Transmission or clutch issue?

[markjs]

The best way to describe what it's doing is, in first, now sometimes in second, it feels like whatever holds the output shaft to the drive gears is letting teeth slip or teeth are broken. As long as you don't hit the gas real hard and get over 5K RPM, no troubles, but if you try and scream out into traffic, first gear almost always makes one or two clunks.

Electrical may be troublesome for me, but transmissions, I understand very little. I've done clutches, because save for my Yamahas that was all that ever went wrong. Two of the last three Yamahas I've had have lost gears. This feels very much like my XS Eleven when it lost first, only not as severe. Thing is you didn't really need first on the big eleven, you do on the 400. I actually sold the eleven, just because the guy was after a good second gear. Still amazes me; $350 for one gear, is a Yamaha worth that?

 

[Lou Ranger]

.. $350 for one gear, is a Yamaha worth that?

I took a look at eBay and they have a few tranny bits from shift drums with gears($25) to a used tranny for $52.50.
I recall one of our Forum members swapping a 6 speed Seca tranny into a Maxim last year, and in his write-up he didn't make it sound very hard. Before you give up and end up with 50 cents on the dollar, would you consider an attempt?
A six speed Maxim would be a cool thing to be selling when you go for that Honda ....