiny springs.
AND it was slightly bent...impossible to see until I spun it in a drill.

Both threaded pins are avail as is the bracket on the shift shaft
and the spring on the shaft too.
Check the shift shaft for straight too.

Wish I had more time to explain but I can post part numbers etc after work today.
or
try the search key and it's all been posted before.
Oh, when you take the side cover off, plug the internal holes in case you drop something.
Nice clear work area, turn the phone off, kick the cat out and take pictures.

We'll get you through this.
You can even call me collect if you need to.

later...

[Ghostkai]

Thanks for all the comments! I knelt down beside the trike, and started shifting the gears up and down. I noticed when downshifting the 90degrees angle near the threaded end of the shifter was bringing up on the foot peg. I took a and bent the shifter inwards toward the engine just a little, enough so the shifter now clears the foot peg. Started up the bike, went for a little ride and upshifting and downshifting was working smoothly.

I am suspecting when downshifting and it was bringing up in the foot peg, it was causing a bending reaction on the shaft which was like a lever pulling outward on the shaft which seems to have a little play in it, and that was causing it to into neutral. Strange but it's the only explanation I got.

Called up my buddy and went on a 40 kilometer bike run in the country. Went smoothly, all is good.
20 degrees, beautiful day here in Central Newfoundland, Canada.

[Ghostkai]

I'll post up some of pictures of the bike when I get a chance. It's in great working condition. Needs some new front and rear plastic fenders, and a new light to make it look like new. Other than that all works great.

[tri again]

All I can say is:
YaY!!

I had a funny feeling it could be external since I've missed that before,
like I said.
Those shift levers are Tough.
I had to use 2 - 16" pipe wrenches to bend mine after I took it off.

Yeah, who knows what these poor machines have been through before we get them.
To answer kb, some people ride like the shifter is a secondary footpeg is all I can imagine.

whew!
another crisis averted.

[kb0nly]

Man you got lucky there, five minute fixes are nice arent they???

Oh i imagine so, some ride them resting on the shifter, its like grandma riding the brakes... LOL