• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Gearshift Shortening Procedure

Forums New posts
T

toolmaker91

0
Joined
Jul 31, 2008
Messages
113
Reaction score
0
Location
Dyersburg, TN
For those who lowered their footpegs and found that their gearshift lever was now too close to the footpeg, here is something that I did last summer shortly after I bought my bike.

I needed to shorten my gearshift lever approximately one inch. I didn't want to do any cutting and rewelding because I didn't want to damage the chrome finish or the rubber piece. The simplist fix that I came up with was to remove the rubber piece from the original locating stud and reattach it to the lever in the desired location with a 5/16" X 1 1/2" shoulder bolt. If you are unfamiliar with shoulder bolts, go to McMaster-Carr http://www.mcmaster.com/# and search for part # 91259A587. Most industrial supply retailers carry these. Be sure to get hardened alloy steel. A 1/4-20 hole will need to be drilled and tapped at the desired location. I used Loctite and a jam nut to secure the bolt to the shift lever. The excess lever was cut off, rounded over, and the bare metal was painted with silver paint. Here are some pictures to help better understand what I am talking about: (By the way, shortening the lever one inch was almost too much for me. If I had it to do over, I would have shortened it between 1/2" and 3/4". Also, the extra bolt in the picture is 1/4" too short.)
 

Attachments

  • Bandit Gearshift #1.JPG
    Bandit Gearshift #1.JPG
    66.8 KB · Views: 282
  • Bandit Gearshift #2.JPG
    Bandit Gearshift #2.JPG
    50 KB · Views: 262
  • Bandit Gearshift #3.JPG
    Bandit Gearshift #3.JPG
    66.8 KB · Views: 285
Nice mod :clap:

Instead of using a 5/16" shoulder bolt you could also machine the stock peg off of the shifter lever and if done correctly it could end up being the exact same lenght as it was when it was welded on the lever.

Then face off the end and drill and tap it with a 1/4-20 thread and drill a thru hole in the lever and attach the modified stock peg with a bolt. If you still have the peg that you cut off you could still try this. Just a thought. :rider:
 
How does it feel as you shift? Theoretically it should shift a little faster or sooner but with a bit more effort since you tooks some of the lever out.
 
PhilS said:
How does it feel as you shift? Theoretically it should shift a little faster or sooner but with a bit more effort since you tooks some of the lever out.
Click to expand...

Its pretty much exactly as you suspected. Still not a problem though. Not having your foot sticking almost straight down to get it under the gearshift lever is the most positive thing though.
 
Toolmaker91, you mention lowering the footpegs on the Bandit, are they adjustable or is this a modification you did yourself. I have fairly big feet and the shifter seems really close to my foot, making shifting difficult unless my foot is at a awkward angle.
 
Also, you can cut the weld for the stock peg, redrill the hole where you want it, make it a nice tight press fit, then spot weld it on the back side. Can't even tell it was done.

I shortened mine an inch too, last summer, and agree that 3/4" may have been better. But,I didn't wanna' have to do it twice, and I really needed some toe room!:mrgreen:
 
BanditRider07 said:
Toolmaker91, you mention lowering the footpegs on the Bandit, are they adjustable or is this a modification you did yourself. I have fairly big feet and the shifter seems really close to my foot, making shifting difficult unless my foot is at a awkward angle.
Click to expand...

You just have to flip them, they'll be a bit lower, AND, farther forward. The gearshift will be a MUST, unless you have tiny feet. I only wear size 9, and it was really hard to shift after doing the pegs....hence, the shifter revamp.
 
BanditRider07 said:
Toolmaker91, you mention lowering the footpegs on the Bandit, are they adjustable or is this a modification you did yourself. I have fairly big feet and the shifter seems really close to my foot, making shifting difficult unless my foot is at a awkward angle.
Click to expand...
There is a way to lower the factory pegs. I don't think that I can accurately describe the method without going out and reacquainting myself with the parts involved. If you search around here and/or on the Maximum-Suzuki site, you'll find several good explanations of the procedure.

Basically, you'll be taking the footpeg off of the bike by removing the hinge pin and spring, then you'll remove the shaft that the peg was pinned to by removing the bolt on the backside, then you'll turn that shaft 180 degrees and reinsert it. Reassemble all parts correctly (make sure that the spring is installed correctly) and your done.

This moves the footpeg down and forward about 1 1/4".

