Gear shift lever Part #420257881 broken AGAIN! Is this unusual?

[Lobo]

2012 RT A&C SE5. My Spyder is back in the shop. 3rd time that the Gear Shift Lever has broken. Is this unusual? The CanAm shop says that it caused some other damage also this time.

Thanks for your input.

[Peter Aawen]

Yes, it's unusual! Possibly even extremely unusual?!? But I hafta ask, is it the paddle shifter on an SE5 that's broken, or the gear shift lever on an SM5 that's broken?? Still, it's no big difference to the answer, cos most Spyders haven't broken either, so breaking either IS unusual, maybe extremely unusual!

Either way, there are lots of Spyders out there that've never broken their gear shift levers, many of those being about the same age as yours & with well over 50,000 miles on them (some with well over 100,000 miles too! ) - in fact, I'd guess that it's actually MOST Spyders that've never broken their gear shift levers; and for some reason you are amongst the small (if not tiny ) minority that have! I'd be a bit

Can you tell us how it broke each time; how it's actually 'broken'; and what other damage it's caused this time around?? Any pics too??

[Lobo]

Spyder has almost 60,000 miles. Each time I was driving and the bike stopped shifting. Once stuck in 3rd gear at 42,200 miles and once in 1st gear at 53,000 miles. This time in 1st gear again. It is the shift bar at the bottom of the engine.

Spyder is still in the shop so I don't know what all is damaged.

[Peter Aawen]

Spyder has almost 60,000 miles. Each time I was driving and the bike stopped shifting. Once stuck in 3rd gear at 42,200 miles and once in 1st gear at 53,000 miles. This time in 1st gear again. It is the shift bar at the bottom of the engine.

So is it a Manual?? Your sig line entry suggests you've got a 2012 RT A&C SE5??

And I'd still like to know:

Can you tell us how it broke each time; how it's actually 'broken'; .......

Without knowing what actually occurred leading up to & then when it 'stopped shifting'; & what piece/pieces actually broke (ie. how or in what way was that piece/pieces broken) then anything any of us can offer in the way of help will really be pretty much WAGuess work!

[ARtraveler]

Are we maybe talking about the shift actuator? I had one disconnect on my 2010. No issue to get it fixed though.

[Peter Aawen]

Are we maybe talking about the shift actuator? I had one disconnect on my 2010. No issue to get it fixed though.

Was thinking it could be that.... but since not all of us know the Part # list by rote to immediately identify the part without a proper name/description - and knowing what a mess BRP make of their French/Canadian/ English translations anyway, I really dunno..... So without knowing if it's a Semi-Auto or a Manual, & getting that other info I requested, then it's still gonna be somewhat of a guess??

[Lobo]

I don't know how the rod broke. There was nothing leading up to it. Just happened.

[Peter Aawen]

I don't know how the rod broke. There was nothing leading up to it. Just happened.

Which rod??

Can you at least confirm if it's an SE5 or not?? If it is, that narrows down the guess work.....

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Well Peter, you sure know how to complicate a simple question. Have you been living on Mars for the last 10 years? And don’t give me any crap. Make an effort. Just look up the part number he gave you in any parts list. That’s the shift shaft arm that breaks / strips out / falls off for just about everybody with an SE5. It’s just like the windshied arm. It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.

So Lobo, yes. It’s a common problem. It shouldn’t even happen once, yet it happens too frequently. This forum is full of these reports. And how many go unreported? It’s a design issue and folks have had it happen multiple times. The issue is that the pinch screw that is used cannot supply enough pinching force to lock down the arm to the shift shaft. Over time, the arm gets loose, the splines can strip out, and the arm can actually fall off. I bet that the arm is loose, to some degree, on every SE5 out there. Luckily, the arm is a softer metal than the shift shaft, so no other damage usually occurs.

There’s a home brew fix. Ask your dealer, or do it yourself, to drill out the threads in the arm. Put a longer bolt in the arm that goes all the way though, and use a nut and washer and blue Loctite to cinch the thing down. You’ll be amazed how tight it gets. It won’t ever fail again.

[Lobo]

Thank you. Frustrating that it recurred after 7,000 miles this time. Thank's for the fix suggestion.

[pegasus1300]

And as it continues to happen it will also begin to take the splines on the input shaft with it. I have been having this trouble since my RTL turned 55,000 miles. including this summer on a trip up to Oregan and Washington. I glued mine on with JB Weld and it lasted long enough to get me back home then went again. I now have a new shift lever on with the threads drilled out and a mm6x30 bolt and nut squeezing the shift lever tighter. I am hoping this works but I have learned and I now have 2 extra levers and nuts and bolts. Follow Snowbelt Spyder`s advice in post #9.