Help! Grinding from gearbox?

[crazycraven420]

So I was on my way to work today an about half way there on the highway it started making a terrible noise. It sounds like a bolt in the gears an a grinding or metal rubbing noise at the same time. I pulled over on the shoulder and looked it over, checked the oil level an no obvious signs so I limped it to the nearest exit just down the road. I could only get up to 5th an kept it under 6k rpm. It didn't wanna go into 6th. It felt like it was slipping also so I'm wondering or hoping even that it's just the clutch or clutch basket. When I was getting off the ramp to park in the parking lot at a gas station it didn't really wanna down shift. It's a 94 kat 600. I know you guys are prolly shaking your heads for me driving to the parking lot but I really didn't wanna sit on the side of a heavily monitored highway an end up getting towed. It's a rock and a hard place. Any advice or opinions on what it sounds like it could be would greatly be appreciated! It's got 27k miles on it. I just rode it yesterday for about 2 hours and didn't notice ANY issues. Thanks in advance.

[KatanaGSX92]

I'm assuming that it idles fine in neutral? It could be that a bolt came lose from the clutch basket. Best thing to do is drain the oil and pull off the clutch cover and take a look. Hopefully it is something wrong with the clutch as opposed to something wrong with the gears. While you're at it, check the oil for signs of metal shavings.

[crazycraven420]

Yea that's what I'm hoping! I'm current sitting waiting for my boss to come with a trailer but in the next few days I'll pull it apart an see what I can find. I'm just praying I didn't destroy anything. An yea it seems to idle fine and run fine otherwise, it seemed that when I pulled the clutch in it was quiet and when I tried to accelerate it got worse when I limped it to the gas station it seemed worse as I accelerated but not too bad when I held it steady, but it definitely sounds like suttin being thrown around inside there. It would stumble an you could feel it in the seat an rear wheel when it was clunking around. I just prayed the wheel didn't lock up!

[crazycraven420]

So I didn't get to tear it apart yet however..I did just pick up a new motor an Vance and Hines exhaust for $200 the odometer on the bike read 1,3XX miles. It still had the original factory tires an quite a few other things leading me to believe it's accurate. It was a womans bike an sat in her grandmothers basement for years. It turns over good an looks real clean, she said she parked it cuz the cdi box went bad? An never touched it again. So my brother in laws friend bought it for a few parts on his kat an didn't need the motor so I lucked out . So hopefully with the swap an a fresh oil change I should be good to go. Anything I should check before/during the swap?

[KAT TOY]

clean the carbs. completely tear down with jets removed. then soak in carb cleaner. dirty pilot jets cause the most problems.

[crazycraven420]

Yea I planned on that, new motor didn't come with carbs so I'll be re using my carbs but I figured what better time to strip em down. Plus I'm trying to figure out what jet kit (if I need one) to run the Vance and Hines 4-1 exhaust I picked up also. I use the stock airbox on a stock motor and I've read it can just be tuned with a/f an read must do a jet kit. So I'm not real sure which route to go an what size jets I would run if I need to.

This is the same exhaust I got today..

http://www.motosport.com/motorcycle/1994-suzuki-gsx600f-katana--VANCE-HINES-SUPERSPORT-EXHAUST-SYSTEM-ALUMINUM

[crazycraven420]

So I swapped the new motor in today and found the cause of my issue with my original motor. The bearings behind the front sprocket were gone. I could see one or two balls floating in behind the plate that holds the bearings in etc but otherwise the casing was non existent. I'm just hoping I'll have better luck with the new motor!

[KatanaGSX92]

Wow, must have been from all of those wheelies!