I think collecting engine and frame numbers would be a great idea...
Mine is a 2009 model too and yes it was the 4th gear. I know of one other locally with exactly the same... Ill supply my details when I pick the bike up from the dealers, but format something like this:

Year:
Engine no:
Frame no:
Mileage:
Gear:

That's a good format to use. I would suggest also adding the country of first registration.

I think it would probably be better/safer though if the engine and frame numbers were collected off the public part of the forum due to the possibility of them getting into the wrong hands - there are some unscrupulous sorts out there!

As I've said, I'm happy to collect them and I think by PM would be the safest bet (using the format above plus country).

If this is going to come to anything we shall need all the details from, as a minimum, at least all the members with the issue recorded in this thread, plus anyone else not on the forum that you might have come across.

Folks, Pleiades has messaged me and I've given him my details... can I encourage anyone else with this problem to do the same...

Can we make this post a sticky for a while?

I've started a specific thread dedicated to the appeal for VIN/engine numbers.

It's sticky and can be found here

Ho ho, I hear trouble...
 

I may have the 3rd gear issue reported here. Mine is getting harder to engage from 2nd (fine the other way) and makes a noise like on the video from the original post. It's never jumped out of gear, or failed to select, but I am needing to nurse it in to gear sometimes, more so when tootling around than when giving it some gas. It's only really started to become noticeable quite recently. Just serviced it at 20,000km and put new C&S kit on, but it's still the same. It's a 2009 bike!

So, I need to have a look at it. If I pull the side casing and remove the clutch assembly, at that point am I going to be able to see all I need to to assess the health of the gearbox? If the dogs and gears etc all seem to be OK then I'll replace the selector arm and/or bearing while I'm there (if that's possible?) and put it back together and see how it is. Does that sound sensible?

So, the questions are; 1/ How far do I need to strip it to see the offending items. 2/ Can I replace selector arm and/or bearing without splitting the motor?

From the information we have seen posted here and what I have collected so far from owners who have suffered gearbox problems/failure, it would seem that the initial problem is caused by the stopper lever arm and/or its bearing.

If you are just suffering from difficult gear selection, then it is quite possibly just the gear change mechanism and not broken dogs. Broken dogs seem to be the result of a sloppy or bent stopper lever arm allowing two gears to be selected at the same time resulting in temporary lock up; the end product being breakage of the weakest part in the transmission, which are the dogs. It tends to happen on 3rd and 4th, because realistically they are the only two gears that could be selected simultaneously if the stopper lever arm is faulty. Whether its the dogs on 3rd or 4th that fail is entirely down to chance.

If you stop riding the bike and investigate the problem at the first signs of troublesome gear changing, it seems that terminal damage can be avoided. Stopper lever arms and bearings tend to get a hard time and fail if pressure is kept on the gear lever during riding.

Interestingly, the stopper lever arm is the very part that has recently been recalled on some other Yamahas: XT1200Z, FZ1, MT-09 and a few others I seem to remember.

Anyway, it is probably prudent to check the condition of the stopper lever arm first. With a bit of luck it is that causing you poor gear selection and it can be checked and replaced if necessary without separating the crankcase. You just need to remove the right hand crankcase cover and clutch. You can see the part in question quite easily. If bent, stiff, notchy, or sloppy then withdraw the shaft after removing the gear lever, washer and retaining clip on the left end and remove the stopper arm spring on the right end and replace whatever is at fault.

If the stopper lever arm and gear change mechanism is in good condition, then you may well have to open things up to investigate further. Let's hope not though!

Just out of interest, what is your bike's engine number?

Thank you
 

Thank you for that very helpful response Mr P. To do this, do I need to drop the oil, or can I simply lay the bike on its left side with the oil in as I have read on other threads? And will I need to remove the clutch basket? If so, is there a trick to that or a tool I need. (Off to the shops in the morning to get all the bits I need...)

Obviously if I need to pull the gear shift shaft out, the bike needs to be upright for that and the oil drained.

Many thanks

You will need to drain the oil, or at least that held in the sump, before removing the RHS cover.

The clutch basket/input shaft will need to be held in place while you undo the centre nut. You can get a locking ring tool from Yamaha, or there are several general clutch locking tools available to do the job from places like Machine Mart (or whatever the French equivalent is!) There are other ways; I've seen clutches locked with blocks of wood or, if the engine is still in the frame, by putting the bike in a high gear and standing on the rear brake.

It's out - small step in shift-shaft.
 

I've got the shift shaft assembly out now. The stopper arm looks straight and all OK. The only thing that really appears to have any signs of wear is the shift shaft itself. It's a bit rough in two places where the bush that holds the forked spring is, and there's a very small step worn in to the bottom of the shift shaft from the stopper arm bearing/bush. And that bush is something of a wobbly fit. It's a very, very small step, but since this is as far as I can investigate without splitting the engine I'm simply going to replace the shift shaft and the bushings and put it all back together and see how it is. All told it's about �100 for the parts and new gaskets etc.

I've had a good scout about in the bottom of the engine (to the extent possible) with a small magnet and I've not attracted a lump of gear dog to it, so I'm taking that as a good sign (fingers crossed).

It would be nice to replace the two needle roller bearings the shift shaft runs through in the engine casings, but I'm not sure you can if or how you'd drift the old ones out with the engine in tact and still in the frame. Anyone done this?

Finally, is it normal/acceptable to have a small amount of end float on the main shaft - the one the clutch sits on? It's only slight, but there is some.

Bernard's (Stoic Bloke's) gearbox self-destruction (read earlier in this thread) was put down to failure of the stopper arm bush/bearing and excessive play. I think you may have found you gear selection problem and let's hope it will prevent the dog failure issue. I'm pretty sure you've caught it in time and I'm confident it'll fix it.

Make sure you keep us posted with the results...