EV1100 Loose Shift Arm, Symptoms and Solutions

[Mwether]

For the benefit of future sufferers of this malady, I'll try to put what I've gathered on the issue in a single place! 

After my 900-mile trip of missed shifts and false neutrals, eagle-eyed Tom H. watched a video I posted of the entire shift linkage and noticed significant play where the shift arm (female splines) connects to the shaft into the transmission (male splines).

A second video from under the bike captured the "slop" that occurs when the 5mm hex head (Allen) screw that tightens the shift arm on the shaft becomes loose.
VIDEO 2
https://photos.smugmug.com/Ride/Maintaining-the-Goose/i-3tFX7JM/0/McMwF4xCqjTSBRw4MQWtXr88MmVJqrvr9QZj99fSP/1280/PXL_20250730_233726397-1753919117262-1280.mp4

A search of WG revealed a few threads about this, more than one referencing John Clay's webpage about the problem.
http://www.motoguzzicalifornia.com/2013/11/shift-linkage/

There is one line in Clay's article that was NOT my experience. It's underlined below:

Under the battery, there is a black rubber tray that it sits on.  I pulled out that rubber tray to find a metal plate that has some large holes.  Looking down through those holes, I could see the head of the clamp screw that I needed to get to.  Holding the short end of the hex key, I could now insert it into the screw head without any problem.

There is indeed a tray with holes under the battery.
(Do not contemplate removing the three visible screws in an attempt to remove it. Forward of the underseat area, it's sandwiched between the frame and the transmission!)
 


None of the holes in the tray are conveniently placed over the screw in question.


 


Instead, you are forced to come at the screw from a steep angle and in a very small space. I believe that John Clay had success with a conventional L-shaped 5mm key, like the one the toolkit, but it may have involved divine intervention. I had no such luck. I think if ever there were a case of “get the right tool for the job,” this is it.

A 3/8” universal socket joint is too cumbersome and will not work. (A 1/4” might, but I did not have a 5mm hex head socket for a 1/4” drive.)

What DID work perfectly was a 5mm extra long ball head hex key. I did not have such a wonderful implement and had to go to Hazard Fraught for a set of them.





The difference tightening the screw made was significant. Same amount of lever pressure, almost zero slop.
VIDEO 3
https://photos.smugmug.com/Ride/Maintaining-the-Goose/i-wccFXJ9/0/ML4bQMn6FwNFbZ7p3qWWM6kv2JwSmFtZdKpqJtX29/1280/PXL_20250731_213926617-1753998484186-1280.mp4

In a perfect world, I would have removed these parts, cleaned and lubed them, and reinstalled them. However, I read that they are in a pretty precise relationship to one another, and if you are off by one spline, you can bugger things up. I wasn’t sure this was true, but I cleaned them up as best I could without removing or disconnecting anything, in case it is!



Can’t road test yet, because I have the dash apart, waiting for bulbs from Gregory Bender!
https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=123679.0

[Lee Bruns]

I have found that the pinch slot is too skinny, It bottoms out before clamping on the spines. BEst answer is to remove it, then use a die grinder wheel to widen the slot. Reinstall, and then tighten the M6 so that it grabs the splines properly. Your photos do an excellent job of showing the issue. Thanks for sharing.

[Mwether]

I have found that the pinch slot is too skinny, It bottoms out before clamping on the spines. BEst answer is to remove it, then use a die grinder wheel to widen the slot. Reinstall, and then tighten the M6 so that it grabs the splines properly. Your photos do an excellent job of showing the issue. Thanks for sharing.

Wow! Thanks for adding that, Lee.

It sounds like without your remedy, "tightening" the screw becomes a pretty regular thing?

It feels good and snug right now and has transformed the feel at the heel/toe lever, but I wonder how long it will last without the "slot widening" procedure?

[Mwether]

Also ran into this resource in my searches, which is about making two changes to other components in the linkage.

It's not directly related to a loose shift arm, but it IS directly related to improving shift action.

https://www.guzzipower.com/CalShiftMod-Jeff_B.html

[StuCorpe]

Way back when (mine is an 03) after having this problem the 2nd time I used a liberal amount of green loctite on it.  Haven't been back into it since.  If I do ever have to take it apart there I might be PO'd but at least it's been 20 years without having to touch it.

[Mwether]

Way back when (mine is an 03) after having this problem the 2nd time I used a liberal amount of green loctite on it.  Haven't been back into it since.  If I do ever have to take it apart there I might be PO'd but at least it's been 20 years without having to touch it.

Good call, Stu. Looks like the replacement comes with red pre-applied! 
https://harpermoto.com/products/screw-98632322

[guzzisteve]

Every one I work on with an allen bolt gets it replaced with a 6mm bolt w/hex head so you use a 10mm wrench.

[SemperVee]

Following this procedure How to. 

[Dharma Bum]

Got stuck on the side of the road twice on my 96Cali due to this problem. Was able to reach the arm by crawling underneath and tightening the bolt to get me back on my way. After the second time I replaced the bolt with a longer one, tightened it up and added a nut to it. No problems after that.

[dguzzi]

   Looks like the rt angle joint in the above video is quite worn as well. See the linkage at the bottom of the screen as the lever is moved.

[Mwether]

Got stuck on the side of the road twice on my 96Cali due to this problem. Was able to reach the arm by crawling underneath and tightening the bolt to get me back on my way.

I want to learn the method from below! I took video from under there but could NOT figure out a way to contort myself enough to tighten the screw. Did you just use a little L-key?

After the second time I replaced the bolt with a longer one, tightened it up and added a nut to it. No problems after that.

Aha! So a bolt long enough to come all the way through the arm with a nut on the bottom? Maybe with a lock washer?

[Mwether]

   Looks like the rt angle joint in the above video is quite worn as well. See the linkage at the bottom of the screen as the lever is moved.

I THINK you're talking about #14 (LEVER ASSY A #30256960) and #13 (BALL JOINT #18258101, use 32258110) in this diagram?
https://harpermoto.com/collections/2003-2005-california-ev-pl-cat-1100-gear-lever

Here's a video of those parts with light lever pressure. There's definitely some play there; I just don't know if it's an unacceptable level of play? It doesn't seem too bad, given the tolerances of the whole mechanism.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Ride/Maintaining-the-Goose/i-DzTMHn4/0/LwkRz7Z23FvT3TtxKCFGd7W6S6jPFddQLPkT5Q98p/1280/PXL_20250802_163928775-1754152834866-1280.mp4

(As an aside, this seems to be an instance where a transverse twin bites us in the rump. On most bikes, the shift lever would have splines itself and be bolted directly to the transmission shaft. Here we have roughly thirty extra parts to move the force of lever actuation all the way around to the back of the motor.)

Also, as I understand Mod 1 in this doc,:
https://www.guzzipower.com/CalShiftMod-Jeff_B.html
moving #13 (the lower ball joint of that tie rod assembly) to the more forward hole on that lever has some advantages. I may try that later.

First, I'm going to see what kind of difference tightening the shift arm made. About 50% of shifts on the ride home were an utter mess, and I have a feeling removing all the slop between the shift arm and the transmission shaft will be a significant improvement. Fingers crossed!

I may address the #30256960 lever and the #32258110 ball joint next, but I'm trying to change one variable at a time! 

[Dharma Bum]

It's been so long but I do remember that I was able to access the bolt while alongside the road
 Don't remember using a hex key on it so it may have been replaced by the PO with a bolt I was able to use a 10mm end wrench.i also seem to recall that I drilled the existing threads out so I was able to tighten it down with the nut. Don't remember whether it was a self locking one or assembled with a lock nut.

[dguzzi]

I THINK you're talking about #14 (LEVER ASSY A #30256960) and #13 (BALL JOINT #18258101, use 32258110) in this diagram?
https://harpermoto.com/collections/2003-2005-california-ev-pl-cat-1100-gear-lever
   Yes, the cumulative play will be a problem----thank you for the post of those parts! Now I can go check mine.

[Tom H]

With your lever to trans shaft solved.

You look like you need to look at the..Ummm...bellcra nk. The lever bit that has the big bolt through it and the frame. You "may" need new bushings in it or just adjust the bolt and it's lock nut to take up some slack. Depending on your skill, a new/good used bellcrank and it's bolt might be a good way to go??????

Going to the farther out hole "may" help your issue, but not solve it provided I viewed the video right.

Your rod ends/heim/spherical rod ends look like they are good/OK to me.

I do not see the arm to trans shaft moving or the joints having excessive slop. I would take up some slack in the bellcrank bolt and ride it and see if it's better.

You don't want to see the slop in the bushings on my Loops that shift decently. But solving them is a whole different game due to needing to change the pivot shaft diameter on my police footboards to make them perfectly round again and then finding/making bushings to fit.

Neutral...AGAIN...j ust tap the heel and it slips right in!

Tom

[73 sport]

     I replaced the micky mouse shift linkage on my '73 Sport with 1/4" Heim joints, one with male threads, one with female threads, allowing a large range of adjustment and a solid feel to shifting.