[Stichill]

I would like to adjust the shift lever so that it is lower. At the standard height, I have a hard time downshifting without lifting my left foot off the peg. It's just too high to be able to comfortably pull my toe high enough to put my boot on top of it.

What's the proper way to adjust it? Should I loosen/rotate the clamp on the left (in the pentagon), or lengthen the link (in the rectangle)?

 

[Parakalien]

Lengthen the link. It's very easy to do.

 

[jkv357]

Moving the arm on the shift-shaft one spline will move the lever too much.

Loosen the jam-nuts on the rod and spin the rod. Note when you are loosening the jam-nuts that one end is right-hand thread and the other is left-hand - so when you spin the rod it shortens or lengthens.

 

[Stichill]

...one end is right-hand thread and the other is left-hand - so when you spin the rod it shortens or lengthens.

Makes sense...it's necessary for the rod threads to be left and right so that turning the rod changes the length.

Thanks for the help!

 

[MotoMike]

Moving the arm on the shift-shaft one spline will move the lever too much.

Not necessarily... I ran out of adjustment on the linkage rod before getting the shift lever lowered to where I wanted it to be. I had to rotate the arm one spline to lower the shift lever, so as to end up with the threads on the linkage rod fully engaged in the rod ends. What you don't want is to have the linkage rod hanging by just a couple threads in the rod ends.

 

[Aufitt]

Mike is correct, you have about 15 threads to play with,
don't have more than about 7 exposed when you lower the lever. ,
if so, move it one spline. (this way you'll have more thread in the rose joints and less flex and a more positive feel)

As for adjusting, use TWO open end 10mm spanners and turn nuts at the same time to keep the rose joints in line when you loosen/tighten

While you are there, take the lever off with a 5mm Allen T handle and antiseize the fixed shaft
also inject some grease inside the rubber boots.

If the rear rose joint has play in its mount it needs a weld,
a safe way to weld it without destroying the rose joint is here-

cbr250's suffer from a loose rose joint mount on the gearshifter from new.
Put some thought into how to (carefully) weld it to get rid of the slop without destroying the rose joint (its part of the gear shifter)

-removed the gearlever,
-put a 6mm bolt into the threaded female end of the rose joint,
-pumped the rose joint full of grease with a syringe under its rubber cover,
-fully sealed it with insulation tape (yellow in the pic)so that the grease is not affected by quenching.
-wrapped it with aluminium heatproof 3M tape (silver in the pic),
-Cut a slot in a 12mm washer and slipped it behind to protect the rose joint as well,
-ground the lower 1/3 to prep it for the weld,
-quenched in water immediately after the (quick) grind.

-set up the MIG and had the water container ready and gave a nice neat quick weld,
-quenched immediately
-filed it smooth,
-painted with Satin black.

No more Slop.

 

[Stichill]

^ Appreciate the detailed responses Mike & Aufitt.

Edit: excellent procedure to correct the potentially loose rose joint mounting post.

Trivia: We Yanks call it a heim joint or spherical rod end bearing. Apparently these were first "discovered" by the Allies during WWII when they examined a downed Messerschmitt. The US patent was held by the firm H.G. Heim while the UK patent was held by the firm Rose Bearings Ltd.

 

[jkv357]

Not necessarily... I ran out of adjustment on the linkage rod before getting the shift lever lowered to where I wanted it to be. I had to rotate the arm one spline to lower the shift lever, so as to end up with the threads on the linkage rod fully engaged in the rod ends. What you don't want is to have the linkage rod hanging by just a couple threads in the rod ends.

That's true. I should have said moving it 1 spline would change it "significantly". If you just need a small adjustment the threaded rod works fine - as long as it isn't at the end of it travel.

You also could move it 1 spline (too far) then back-up with the rod adjustment.

All depends on how much you want to move and how much room you have on the threaded rod.


Jay

 

[Stichill]

Follow up - much better

I noticed that there's an alignment indicator mark on the transmission gear selector shaft, which was not clocked to the slot in the split ring linkage clamp. I aligned the indicator with the slot, made a small adjustment to the lower rod linkage, and now...I am shifting without taking my foot off the peg! I can't believe I rode with it too high for so long...I was living like an animal and didn't even know it.

