Hi! My Trial 2018 Beta Evo doesn't shift in 1st gear while power is off? Normal? The only change my mechanic did this winter  is installing the clutch spring retainer to ease lever action. Thanks for your help. 

Is the lever moving? Can you feel the cam drop into place? It sounds like your mechanic might have pulled the shifter assembly out if he pulled the whole primary side cover off. To replace the clutch preload washers you only need to pull the round clutch cover which doesn’t involve disturbing the shifter assembly.

 Is your shifter hitting something.

12 hours ago, dan williams said:

Is the lever moving? Can you feel the cam drop into place? It sounds like your mechanic might have pulled the shifter assembly out if he pulled the whole primary side cover off. To replace the clutch preload washers you only need to pull the round clutch cover which doesn’t involve disturbing the shifter assembly.

Dan, just called the mechanic and he said to put the bike on a stand and try to push on the shifter down and roll the back wheel at the same time to see if it will fall in place. What do you think? He said he just change the bolts, no removal of the assembly.

4 hours ago, lineaway said:

 Is your shifter hitting something.

No, the shifter is not hitting anything.

I would not worry about a stand. Just take the bike with the engine off and roll it a bit back and forth while putting a little pressure on the lever up and down. It should be able to shift the gears pretty easily. If not then there is something bunged up with the mechanism. Is it stuck in neutral or a gear? Does the engine turn over?

Your description isn't clear whether it's stuck in first and won't shift out of first or won't shift into first. Engine running or not running?

It's a pretty simple mechanism so if it fails to work there's usually something like a part been dropped into it. Hopefully your mechanic gave you back the stock parts  and you have six of each bolts and washers.

On 4/1/2019 at 4:57 PM, dan williams said:

I would not worry about a stand. Just take the bike with the engine off and roll it a bit back and forth while putting a little pressure on the lever up and down. It should be able to shift the gears pretty easily. If not then there is something bunged up with the mechanism. Is it stuck in neutral or a gear? Does the engine turn over?

Your description isn't clear whether it's stuck in first and won't shift out of first or won't shift into first. Engine running or not running?

It's a pretty simple mechanism so if it fails to work there's usually something like a part been dropped into it. Hopefully your mechanic gave you back the stock parts  and you have six of each bolts and washers.

The mechanic trick worked, the bike was already on the stand and soon as I turned the back wheel and pushed down on the shifter, it went down in 1st gear. The gear was not stocked in 1st gear, it did not want to go down from neutral  to 1st gear. I also had succeeded to go in second when trying to shift the gear prior to that. I will now roll the bike back and forth as you did advise me in your message should it be needed to change gear when the engine is with power off as it was. Thanks a lot Dan!

Dan is right.  Nothing to worry about.  Not unusual for all motorcycle transmissions. They often need a little movement in the drive train for the gears to unlock and allow the shift forks to slide.  

It is very possible to bend shift forks if "Fred the gorilla" tries to change gears by stomping on the shifter with out slightly rotating the rear wheel or rocking the bike back and forth. 

The Beta gearbox is pretty robust. I had a prospective buyer (not the brightest bulb...) wind up and stomp on the shifter much to the horror of those of us watching. When I said, “What are you doing?!” His reply? “Starting the bike. Duh” Fortunately the bike just shrugged it off. 

He didn’t buy it either.?