Transmissions of small utility vehicles often utilize a dog-clutch assembly operable to adjust the configuration of the transaxle. To shift gears, a user adjusts the position of a dogged shifting gear within the transmission by actuating a shifter handle. Transmissions of this type can only shift into gear when the dogs of the shifting gear and the driving gear are properly aligned. If the dogs are misaligned (a state often referred to as dead-head), the shifting gear cannot move into engagement with the driving gear.
Conventional shifting systems utilizing dog-clutches suffer from a variety of limitations and disadvantages, such as those relating to shifting gears when the transmission is dead-headed. For example, when the dogs are not aligned, the user must continue to apply force to the shifter handle until the dogs become aligned. Once the dogs become aligned, the force provided by the user causes the shifting gear to move into engagement with the driving gear, and the user can stop applying force to the shifter handle. There is a need for the unique and inventive gear-shifting apparatuses, systems and methods disclosed herein.