Aufitt I noticed the play in the rear rose joint mounting stud. On my bike it is minimal but with time it will certainly get worse as it wallows out the hole.

I took the time to remove the front sprocket cover and clean out all the accumulated grease and road grime. Recently I stopped using "wet" synthetic oil chain lube and switched to the dry waxy Teflon chain lube, so hopefully the mess will not return for quite some time.

Thanks for your help, guys.

 

[shisoshin]

also, another option is a yoshi rear set plate [or auffits nice diy plate]
which raises and moves rearward the pegs 30 or 45 both ways..
you need to adjust after moving pegs up and back, but your toes
are also moved further away from the roadway..
30 up and back is ok for me but you might like to raise them
higher to 45 for racing or mad-dogging or just to put your
toes in a nice comfortable frame of mind..

 

[Stichill]

Made additional adjustment

Decided I wanted to go even lower on the lever. Rode the bike to work this morning...wow I am living in the lap of luxury!

Just wanted to get a sanity check on the number of threads used on the linkage. I count seven (7) exposed threads behind the nut.

 

[Deanohh]

I dunno, the important part of it is how many threads are still engaged inside the rod ends. The first thread, maybe 2, on the rod and first thread inside the rod end are not fully formed and weak so to be completely secure, you need thread engagement inside the rod end bearings of at least the same as the locknut thickness plus 1 or 2 threads.

 

[Aufitt]

Yeah I'd try another spline anticlockwise to see if you can get more threads in there.
No Idea why the factory set it so high.

*Nice to see a clean well maintained bike with a wet chain

 

[Stichill]

Thanks Deanohh & Aufitt.

Yeah, I was kinda thinking it looked like it was getting a bit too far out there and that's why I asked for some second opinions. I will go with another spline jump; that should shorten up the rod nicely.

*Nice to see a clean well maintained bike with a wet chain

Thanks, Aufitt. I ride with some guys who have bikes with shafts and they sometimes talk about the "bad old days" when they used to ride bikes with chains, what a pain it was to keep it cleaned and lubed and wipe the oil/grease off the wheel.

I just think to myself, "Maintaining my chain is one of the more relaxing and rewarding tasks that I do with my bike when I'm not riding it." To me, these "shaft guys" are missing out on one of the time-honored rituals of motorcycling.

I put it up on the rear stand, sit down with the radio for company, and just clean and lube the chain on a regular basis. It's a nice way to spend more time with the bike and also puts you up close and personal to it, which reminds you to take a look at other things like chain tension, brake pads, tire pressure & condition, fluid levels, etc.

 

[LGM]

Did the same thing on my bike today, feels a lot better.

 

[OzHonda]

Not necessarily... I ran out of adjustment on the linkage rod before getting the shift lever lowered to where I wanted it to be. I had to rotate the arm one spline to lower the shift lever, so as to end up with the threads on the linkage rod fully engaged in the rod ends. What you don't want is to have the linkage rod hanging by just a couple threads in the rod ends.

This is what I did. The rod itself is basically screwed all the way in, and I just moved it a spline or two on the main spline. Lowered it perfectly.

 

[shisoshin]

'the real cycle you're working on
is a cycle called yourself'

Robert M Pirsig
Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance..

 

[dkpbxman]

Drunk with power...

I realize this thread is a few months old but I just found it and it helped a lot.

I've always been a "if some is good then more is better" kind of guy and in the garage dropping the lever felt so good after I sat on the bike that I went TWO notches on the spline.

When I took the bike for a short ride I found that that was too much so I went back and raised it a notch for a net change of -1.

Also found another thread explaining how to adjust the rear brake lever.

Did that and then had to change the rear brake sensor because the light was always on.

Thanks to all.

 

[Swol]

I really appreciate this detailed info. It was a little difficult to work my size 13 boot plus I'm a newb to gears as well. I thought I'd have to look for an aftermarket lever that was a little longer but this is better and I'm a rider on a budget.
Thanks again

 

[OzHonda]

Thanks to all.

That's what we are here for.