Hi I have recently bought a 1961 c15 , and it won't go into first gear , all the other gears click in , but just won't go into first , I have had the gear plate in and out , and can't see anything wrong , should I just buy a gear plate and selector teeth ? Many thanks
Hi Neil,
It might be best if you post this under the Singles heading. I am sure you will get the answer you need.
Dave.
Hi,
I had the same problem with my '61 C15 when I bought it last year. I believe it was caused by clutch drag. The clutch was also heavy and the lever firm to pull. I stripped the clutch to check all was well and it was, although had been put together a bit crudely. I dressed and rebuilt everything so I could forget about it. One important thing was when tightening the clutch springs was to make sure it ran true; i.e. pull the clutch lever in, kick the engine over and adjust the pressure springs to run true. Don't worry about the rod adjustment at this stage.
I took the kickstart cover off and could see problems with the release arm and linkages. It had been bodged and a lot of the motion was lost due to excessive free play. I couldn't buy the bits so I made most of them. When all was reassembled and set up, the clutch became as light as a feather and the gears all worked effortlessly and silky smooth.
Not saying that's the cause of your problems, just what was wrong with mine
With the bike on the centre stand, can you get neutral and split the back wheel ok?
You should be able to push the gear lever down into first easily without the need for the clutch. If you can't then it probably means dismantling.