A gear shift lever is a critical part of the motorcycle rider’s gear box. When you shift from first to second or back to first, the bike’suluovement it makes a change in transmission speed and location.
This switch is called a lever in some places, and here we will call it a transmission control unit (TCU). It is typically labeled as either dip-switch or toggle-switch for quick identification.
The toggle-switch has a higher profile due to its more prominent position. Dipsaws do not have clear marks for middle and end position, making them harder to identify. Most rider magazines have an article on how to adjust the shift lever on a bike so that you feel comfortable doing so.
This article will talk about some common situations where an rider may need to adjust the shift lever and what changes can help make you feel more comfortable and in control.
Contents:
Shorten shift lever
Some riders find that the shift lever Comes in too hard and too soft a curve. If you have this problem, you can make it even by making some changes.
Making the shift lever Come in Evenly Sharper Can make your motorcycle Look more Professional and Make You More Fast. It can also added Some Fun to Changing Gears. Making It Even More curves Can make it Look more casual or fun. If you are Having difficulty with this, Try giving it a little pressure on the brake and/or the shift lever for a minute or two to get it adjusted out a bit. This may help give you some relief if you need to eventually do an adjustment on it.
Making the Shift Lever Curve Less can help prevent your knee from hitting the pedal when You want to Change gears. Making The shifter curve Less will also help save your knees from getting bruised when riding, due to the speed at which You are shifting.
Adjust clutch release button
Sometimes, the lever on your motorcycle may stick in the down position when you try to shift from high to low or from low to high. This is usually the case if you have recently installed new tires or if your tires have large diameter patches on them.
This can be a problem if you need to pull away from a stop or leave your bike stationary for a few minutes before trying to adjust the clutch.
When doing this, make sure you have enough pressure on the brake and accelerator pedals to allow you enough time to get it adjusted correctly. If you do not have this needed time, get it soon!
Once you get it adjusted, don’t stress about it being precise or subtle.
Adjust gear shift linkage
When riding a motorcycle, you’re probably looking for a comfortable, secure place to shift gears. This is important, since shifting gears can put extra stress on the bike’s transmission and engine.
If the shift lever is hard to adjust, it may not move smoothly or fully when you shift gears. This can be problematic when trying to accelerate and stop the vehicle quickly. a little play can easily be overlooked, but if it is not tight then it may break easily.
Mostly seen on high-end motorcycles, a remote control for the gearshift levers are used to adjust the play. These are usually mounted on a separate base that connects to the bike’s transmission housing. You can also use an Allen wrench if needed, but having access to them is helpful.
Check for worn gears or shafts
When you shift gears on your motorcycle, you may need to check the gearlever for wear or broken shafts.
When riding in muddy conditions, check for any mud stuck in the gearlever to prevent a hard shift when you move the lever around.
If your bike has gears with a cable-replaced shifter, such as a R&S or SV, check that it is working to make sure you have a fast speed option if your motorcycle does not have a lumbar support system.
If checking the gears and shafts requires taking off your motorcycle gloves, do it! You will be more careful about putting your fingers into places where something is rotated or removed.
And lastly, if there are no answers to these questions on this blog post, start looking into computer science or engineering at some point so you can program solutions into gearshift levers.
Re-gap disc brake pads
If you have been riding for a while and your brakes are wearing down, then it is time to re-grip the disc brake pads.
When braking, the disk brake pads can rub against the rotor. This is called pull tabing or pull through when using a disk brake.
Pull Through usually happens when driving your bike at a slow speed and adjusting the front wheel to get traction. When this happens, the pad must pull through the rotor and stop it from moving.
If this sounds similar to tabletop gaming terms like rolling a 20-sided die, then you are right! These are actually called rollable pads because they can be adjusted to stop only one shape of thing (rope, pedal, etc.).
Check shifting cable for tight bends or kinks
If the shifting cable has a bent or kinked section, it can cause shifting to be difficult or impossible. This is true even if you do not use your bike often as having something that can break can be helpful in these situations.
To check if the shift lever has an easy-to-replace cable, look for a bend in the cable near the shift lever. If you see this, buy a new one and replace it.
To check if the saddle is correct for you, look for height differences between your legs and the bike. If the bike seems heavy enough, then probably solid steel will be enough to hold your weight!
If you have special needs like foot placement or hand size, buy shoes that fit those needs. Have hardwood flooring or composite material used in shoes to ensure comfort under your feet.
Check for damaged gearshift housing bearings
When the gearshift feels very stiff, check for broken or missing gearshift housing bearings. These bearings keep the gearshift barrel in place and help shift the motorcycle back and forth.
If there are any broken or missing, you can easily fix this by buying new housing bearings and installing them into the bike and then re-routing the shaft to match up with the new seat position. This requires some special tools and a little bit of practice, but it is a easy fix!
The other possibility is to replace the whole gearshaft, which is what we will do here. Either way, check to see if the hesh has any play in it by putting a small amount of wood glue on one end and pushing down on it. If that does not work, then we need to look at fixing it ourselves.