Last night my gear select decided changing gears is too much work and took a trial separation. I tapped down into first, found neutral instead, tapped it into first and the lever dropped. I can shift the bike by actuating the shift links by hand, but the input lever itself is hanging free and I can't find neutral. Thoughts?

 

Check and see if the pinch bolt came out/backed out from the shifter arm and if the splines might be stripped. If you can shift the gears by hand when you love the linkage then it has to be something wrong after the linkage connection.

 

Forwards or mids? What are you grabbing when you say you can shift by hand? Off hand I'd say the foot shift lever is loose on the shift shaft splines...


Edit: This is the parts 'fish at Ronnies; you can see how the shift linkage assembly goes together

 

Yeah, hand shifting the linkage works (never thought I'd need a suicide shift for emergencies!) so I hope you're right. Is there an easy way to check or am I basically trying to look behind the primary? Mid controls FYI

 

When you engage the shift by using the linkage bar, does the shaft rotate in you shift lever? You have two points for pinch bolts/splines: one on your shift lever and another on the lever on the tranny. Since you state you can shift with linkage, that leaves on point - the toe shift lever pinch bolt/shaft spline, which you should be able to get to on the outside of your primary.

Either that or you've broken the midshaft somehow.