FJ1100 1984 no second gear?

Just bought one in great shape and had it running in 1hr. Found out it, only has 1st gear. Hoping that it is the return spring on the shifter is broke. What do I have to do to replace the spring. Before I assume that 2nd gear is bad. I can't even skip 2nd and go to 3rd that's why I think it's the spring.

 

The best place to go for that is http://www.fjowners.com/index.php
I've had/got FJ's hence my handle, but none of mine have suffered from the problem.

 

On that bike the shifter mousetrap appears to be located on the RH side of the bike, as the shift shaft is really long and "crosses over" from the left.

If it bears any "family resemblance" to the other chain driven XJ-series bikes, the shift mechanism will be behind the clutch, on the right side.

 

I think Fitz is correct. You might get lucky and be able to see it without pulling the clutch basket.

Looking at the fiche the shift sector is integral to the drum. Pictures in the service manual show exposed pins in the segment.

On the early Venture and V-Max they used a similar sector with a spring steel retainer to hold the pins. The retainer would get bent, a pin would fall out, and you'd have symptoms just like you have (gear varies by which pin falls out). Yamaha superseded the sector with one like the XJ, where the pins are captured internally and can't fall out.

I bet you dropped the 2nd gear pin, look around in the bottom of the cover for it, or an empty hole in the face of the sector. Yamaha superseded your shift drum, bet it was because it was spitting the pins too.

You'll have to split the cases to replace the shift drum. Assuming you can find the pin I'd be tempted to knurl it and drive it back in. I replaced the sector on a V-Max where the owner had previously welded a pin back in. His repair worked, but when it dropped another pin years later he had me repair it correctly.

 

Cool!