Adjusting the shifter lever

BenzillaScrapping · 08-04-2008, 07:33 AM

OK, so I'm totally new to riding (except being a passenger), owning a bike (my first), and vehicle maintenance (outside of when i was a kid helping my dad many moons ago) so you'll have to forgive me for asking really dumb questions, but......I noticed someone said it is possible to adjust the shifter and/or foot peg to make it more comfortable, but i've checked my manual and it shows nothing....how is this actually done? I have a 2008. I actually accidentally ditched it :oops: over the weekend, and short of some scratches and dirt, the big thing is now the shifter is too far away and I had to ride it home upshifting with the back of my boot, which is a bit weird. I don't really want to take it to a shop (although if that is what i need to do i will) as i really want to learn how to take care of it myself. any thoughts and suggestions? thanks kindly in advance.... elle

**jonathan180iq** · 08-04-2008, 09:12 AM

With the back of your boot? How messed up is this thing? Can you post us a photo.

As far as the actualy adjustment goes, there is a detailed post on here about how to do it. Make sure to search the older posts. They usually contain the answer to a majority of new-rider questions. I never needed to adjust the shifter and, to be honest, haven't even taken the time to bend down and look at it.

Easy Rider · 08-04-2008, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenzillaScrapping

I don't really want to take it to a shop (although if that is what i need to do i will) as i really want to learn how to take care of it myself. any thoughts and suggestions? thanks kindly in advance.... elle

A worthwhile goal but safety first!

You may have bent some part of the linkage badly enough that a bar or lever needs to be replaced......instead of just adjusted. I suggest you let the shop look at it. If they really want your future business, they will bend it back into shape and make a minor adjustment for you and send you on your way with a charge of $0......or close.

NOW........This is a test.

LOOK at the shift linkage. If you can't figure out how to make an adjustment to it, maybe you shouldn't be trying to do your own work. It is about as simple as it gets. After looking at it, then you can search here for the answer and see if you were right.

Mmmmmm........now reconsidering that "take it to the shop" advise just a bit.

Maybe you DO need to bend or adjust it some first. Your description of shifting does sound uncomfortable and probably not safe.
So......maybe you should try to bend/adjust it yourself......and then let a shop or experienced mechanic inspect it after.

**jonathan180iq** · 08-04-2008, 11:55 AM

I agree with Easy's advice but I'll add that if you can post us a photo, I'm sure there are enough collective brains here that we can figure out what needs to be done.

Written descriptions often leave some to the immagination and make it hard to properly offer useable advice on fixing something yourself.

BenzillaScrapping · 08-05-2008, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonathan180iq

I agree with Easy's advice but I'll add that if you can post us a photo, I'm sure there are enough collective brains here that we can figure out what needs to be done.

Written descriptions often leave some to the immagination and make it hard to properly offer useable advice on fixing something yourself.

First off, want to say thanks for all the advise, and yes i do agree that safety comes first and if you all really think i need to take it to the shop i will, it is certainly not about the money, i don't mind paying to have it fixed, but i do have a desire to learn as much as i can about the machine i'm trying to learn to ride.

so i will also say i did try to bend it down already when i got it home, but I don't think i really weigh enough to stand up against steel, so you will have to forgive me for being a lightweight chicken-leg driver....

i don't think it made much if any difference and to the best of my knowledge didn't really mess anything up but i don't really trust my judgement either.

i can say that i'm thankful that it was at a lower speed and that i choose to put it into the field instead of the road as i'm sore enough as it is and will be chalking it up to lesson learned...

i was able to take a picture of it, i took it from a couple different angles, but i'm not sure if it will be able to help you at all cause i just now thought about the fact that it would probably make more sense to have my foot/boot in there so that you can see that the shift knob is really just a tad bit too high to hit properly with my toe. yes, it was a bit uncomfortable shifting with the back of my boot, but luckily there was not much shifting involved and it beat trying to do 15+ miles in first....

so, i will thank you all very much for your time and not making me feel stupid about this (as i'm already pretty much feeling that way for making a mistake while riding anyway...) and do appreciate your thoughts & i will defer to your greater collective wisdom....

