How do you move a motorcycle when the clutch is broken, and the gear shifter is broken, and it’s stuck in 2nd gear? We want to have it towed to the shop, but we don’t even know how to move it. It’s a 1983 Honda 750 V45. We thought about lifting the rear and setting it on a skateboard, but it didn’t sound very safe.
Is there something we can do mechanically to get it into neutral? (BTW, if you can’t tell, we’re not very mechanically educated.)
Thanks all.
You should be able to get it into neutral without the clutch. If you’re in second gear, just try clicking down on the shift lever.
The shift lever is broken, too.
If it’s on a hill, you should be able to bump start it and ride it to the shop. A small pair of vice grips can work temporarily as a gear shift. Of the bikes I’ve ridden, it’s possible to shift them without the clutch being engaged, but I wouldn’t recommend it for long periods of time. Best bet is to get it into neutral as listed above.
Another method, if it’s a chain drive, is to just remove the chain by popping the master link. The rear wheel should then be able to freewheel.
Vise-Grips !
With a pair of Vise-Grips and a Sawzall you can solve any problem.
– Larry Stone
With a flat-bed tow truck, perhaps?
Take the chain off the back wheel. If it’s shaft driven it would probably be easier to lift the wheel off the ground, though I’d use a trolly or lift platform, not a skateboard.
You might consider taking out the sparkplugs if you just need to push it a ways. That would be easier than removing the chain, and will work even if it is a shaft drive.
I was all set to open this thread and say shift it without the clutch, but if the shift lever is broken…
U-Haul rents motorcycle trailers
Don’t know how good or bad this option is, I’ve never trailered a bike…heck, I’ve never trailered anything, wouldn’t know how to, but it might be an option…something I’d feel better about than towing it using a skateboard anyway!
Also, another thought, I’ve never seen it done, but when I had starting problems with my bike a few weeks back, called the Honda Riders club and they dispatched a flatbed to tow the bike. Luckily it started with a jump, so I didn’t get to see it towed, but that’s another option…
:smack: I was in a hurry and must have skipped over that part.
I don’t think I’m explaining myself very well. The vise-grips might be the answer though.
When you squeeze the clutch, it doesn’t do any good-- it remains in gear. I think the gear shift lever got broken because of the clutch problem - my son is a new rider and when it became difficult to shift because of the clutch, maybe he kicked it too hard or something. Anyway, if there is something to vise-grip down there, we’ll find it and shift it into neutral, and be able to roll it out to the street, where the tow truck/trailer guy can roll it up onto the trailer. If that won’t work, I guess we’ll look at the chain.
Thanks so much!
Oh- one more thing – the skateboard idea was only temporary to push it out to the street and onto the trailer…not to tow it any distance!
My clutch had problems on my 1983 V45 Magna, also. If you are even SLIGHTLY mechanically inclined, you can take the right side engine cover off with those 15 or so itty bitty bolts, which exposes the WET clutch mechanism. WET means it is full of oil. This exposes the clutch plates and push rod, which you can loosen with the five or six bolts staring you in the face, and the spring will release and disengage the gears. I HIGHLY recommend getting to a store and buying the Clymer’s manual for the Magna/Sabre models of that time period ANYWAY, but this book details this stuff much better than I can. I have done this about six times on that model, you get used to it.
You prolly have a hydraulic leak or bad master or slave cylinder.
That’s makes more sense! I had visions of a car driving down the highway pulling a bike behind it with the rear wheel tied to a skateboard!
:eek:
I think moving it such a short distance as driveway to street, the skateboard could work if you are very careful. Not being mechanically inclined myself, that might be the way I would go, because I wouldn’t know how to take the chain off. On my old (belt-driven) bike I would have taken a knife to the belt, not sure what I’d do with the shaft-drive bike I have now…hopefully I’ll never be in that situation!
Good luck, hope it works out!
Umm… What part of the shift lever is broken? Because if it’s just the lever you can just pull on the bar that conects to the transmision. The clutch lever might just need a new cable, should be easy to fix. If all it is are levers they are easy to fix, inside the transmision is much worse.
The easiest way would be to shift it to neutral using vice grips or any shift linkage that is left. If it does not shift easily into neutral try rocking the bike gently back and forth while jiggling the shifter towards neutral.
The skateboard idea may look good on paper but I would guess you would get about two feet before the rear tire started to go sideways and there was a big wrestling match to keep the bike upright.
The 1983 VF750C clutch has a hydraulic slave cylinder at the lever, and master cylinder down on the left side of the tranny. The master cylinder pushes the push rod left to right, and decreases the pressure between the clutch plates and friction plates, which are over on the right side. IIRC.
If the clutch grip just flops and nothing happens, you’ve hopefully just lost fluid. The cylinder seals don’t last all that well.
Disconnect the spark plug coil, or turn the knob at the gas tank so no fuel comes out. Aim the bike in the desired direction. Attempt to start the engine. Since the motorcycle is in gear, the starter motor will move the bike along at a low speed. Don’t do this for more than four or five seconds at a time, but you should be able to get it moved out to the street.
If you can wait until the middle of the night when traffic is light, why not just drive it all the way to the shop in second gear? Second is perfect—you’ll be able to accellerate well enough, and you’ll still be able to attain a half-decent speed. When you arrive at the shop and hit the brakes, the engine will naturally stall; big deal.
I once drove a friend’s Mustang nearl ten miles through midday north-of-Boston traffic, by carefully powershifting, and allowing the car to stall at the few stoplights I encountered. My driving was of course a little harsh, but the car made it to the mechanic without incident.
Sorry it took so long to get back to y’all. Good news! We tried the trick of rocking it back and forth while jiggling with the vise-grips, and it worked! Thanks, everyone!