Hey guys, first post on this forum. I am just finishing up a total restoration on a 1976 Honda xl 125. The bike has 1900 original miles.
My problem- the motor and transmission operated fine 9 months ago when I dismantled the bike for restoration. At that time I drained the oil, placed the tranny in neutral and wrapped it in a pllastic bag until I was ready to install back in the bike. I was getting the engine side covers blasted and repainted. I recently reinstalled the engine, put fresh oil in it and it kicks over freely. Although I have yet to start it, the gear shifter will not budge from neutral despite rotating the output shaft and messing with the clutch cable (I replaced the cable with a Honda NOS, OEM cable, too).
Questions- if the clutch pack is stuck while the bike is in neutral, will the shifter act this way? Shouldn’t I be able to shift the tranny with the engine off? Could this be the problem or something more serious? Should I proceed to fire up the engine to circulate oil in the tranny with the hope it will solve the problem?
Also, can the gear shift seal be replaced without having to split the engine cases?
Any help regarding solutions would greatly be appreciated!
Thanks
