This is the big project that came about when I pulled the transmission to perform what should have been routine maintenance - an input shaft spline lube. Because the input shaft on the orignal transmission was mangled due to a complete lack of maintenance the original transmission was useless. I had to either have the transmission rebuilt with a new input shaft which would cost almost as much as what I paid for the motorcycle in the first place or find a worthy replacement transmission. As the saying goes, the cheapest thing on a Airhead is the rider, so I opted for a replacement transmission. Martindale Motorcycle Works came through with a solid replacement transmission and I spent Saturday getting it prep'd and installed. It was a full day, and the motorcycle isn't 100% done, but the big stuff is done. Many thanks to my friend Rod for his paitent assistance and for Extra Strength Tylenol for helping me recover.
This project was more than just "replacing the transmission." Removing and reinstalling the swingarm/final drive is its own separate pile of work. Maintenance this invasive requires lots of adjusting and readjusting as all the new parts settle in. In addition to all the planned and expected work, I also replaced the clutch cable. I had one on hand and since I had previously replaced the throttle cables it seemed wise to replace this cable "while I'm in there."
