Clicking on the thumbnail photos will open a much larger copy of that photo.

I set the shaft with the stubborn/broken/pressfitted bearing aside in the kitchen while I wait for the new bearings to arrive from the dealer. Yamaha Canada is amazing. EVERY single part that I order is in stock in the central warehouse in Toronto, and will be here in three days. Nothing is back-ordered or out of production. It is hard to believe that I am ordering parts for a 16 year old motorcycle.

This is our first view of the upper crankcase. The shaft with the failed bearing is of course in the kitchen, so you cannot see it here. The rear shaft (the "driven" gearset) has two bearings that I will be replacing also. I will have to use a press to gain access to one of these bearings also.

I now can guess why this clutch bearing failed. It is a standard ball bearing. However, unlike all the other ball bearings in this engine, this one ball bearing set must resist sideways thrust every time you pull on the clutch. I show here the clutch pushrod, the seals (I ordered new ones), and the bearing.

The shift mechanism has long seemed a confusing piece inside the motorcycle. I can understand its design when I look at it closely in real life, but in the photo it looks confusing once again. To me, a planetary gearset would seem a better way to provide gearing on motorcycles.

I continued by cleaning up the engine cases over the next several days.