Edit: Thanks dmerc, looks you beat me to it!
 
I did the relocation on my foot pegs this morning after reading Bandito's article. The brake side was a bigger pia than the shifter side. Like the relocation. Now gotta get use to the higher brake and shifter. Probably won't even be thinking about it in another 100 miles of backroading. ;=) Thanks for taking the time to do the article Bandito. If you ever decide to build that forged alu shifter replacement about 1/2 inch shorter, I'm good for one.
 
I just did a short write-up on the mega thread regarding lowering the stock pegs.

I had to rotate mine back to the stock position last night due to the fact that the centerstand kept hitting my heal after replacing my stock exhaust with a 2 bros can. It didnt come with a centerstand bump stop, but I had the one from Dale Walker that uses the bottom of the shock and a rubber piece as a bump stop. Putting them back in the higher position prevents the stand from hitting on all but the largest bumps, but I really prefered the lower peg position (except on the track, where pegs would drag constantly). I may see about finding a way to weld/attach a center stand stop back onto the new midpipe.
 
I used a rubber snubber from my old truck shock. About 1" thick. Used an allen head 5/16 bolt and nut to secure it to my Yosh pipe. No problems with the centerstand hitting my heel enuff to bug me. I generally ride on the balls of my foot anyway. Sure makes it easier to stand on the pegs with the things lowerd. Did about 5 miles of gravel roads this after noon just to check them out.
 
27 bucks and a little change got me a whole shifting unit off Ebay for the 1250 bandit. Will do the shorting modification when I get it in. Starting about about 1/2". Thanks for the tips on how to go about this and recommendations.

Also picked up a rear sprocket with 1670 miles on it.

Watching a Busa rear shock now. ;-). If it stays cheap, I may have to pick it up. ;-)
 
Looks like we've both got parts from the same bike. I bought the airbox assembly so that I could modify the lid and keep my original unmodified.
 
El Bandito said:
Nice mod :clap:

Instead of using a 5/16" shoulder bolt you could also machine the stock peg off of the shifter lever and if done correctly it could end up being the exact same lenght as it was when it was welded on the lever.

Then face off the end and drill and tap it with a 1/4-20 thread and drill a thru hole in the lever and attach the modified stock peg with a bolt. If you still have the peg that you cut off you could still try this. Just a thought. :rider:
Click to expand...

I looked at this very hard this morning when deciding to shorten my lever. My equipment is just not good enuff to ensure a straight hole in the shaft either while it was still on the assembly or after I cut it off.
So, I just put a hacksaw to the main lever and wacked off about 3/4". Drilled a 17/64 " hole , tapped in 5/16 threads, dressed it out, got a chromemoly bolt I had left over from my early rig mechanic days, dressed it out, put the rubber on it, muchco red loctite, threaded it thru the lever and backed it up with a nut with more loctite. Dressed it out and hung it on the wall for the next time I have the Bandit on the work bench.
 
And today, I installed the cut down shifter assy and adjusted it. Just sitting on the bike and playing with it, gonna be muchco better. ;-) Stashed the one I took off on the shelf along with all my other parts and projects.
Be raining at present so chilling and that's about it. Nothing I want to do to either bike at present. ;-(.
 
I'll do a few today as I need to put bandit back on the bench for a little adjustment in the lever position. It feels just a touch high. Rode about 100 miles including several little towns yesterday afternoon and it feels much better down there with the extra room.
 
First we put Bandit on the work table to begin adjustment of shift lever.

banditonliftjpg.jpg


A comparison of the short and stock one.

banditshifter2jpg.jpg


A shot to see how bolt was attached and dressed down.

banditshifterjpg.jpg


Putting it back together again. ;-):clap::clap:

workingonbanditjpg.jpg


Now, time to go ride for a bit and check out adjustment. :rider::rider::rider:
 
Nice job! :clap:

Approximately how much did you end up shortening the lever? I shortened mine 1 inch and thought that made it almost too short. I recently bought some new riding boots that have some really thick soles. When wearing the riding boots, the clearnace is just about perfect.
 
I did approx an inch also. Works out good with my size 12 feet. ;-). Have not rode it since doing the adjustment today. Was out on the DR instead. ;-).
 
Just in case anyone else is trying to decide how much to shorten their lever, I'll add that I wear a size 10 shoe. With normal street shoes, 1 inch is a bit too much for me. As I said earlier, with really thick soled riding boots, 1 inch is just about right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top