Great cartoon Banq. !
But getting back to the thread........
Velo, don't be too stressed about the gearbox. Mine was crook when I got it and I was mightily disappointed at the time (mostly because I'd been so stupid to have trusted the liar that I'd bought it from......
) but once I got into it, it was quite a fun rebuild and re-shim, albeit quite expensive for the replacement shifter fork and gears. From the look of it, mine had never been apart, but the shimming was appalling. I suspect that they just didn't take enough care with it at the factory.
I very much doubt I could have found a workshop here in Sydney with any experience with working on a NF gearbox, and to pay someone to figure out how to do it would either be frightening or rushed and bodgy. For me fixing the gearbox (and the forks........ and the exhaust.........and the carby...... :-) ) was part of bonding with the bike, and now every time I shift (and it works perfectly provided you do it slowly) I know it's right.
I have never experienced clutch slip under load- i.e. when accelerating, but if you rush the gear changes the clutch will slip on the overrun because the massive flywheel is still trying to spin when you let the clutch out.
The NF is quirky but satisfying to own and to ride. The gearbox is part of the fun.
Cheers,
Nitram