Nigel Sprocket “There ye go lad, a flash new selector mechanism for the new 650”
Spotty Stapp (no relation to Grumpy Stapp, TOMCC member) “I was talking to a nip down the pub last night and he reckons we should split the crankcases horizontally so the gearbox can be assembled and tested before bolting up the crankacses.”
Nigel “Come orf it young fella, you know Honda’s haven’t been invented yet”
Spotty “Well what about one like the 500 then?”
Nigel “No 650 riders are more discerning, they’ll enjoy timing and assembling several times to get it to work properly.”
Spotty “Geez wot a wanker.”
There is a method developed by Hughie Hancox where you are not supposed to need to time the gearbox and while it’s a great way to reassemble the box I have no trouble timing it as follows; With the outer cover off and the gearbox in 4th gear four speed or 1st gear five speed box mark the inner casing and selector quadrant see photo. I just use a permanent marker (see photo)
If you’re stripping and rebuilding the box, with a longer restoration project it may pay to physically mark with a punch or die grinder so you don’t have to guess a straight line between the mainshaft and gearshift (see manual). Then on assembly just line up the two marks as you push the outer cover home.