Dealing with a broken shift return spring on the road

NoVa Rider · 08-21-2017, 07:30 AM

Some RX3 owners have experienced broken shift return springs, including me. Its a cheap and relatively simple fix, but you do have to remove the clutch side engine side cover and pull the clutch basket. Not a repair you would normally do on the road.

So what if your spring breaks in the middle of a trip? The shift pedal will suddenly go limp, and it will be very hard if not impossible to maneuver it with your foot while riding to shift.

However, three small items MIGHT enable you to get home:

1) A 10mm wrench so you can reposition the shift lever.

2) A small hose clamp that can be fixed to the lower engine guard.

3) A length of bungie cord.

The idea is that you can reposition the shift lever to aim directly at the engine guard, put the hose clamp on the guard to keep the bungie from slipping on the guard, and loop the bungie between the shift pedal and the guard. With the right angle on the shift pedal and tension on the bungie, it might pull the pedal to center position so you can shift.

Having written this, I DON"T KNOW IF IT WILL WORK since I have not actually tried it with a broken return spring. But it might be worth taking these small bits along just in case. At least you'd have something to play with on the side of the road.

Jay In Milpitas · 08-21-2017, 01:55 PM

Roadside engineering, later called Macgyvering, has been a thing since the first time a wheel fell off an axle.

Your line of thought is good and you might play around with it while you are home and don't *need* to rely on it.

Happy bodging, Jay.

08-21-2017, 07:30 AM	#1
NoVa Rider Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 144	Dealing with a broken shift return spring on the road Some RX3 owners have experienced broken shift return springs, including me. Its a cheap and relatively simple fix, but you do have to remove the clutch side engine side cover and pull the clutch basket. Not a repair you would normally do on the road. So what if your spring breaks in the middle of a trip? The shift pedal will suddenly go limp, and it will be very hard if not impossible to maneuver it with your foot while riding to shift. However, three small items MIGHT enable you to get home: 1) A 10mm wrench so you can reposition the shift lever. 2) A small hose clamp that can be fixed to the lower engine guard. 3) A length of bungie cord. The idea is that you can reposition the shift lever to aim directly at the engine guard, put the hose clamp on the guard to keep the bungie from slipping on the guard, and loop the bungie between the shift pedal and the guard. With the right angle on the shift pedal and tension on the bungie, it might pull the pedal to center position so you can shift. Having written this, I DON"T KNOW IF IT WILL WORK since I have not actually tried it with a broken return spring. But it might be worth taking these small bits along just in case. At least you'd have something to play with on the side of the road.
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08-21-2017, 01:55 PM	#2
Jay In Milpitas Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Milpitas, CA. USA Posts: 775	Roadside engineering, later called Macgyvering, has been a thing since the first time a wheel fell off an axle. Your line of thought is good and you might play around with it while you are home and don't need to rely on it. Happy bodging, Jay. __________________ Horse holder at Madame Orr's House.
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