Could it just be my shifter?

This past week I posted about my thinking that I may need the upgrade kit. In that thread GeekLaw said something that got me thinking. He made reference to shifting problems and that he at first thought was just him being clumsy. So I started paying better attention to the physical action my foot is making when I shift. Note here that I know zero about mechanical engineering.

So... take a look at the picture



The arrow indicates the direction it FEELS like my foot is going when I up-shift. Hmmm... up AND backward. This is actually kind of an awkward movement. I wonder if it's that bad angle of motion that is actually causing my shifting to be clumsy.

Note that I have the Rivco boards. When I put them on, I remember that I played hell adjusting the shifter and now I'm wondering if that is the real problem in my shifting. There seems to be maybe a quarter inch play in a side to side wobble with the shifter. Which is to say, I grab the rubber on the shifter and I can move it toward the engine and away from it with a total travel of a quarter inch (at most).

Thoughts?

Has anyone got experience with this set up? I opted not to get the heel-toe shifter because i didn't like the price and if i remember correctly it seemed awfully short to me.

So I'm wondering if there is any magic anyone knows of with respect to properly adjusting the shifter for this set up. Or do you think I should get the heel-toe shifter?

Thoughts?

Karl

Karl: To me, the shifter looks high, mine is lower. Also you may want to do what Red Rocket and I did. I bought a Kuryakyn shifter peg which is longer and thinner than the Rocket shifter pet. I ground off the Rocket peg, then drilled out the hole in the shifter for the Kuryakyn peg, because it is a thicker screw type, then inserted it and used a acorn nut, with red lok tite to tighten it. This made the shifter peg longer and thinner.

Native One

Thanks N1. When you say it looks a little high. Are you talking about the end of the shift lever (where the rubber is) or are you talking about the part that is at the end of the shift linkage where it mates to the bit that goes into the side of the engine.

Can you tell i don't know the names of the parts?

The end where the shift lever is appears to be high. It may be that high in order to get your boots under it to shift, but being that high might cause it to be more difficult to shift. The side to side motion can be cured by installing another thin washer on the back side of the shifter, by removing the bolt, the shifter arm, and then installing another thin washer behind the shifter arm. While you are in there, you can put some spray White Teflon Lithium grease made by DuPont on the shifter shaft and inside the hole of the shifter to make it shift easier.

Native One

The shifter does look high, especially with a clunky tranny like the rocket you need lots of torque from your foot to shift up.

I'd also take a look at my clutch adjust. When I start slipping out of 1st or drop in neutral instead of 2nd a lil cable clutch adjustment does the trick.

+1 on the clutch adjustment. I don't think it looks off far enough to make such a difference, but it could. What have you got to lose? Lengthen the adjustment shaft just enough and try it. Then take it to the shop and have them diagnose it. They will have a good idea with just a quick ride around the block.

If you visualize a line, (like a radius) from the center of the transmission shaft passing out through the ball joint and a second line from the center of the Bolt that holds the lever on the bracket on the rail and extend that second line straight out through the bolt where the adjustment linkage is attached. I believe those two lines should be parallel.

Per Doc's description of the two parallel lines (Very good description by the way) mine doesn't seem to be that far off.

I'll make the adjustments and see if that makes a diff.

I guess I'll have to take a look at the manual on how to adjust the clutch. Is that that thumb wheel on the clutch lever? I'm thinking that's just to easy so there must be something else???

when that happens to me, i thighten the clutch cable ajustment about 1/2 to 1 turn., the one on the handle.

in my case 1/2 to 1 turn is enough.
thightening too much could make it slip, keep that in mind

I'll be doing these adjustments in the morning. After taking a trip to get some of the Teflon spray.

I know all this is likely really easy for you guys... but for me it's a challenge. Remember... I'm the guy who typically pays for oil changes.

Of course I'll post my results when it's all done.

Wish me luck.
And thanks to you guys for the suggestions.
Surprised Marcus hasn't chimed in yet though

Cheers,
Karl

One word... WOW!!!

Okay so taking the advice of you guys on the adjustments this is what I did.

1. I lengthened the linkage that goes from the shifter lever to the lever that attaches to the bit that comes from the engine. In doing so I followed Doc's recommendation about those needing to be parallel. And following N1's assessment, I ended up lowering the shifter (the rubber bit) about a 1/4 inch. Any more than that and I'd have to buy a new pair of riding boots. Because I pretty much took it down as far as I could while still allowing my foot to move under there freely.

2. While I had those bits removed, I used some spray white Lithium grease. I couldn't find anyone with Spray White Teflon. But after talking to (and driving crazy) a few guys at the auto parts store, I was convinced that the Lithium will work just as well. Time will tell on that one.

3. I made about a 3/4 turn adjustment on the little wheel on the clutch lever.

Then I took it out for a short test run. From a dead stop I gunned it. Shifted from first to second doing my best to simply shift without concern about the Neutral issue. I didn't miss a shift at all. Did this form several stop-start positions.

Then when I hit a long stretch of road I gunned it from a dead stop and ran through all the gears while getting one it and shifting as fast as I was able. No missed shifts, no false neutrals.

And I noticed one more thing in this little exercise. Before I did any of this I was sensing a sort of "floaty" feel to the bike. On acceleration it just seemed to be a bit spongy. That's gone now. So I'm wondering if the thing that was slipping wasn't the tranny but the clutch. Is that a possibility?

Anyway, since my test run was only for a short while, I'll get a better feel for it as I do more riding.

Thanks to you all, this seems to have taken care of my clumsy shifting. At least at first glance it seems to have done so.

Karl