Well I got my starting problem fixed and took it to Colorado and Utah for a couple weeks of fun and frustration. The 500 ran great and once I got the suspension setup correctly I could run like a bat out of hell on the dirt roads. BUT...the first day we got on a gnarly trail we shouldn't have been on. It was nothing but large rocks. Thus in the process of shifting from high to low I lost the ability to shift to low gear and thus smoked the drive belt a couple times. I am assuming I can remove some interior panels to access the shifter linkage and pray an adjustment is all I need. Question is has anyone had this problem and if so what was your fix?

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

You can remove the center plastics and get to the shifter rod to adjust it....however if it doesn't go into low range at all, and you feel the detent for it..and nothing there, it's likely there is some internal problem. These frames bend and flex so much and the engines being rubber mounted, they never should have use a solid link like a rod between the engine and shifter. In the right conditions, like rock crawling, that could have pushed or pulled on the transmission shifting barrow enough to move it partly out of gear under load and cause it to separate breaking parts or push it hard enough to break something. Really hoping it's just an adjust for you.

Problem solved. The linkage needed adjusting. The two lock nuts were not tightened. All is well now. Now I'll do a good cleaning since I have the panels off. The dust in Colorado and Utah is super fine.

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Good to hear. Every need a project,drop that center skid plate and clear the BS out. I do mine once ever few years and get about 10lbs of dirt and mud out of it. I try like hell to blast it out but..just can't seem to do it.