Gearbox partially MIA..

[loon]

I appear to have suddenly lost the first two gears, maybe just first, not really sure. The bike was recently up on stands for tyre changes, with the gear lever disconnected (the stand locates in the swingarm spindle, and fouls the shift linkage if it isnt removed..), the first ride out to scrub the tyres in lasted about 4 yards
I dont know which gears are left, but they are definately all the higher numbers. It is almost like I can't get down through neutral. There may have been some load on the linkage from the stand I guess, but not much.
Firstly any ideas?
Secondly, are these much of a headache to get into and work on? I hate gearboxes at the best of times, is this one going to be the stuff of nightmares?

Any and all help and suggestions gladly received!
Cheers.

[schmiffee]

If you have disconnected the gear linkage, make sure that you have reconnected it the same way (ie the shaft from the gear change pedal on either the top or the bottom of the gear-box shaft). If not, you will basically be setting the bike in race-shift pattern which will mean that when you start in 'normally' 1st gear, it will actually be 5th. 2nd=4th....and so on.

I hope this helps and I havn't just ranted on for no reason in particular

[drmac]

i would defo check the linkage is correct as i have fitted it the wrong way round and couldnt work out why it stalled when i tried to pull away

[loon]

You would think that after 30 years of mucking around with bikes that I had got all the rooky errors out of the way.. but you would be wrong.
Yep, linkage on upside down. Oh the shame, I will never live this down...
Thanks for the advice.

[trixynut]

Gotta be the best opening first post ever ...... and second post

Glad you're sorted out anyway.

And welcome aboard!

[alextrx850]

Dont worry on it Loon..happens to the best of us...good on ya Schmiff

[ekoja]

You just gotta love results like that.