2000 Honda Foreman Will Not Shift

[TBND85]

I have a 2000 (or 99 I cant remember) Honda Foreman 400. I recently got it stuck and upon getting it out of the mud and water I could not get it to shift back into neutral, and it is impossible to start the quad unless it is in neutral. I have tried rocking it, shifting up then down, and just about every other trick I could think of. Any suggestions as to what's going on here?

Thanks

[Ajmboy]

I know that with some quads you can start it in gear by depressing the left hand brake. I would check to see if you have any crap from the mud, twigs, etc...caked in there.

* Added year, make, and manufacturer to thread title.

[yamaman]

how did you get it home if it was in gear?

[Ajmboy]

how did you get it home if it was in gear?

Good question yamaman!

[TBND85]

I had to drag it out with my suv and pulled it home that way. Luckily I was only just down the road from my house.

[DirtDemon]

Those machines have a funny gear shifting setup, there is a 90 degree joint in the gear shifting spindle. It could very easily get messed up. I would take the side cover off and look behind the gear shift lever, that joint is right on the other side of the cover. If all looks to be working ok on that side, take the other cover off, the gear shift ratchet mechanism is behind that cover. If all of that is working too, then you may have an internal tranny problem and you will need to split the cases to deal with that one. I think it is a good possibility that you will find the problem under one of the side covers. Good luck.

[Brett selinsky]

There is no side cover other than plastic. Do you mean the front and back covers

[prairieroads]

My buddy had the same thing happen to his Foreman. We pulled it to start it in gear and it's run fine ever since. That was two years ago.

[KJINTF]

Had that happen a few times on my 1999 Foretrax TRX300

Rocking it back and forth while shifting gears always fixed her up 

Hope you did not do internal damage

Those machines are pretty much bullet proof

[Royal Burke]

I agree, rocking it usually works, but this time nothing helped. As I said, that was two years ago and the quad is used daily. 

[Brett selinsky]

What if it's in neutral and I can't get it out of neutral. Thanks

[Brett selinsky]

It's like the shift paw won't go back.  To engage