My bike is a 2006 KLX250S (KLX250H6F).

So I've done a ton of searching online and I can't find anyone having this exact same issue with this bike. Please note - the bike did not do this when I first got it - it just started doing it recently, and I've never dropped it or anything.

-Tranny itself shifts into any gear smooth as butter... Don't even have problems getting into neutral or 1st from a stand-still.
-Clutch lever seems to act fine and friction zone feels fine (and felt fine to a 40-year-old motorcycle veteran, but we didn't take any measurements or anything).
-Upshifting is a breeze
-HOWEVER - anytime I have to downshift, the shift lever stays in the down position afterward. I have to put my foot under it and just barely tap it upwards with my toe to get it to return to "normal" shifting position so that I can downshift again.

I have seen a thread mentioning the Return Spring Bolt getting bent and causing issues, but there were other problems involved as well that I do not experience (like 1st gear getting missed altogether).

I have found this exact situation described for someone with a Honda Rebel, and they just needed to replace a spring (or crack open cover and clean out gunk), so I'm hoping the "Return Spring Bolt" (Part #92150-1803) is the KLX equivalent?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

Model and year of bike would help.

Ride on
Brewster

 

That p/n is for the stud that often gets bent. There is a large spring that fits around the shifter shaft and engages that bolt to return the shifter to its 'neutral' position. It's possible that the spring is damaged or the shifter shaft is binding in the housing. A close inspection of these components should find the culprit.

 

Sorry about that! Edited and added to original post.
It's a 2006 KLX250S (KLX250H6F).

 

Thanks for the input!

Yeah, I just didn't want to take the whole thing apart and then be waiting on parts in the mail before I could put it back together and ride I may end up doing that, though.

Here's one of the relevant schematics. It doesn't have the return bolt in it, but the other aspects. I wish the schematics linked together so I'd know what part in one schematic links to another part in another schematic:

2006 Kawasaki KLX250 (KLX250H6F) Gear Change Mechanism | MRCycles

Do you think the Tension Spring (92081-1129) may be the culprit? That looks like the biggest one and maybe that affects that return bolt and it's what you're referring to.

Part 92081-076 (Spring Change Lever) also looks like it may pull upward on shifter shaft, but not sure.

 

Odds are you broke the shift return spring, PN 92081-1129, in the illustration it is 92081A.



I did that with my 650, I could shift all gears, but would have to move the lever to center to get it to shift to the next gear. The shifter lever will not return when downshifter since there is no spring load on it to lift it up.

Fact is your bike uses the same spring as my 650. It is a relatively simple fix if you can get all the bolts out of the cover to get to it. On the 650 I had to remove the stator, stator flywheel and the inner stator cover to get to one stinking bolt! I hope the 250 is better.

 

You rock! That helps a ton.
Yes, it is a little easier on the 250. I'll have to remove the engine sprocket, though, which will be the hardest part. Although the previous owner did that, so hopefully it's a little easier to get off for me.

 

It's a pretty straightforward job to remove the shifter. some folks have a little difficulty removing the nut on the bottom of the cover plate but if you have a swivel socket it's much easier. Also make sure that the stepped washer(92152 in the illustration) is centered in the shifter before you snug up the cover-if the cover wont fit flush to the case then the washer isn't seated and you will break the cover if you try to force it.

 

That is worth gold! It's like the cam cap, just not as expensive - you need to make sure it seats down without force.

A comment worth its weight in gold. Everyone should realize if they have to force something it may not be fitting properly.

By the way, I don't consider myself "rocking", more unfortunate for having to know what happened - ruined riding the next day and at least another few. Wish I didn't know what happened, if you know what I mean.

 

Ok seriously... How the hell do you remove the nut right under the shift shaft?

I can't get a socket to even fit over it because it's so close to the metal outcropping/extrusion around shifter that nothing can go around the nut (unless it's paper thin). Is there a certain kind of socket that could fit?

A crescent wrench can fit through one gap, but then the skidplate blocks me from turning the wrench.

So then I tried to remove skidplate, but its hex bolts are so soft and overtorqued that they just strip (even w impact wrench). Now I can't even use the 5mm hex key in their holes anymore - no traction at all.
How do you remove a stripped hex bolt? Or repair/reinforce it so the hex key/bit can work again? The nuts on the engine side are welded, too! So I have to remove the actual hex bolts... only way to get skidplate off.

Is there a certain kind of short and super-thin swivel socket that's worked for you for the shift cover nut?

I've never been so angry at a nut or design layout in my life.