The bike's been reluctant to select first when at a standstill for a couple of months now, an ailment it mysteriously developed whilst having the MOT performed. Well, it's been getting worse, to the point where I ordered some new detent and return springs for the gear selector, which took ages to come and then I sort of didn't find a suitable time to tackle the job... but I kept using the bike.
It's also started with the old 2nd gear problem; selects OK if you give it time, but if you're in a hurry it's likely to turn into a false neutral.
Last night I made the mistake of attempting to change down to first while slowing for some traffic lights, but was going too slow and there was nothing there... no probs, I thought, flick up to second and pull away in that gear again... except now I can't get 2nd either, lever just goes up and down without the normal accompanying clonk.
Shove the bike onto the pavement, raise onto centrestand, try and spin the rear wheel fast enough that things think they're moving whilst grabbing at the clutch and yanking at the gearlever. All this effort gains me is a muck sweat.
Either I take the clutch cover off and try to persuade the selector drum round or I call for some roadside rescue... it's nearly 1am, I'm knackered after a 12 hour shift and not really in the mood for delving into the engine by streetlight so I call the folks who gave a pretty good service last time the bike died and I needed a 30 mile recovery lift. "We're a vehicle short and all the rest are are out on jobs, it'll be a 2 hour wait. If you're lucky."
I decide I am in the mood for roadside motorcycle maintenance after all. With the bike on the sidestand, I get the cover off with no oil spillage. Can't see why the escapement mechanism isn't working the drum around because it's a) too dark and b)the clutch is in the way and pulling that off feels like it'd be more than I want to tackle. I try to lever the drum around with the screwdriver, but it's not budging... then my tired brain remembers the clutch is engaged: wind out the cable adjuster on the handlebar until it's disengaged and to my great relief find I can lever the drum round to second, and then third.
Then it was just a case of putting everything back together, shoving my oily hands back in my nice new gloves
and then spend another two minutes before I twig that the reason the bike won't start is that I'd hit the killswitch.
Ever tried riding in London, even late at night, without changing into 1st gear? It's bloody difficult, the moment you relax and have to slow to a halt your foot does what it's programmed to do and changes down. Despite my intention of staying in third or above, I went down to second at one point. Anyway, tl:dr ... finally made it home at 02:15, or about two hours ahead of my lazier self that would have preferred the Fazer shoved in the back of a Transit.