XS650 Transmission, is this action normal?? VIDEO INSIDE!

Alrgiht fellas, I've been looking around for a complete bottom case because I don't feel like dealing with this one... but, fugg it, i'll try while i wait for a nice complete motor/bottom..

What's happening is its hard to find the gears, when i rotate the spindle and twist the star where the shifter arm catches, every so often the little tangs on the side of the gear faces wont seat inside the gears around them, causing the bike to miss-shift in a sense...

So, is my transmission okay? is this normal and the cause is no clutch being on the bike? I feel like the action should be super easy and smooth...

Ah and forgive my errors I "say" in the vid... lol ignition, transmission.. First gear/neutral.. yaddeah, you get the picture...

http://youtu.be/1SsETOOB0DA

It looks fine - the 'pegs' and 'holes' don't always mate in all gears on all cogs - you really can't mess this up unless you took the gears off the shafts. The pegs and holes on corresponding gears don't remain aligned all the time, and you're shifting while these things are spinning 1000's of times a minute, so it's way different than when doing it by hand.

A top down view would help to make sure your shift forks are in the right spots but it's kinda hard to mess that up too. Did you take them off the shift drum? Cut the cotter pins out and everything?

I just did my XS650 bottom end and things are working as they should be.

The bottom end of the XS650 is a pretty simple thing once you dig into it. When I did mine a few weeks ago it was my first one.

BTW - there needs to be a thin shim between the roller bearing that slides onto the end of each shaft and the first gear / retaining clip on that shaft. I found one of mine was missing. Doesn't cause any issues shifting but could let the bearing race get worn by the spinning clip.

Hell yeah, good info tim! Just making sure... Damn, so, if all is well, this "miss-shifting" wouldn't happen at higher rpm?? that's wild, engineers are wild people..

I didn't remove any cogs/gears though, most I've done was remove the assemblies all together, just lifting them out. I wouldn't think of tearing down the shafts to take down gears, whenever it calls for that, I get new components... I've read alot of people replacing the standard drive 5th gear with an overdrive, dunno the benefits exactly, but I'm not looking to do that.. I'm simply in the process of transferring my internals from this block, into another.

Like you said, the shifter forks are pretty self explanatory, even when i removed the shafts, it was easy to put back, they can only fit in so many places.. haha.
Do you not see my shim? I'll have a look when i get home, but from this vid, is it not visible?

On each shaft, on the ends is the small roller bearing that sits in the frame. They just slide on and off the shaft. Between that bearing and the first cog on the shaft there should be a thin steel shim. It protects the bearing from the spinning cir-clip that holds that first cog in place.

The 5th gear swap is easy, costs $65 and IMHO is worthwhile if you're planning on much highway riding. You don't want to split the engine again.

You also want to replace all your seals now, including the one behind the sprocket. A pain to remove the sprocket when the engine is apart, but you want to do it. Also make sure you place the locating 'bands' on the large bearings properly. One of them only has the one piece - C shaped - the idea is you mount it so 1/2 of it is in the lower case and 1/2 in the upper to lock the bearing into place properly.

It lowers the engine RPM when in 5th gear from what it would normally be. Reduces vibrations mostly. Now, I've never ridden a stock motor with and without the taller 5th, as I installed mine as part of a rephase, 750 kit etc. so I don't know how much actual benefit it gives you, but people seem to think it worthwhile.

What year motor is it? You just have to confirm the cog that 5th gear mates with is the right style - they changed it in the mid 70's and the two gears are designed to work together. Chances are you have the right one, but you need to confirm. The gear has a mark on the teeth - explained on MikesXS I think.