Gear Linkage: Just Unlucky Or Something Else Happening?

[warren360]

I had to be recovered by the RAC on Sunday when the alloy clamp that attaches to the gear selector shaft at the top of the linkage snapped.    To have this happen once is unlucky, but the same part failed five or six years ago.  Admittedly, I replaced it back then with a second hand part from a breakers so not brand spanky new.

Has anybody else had this part fail?  My local bike mechanic has said he's never seen one fail before, but as it's the sort of thing that is easily fixed at home, maybe a bike wouldn't be taken to him anyway.

The bike's a Mark 1.  First fail was after 20,000ish miles and the recent one at 46,000.   I've owned the bike from new and never change anything with the linkage - the set-up suits my riding position/boots.

If it's not bad luck could there be a reason why this part has failed twice?

Maybe I should buy two new ones and keep a spare under the seat just in case?  A simple job to fit, but potentially a holiday ruiner if it happens miles from home...

[Art]

Certainly a rare failure regardless of manufacturer or model. If I was a gambling man I'd wager it's taken a knock somewhere, any chance of a photo of the failed part? We like photographs to exactly detail the problem for diagnosis and future reference. If it did fail due to the set up I'd expect you to experience some difficulty in selecting gears.

I'd opt for another breaker part and by all means check the eBay breakers, my preference is to visit a specialist motorcycle breaker where parts cost a fraction of what they are offered on eBay for. I wouldn't bother to carry spares either, you could end up with a pannier full of just in case parts?

[warren360]

Thanks for replying.

Here are the snaps Art.  One in situ, and one on the bench.

Not aware of the bike being knocked either time.  I've never dropped it, but that doesn't mean somebody parking next to it hasn't been a bit clumsy without me knowing.

Once my confidence in anything has been knocked it has potential to play on my mind. Had this have failed a month ago I'd have been in old East Germany and it would have kiboshed the rest of the trip and most likely led to a long and painful recovery back to UK. 
 
For peace of mind, I most probably will pop another in the "going away on a long ride" bag of bits and pieces (currently has bulbs, duct tape, length of tubing, tyre plugs and tool, Swiss army knife, small first aid kit etc).  Although Honda only sell the whole linkage new, the twice-failed clamp will come off it so it won't be a large eater of space.   Just need to find two of them now!  I guess there's a chance that the clamp itself may have been used across multiple bikes.  Will hopefully find out tomorrow when the local breaker is open.

Possibly this should be in another thread, but what do others take with them on lengthy trips for emergency repairs or just trying to avoid being recovered?   Brake and clutch levers?  Anything else?
 Obviously tyres would be good!  An unrepairable puncture when you're away from home, at best, means a day or two of waiting around as nobody seems to stock tyres these days - not so good in a strange city when the recovery van drops you outside a closed shop on a Saturday evening and drives off....

[Art]

I don't see how this would make any difference but it looks as if the gear lever height has been adjusted by rotating the gear shift arm anti clockwise on the gear shift spindle splines. The gear shift arm should be fitted with the two dots aligned as shown in the workshop manuals.

[Art]

Not shown in the workshop manuals

The gear lever height is adjusted on the horizontal gear linkage rod. Roll back the rubber boots, holding the square end of the rod with a 12 mm spanner loosen the 10 mm lock nuts by three or four threads at both ends of the rod. IMPORTANT don't go monkey boy here, the threads to the left are left handed and the threads to the right are right handed which means that to loosen the 10 mm lock nuts the spanner needs to be levered up at both ends. Rotate the rod to adjust the gear lever height, tighten the lock nuts (lever down) and roll back the rubber boots.

[warren360]

Thanks for taking time to advise Art - it's appreciated.

When the first one failed I made sure the replacement was aligned correctly.  I've never had need to adjust lever height so can only assume that when it had new c&s between the two fails the shop (not comfortable with the riveting of the chain otherwise would have done it myself) put it back one spline out.  Can't say I noticed a difference.

Local breaker visited. Didn't have a CBF clamp but produced a crate of assorted other linkages.  Managed to find one that was the same size, angle, female (some were male) and correct direction of thread.  It's a nice substantial chromed one - unlikely to break.  Job done!

Found the original failed clamp in my box o' bits.  Looks like the break was in the same area as the second...