So, somebody threw a hand full of marbles into my engine...

[blupupher]

tldr: 4th gear shift fork shot...

Long story:
So since I got the bike at 81,000 miles, I have always has some issues with 4th gear (ghost shifting, hard clunking with 3-4 shifts, etc). Nothing major, but it was there.
Bike had floor boards on it from the previous owner (most of the bikes life it had them), and I took them off and put on stock pegs and a shifter brace shortly after I got it.
Seemed to help some, but still had to be force full with shifting.

I have not thought much about it in a few years, but then today when I was riding in the Texas hill country (between Vanderpool and Utopia), when coming to a stop I heard a horrible sound. At first I thought it was my rear pads grinding, but it was not. When I came to a stop on a slight downhill, the clattering was horrible.
Crap. 4th gear shift fork.

So needless to say, I am 250 miles from home when it started and was kind of ticked off.
Trip cut short, and rode home without issues, except when getting fuel the racket was horrible.
I am noticing that when I downshift 5-4, there is a bit of a lag as well, just more proof it is the shift fork.

So my main question, how long can I ride it like this?
Am I just going to have a noisy engine or am I going to loose 4th gear/engine blow up eventually?
I just rolled over 98,600 miles on the way home, and would like to at least see 100,000 miles.

I know the cost to repair is too high, so a replacement engine is the only real option, and I am not sure if that is worth it.
Looking on e-bay and I am seeing ~$1300 shipped for a working engine with guarantee it works, then I still need to put it in (am I capable, yes, do I really want to, no).

Part of me just wants to put it on craigslist For $1500 and be done with it.
I paid $3,250 almost 3 years ago, and have gotten that much enjoyment from it for sure.
Just sucks that I did registration ($80) 2 days ago and a new alternator ($200) a few weeks ago.

[bbrackett]

114000 on my 1988 think if got the same thing but once it warms up shes fine

i think its a sticky lifter for me cuz she kinda miss fires

that sux, i cant be down, need the bike to get everwhere its all I have now

good luck

[Solo So Long]

I don't think I would ride it with a known bad trans. There's no way to know if something is breaking apart in there, ready to toss chunks into gears.

[Rambozo]

How about if you skip 4th gear? Is it noisy in 5th? Other gears?

[Happytrails]

Sorry to hear bike issues. Dont think there is any way to tell how long it last like that.

[DenverWinger]

Can't speak with either knowledge or experience on the 1500 4th gear issue but it seems to me that if the shifting fork is bent, then while it is making noise from the gear dogs in neutral (while slowly destroying those dogs) it is either grinding on 4th gear or 5th gear.

This means whichever gear dogs are trying to engage while in neutral are getting rounded off and will become unreliable engagement as the gear dogs get worn further.

Having said that, the opposite gears (4th or 5th) won't engage fully either due to bent fork and will also become subject to wear and failure.

1st thru 3rd should continue to work OK.

No reason you can't see 100,000 miles, but might be at high revs in 3rd gear. Stay off heavy throttle in 4th and 5th and they might see you though to the goal.

My '93 has 57k, hoping the shifter brace installed at 46k prevents this....

[Rambozo]

Or install nitrous, take it out to the drag strip, and go out in a blaze of glory!