xj650 wont shift out of 1st gear
 

I have a 1982 xj650. Can not get out of first gear. Pull in clutch and bike will start and run normally just as long as you dont want to get out of first gear. Do not burn tires or pop clutch in anyway. Frustrated, please help

Check the oil level first. If it's too full it could cause it to be unable to shift. It's like the shift lever just won't move up and 'click' into the next gear.

How that works I couldn't begin to explain, but it has happened to me before. I was 700 miles from home, too, so I had to reach down and grab the shift lever to pull it up. Luckily (sort of...) I had a pretty good oil leak so the problem worked it's self out of the base gasket and it began to shift normally.

One problem known to the Yamaha XJ series is that when the cam chain guide starts to come apart, the rubber chunks fall into the transmission - sometimes jamming up the gears as you describe. If you are lucky - put the bike on its right side and take off the left side cover. Look real well in the gears for a piece of rubber block that might be lodged. If so, retrieve it with long needle-nose pliers and re-install cover (make mental note that you need to replace cam chain guide or get a different bike:smartass:). If you are not lucky, you will need to split the engine, replace the cam chain guides and clean out the offending chunks.

How mechanically confident are you ???????????

Do you have a centre stand ??

Roll the back wheel forward and backwards ( a friend in very helpful) and keep pulling up on the lever and see if you can pop it into second.

If not, then your looking at splitting the crank cases or if you're are lucky, you can at least inspect the gear shift mechanism from under one of the side cases.

I really cant see how over filling your oil would jam up your gearbox. I guess it could be an obstruction but quiete unlikely. Never say never though.

when i was just a kid I fell off my old DTI Yamaha out in the middle of nowere, when i picked it up to ride home it wouldnt go into second, I rode home all the way in Ist. Took me all day . When i got home the old DAD fell over laughing at me because all that was wrong was the gear lever had slipped around on the shaft and it would touch the side cover underneath and not move around enough to change into 2nd . It felt normal to my size 11 T boot.:mchappy: