False neutral 3rd to 4th

Hi Andrew,

Just tried my own early gearbox. Bike on the centre stand and rear wheel in the air. Engage first by lifting the gear lever by hand and it should go in with a good click as the detent plunger goes into the camplate 1st gear hole. If the gear dogs baulk the action, rotate the rear wheel slowly as you engage first gear. Then go back to neutral. Feel the action of having to draw the plunger out of the detent, slide, and then fall into the next detent position. 

It sounds as though your gear lever is not moving the camplate enough to get the detent into the fourth gear detent hole.

With a good LED torch and most oil drained from the gearbox you can see the action of the gearchange pawl through the gearbox inspection cover. Are the ends of the hair spring in place? and the pawl engaging properly on the up and the down changes? You can reposition the ends of the hair spring if not in their slots. - with a thin screwdriver plus torch.

Tell us how you get on.

Peter

Andrew, If you ride a modern bike too, the gearchange action on the Lightweight will feel agricultural. That's how it is. Forget about snicking it into top, keep pressure in the gearchange until you feel it fully engage and hopefully your problems will disappear. I always blip the throttle when changing down to help things engage more smoothly in the gearbox.

Think tractor, not race bike, and you won't be disappointed.

Peter