so here are the pics, if i can figure out how to put them in....i agree that pics do make it easier to figure out what's going on....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8115460...7606547628342/

let me know if that doesn't work, but it obviously goes to my flickr page, my username there is BenzillaScrapping too and i created a My Bike set....

g'night.... elle[/url]

**jonathan180iq** · 08-05-2008, 10:07 AM

Looks like you've also bent your whole footpeg assembly. As long as you didn't bend the footpeg mount, which is that part that comes off of the frame, you should be alright. I can't really tell definatively from the photos. The good news is that the shifter isn't damaged and the footpeg mount can be removed and replaced. The actual shift lever can just be moved over to the new mount and straightened out. Patrick just recently finished remounting his, as the factory bolts had some loose and thepart that is replaceable had come free.

See this post as a guide
http://www.gz250bike.com/viewtopic.php? ... t=footrest

Hope this helps.
You may also need new footpegs, depending how badly twisted the mounting tabs are.

music man · 08-05-2008, 10:12 AM

First off you shouldn't feel stupid for having an accident, thats just how it goes sometimes. Secondly it looks to me from your photos that you bent not just the shifter lever itself, but also the black plate that the foot peg and shifter are attached to. If It were me I think I would just get it fixed considering it is a brand new bike, I would want to have all kinds of bent, then bent back parts on my new bike. But thats just me.

But like Jonathan said, If you decide you want to fix it yourself I am sure between all the minds on this site, you can do it.

Later

While I was typing this, I guess jonathan put up his post about the bent peg mount and all. :oops:

patrick_777 · 08-05-2008, 05:01 PM

Like Jonathan said, it looks like the footrest bracket is actually bent. Those are easy to find (BikeBandit part number 1480531-001 for $21.12) and easy to replace. You might actually have to replace the shift lever too. Either of these aren't hard to fix yourself, and will only take a few minutes once you have the parts. Not hard to fix, but I definitely wouldn't ride it until you do fix it.

Solaran · 08-06-2008, 09:08 PM

I did the same thing two weeks ago. Had a small spill stopping too quickly in a rain storm. I ended up bending the left foot-peg bracket which moved the peg and shifter way out of true. Yours looks a lot less bent.

The replacement foot-peg bracket ran about $30, and was a not too bad fix to do. There are two or three things to keep your eye out for if you're replacing the part, or removing it just to bend it back into shape.

1) Removing the shifter from the bracket. There is a circlip on there that is a huge pain to get on or off if you don't have the right tool (like I didn't).
2) Smaller e-clip to remove the peg from the bracket. Same as above, but much easier, just small.
3) Mounting bolts may be bent as well. Taking the bracket off may be difficult.

The shifter itself has a nice ball joint connecting it, so that should be okay once you get the bracket sorted.

Hope this helps some.

BenzillaScrapping · 08-06-2008, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solaran

I did the same thing two weeks ago. Had a small spill stopping too quickly in a rain storm. I ended up bending the left foot-peg bracket which moved the peg and shifter way out of true. Yours looks a lot less bent.
The shifter itself has a nice ball joint connecting it, so that should be okay once you get the bracket sorted.
Hope this helps some.

Solaran- Hey I don't feel quite as bad. wow, more than that? i thought mine was pretty out of whack. what makes me the most upset is just that i've only had the bike for 1 1/2 weeks... sigh...

OK first off let me say how totally awesome you guys are! Thank you all very much for your responses. It is amazing to me how you can tell that all by looking. It does, however, bring a couple more questions to mind, and just to let you know that while i'd really like to ride, i'm not in a hurry so time is not a big factor... thanks for the link to patrick's post, it was acutally very helpful to see it all disassembled, i'm very much a picture person...

so I should start with just the footpeg mounting bracket, but i don't need to get the footpeg too?
if that doesn't fix it up, would the next step be to replace the shifter? it looks like based on the bar that connects to it via the ball joint i would need a special tool to remove it and then connect it?
Solaran, you mentioned the circlip and the eclip that needs to be removed, any special tool/technique that would make it easier?

I suppose if i get in over my head, i can load it up on the trailer and take it to the shop? would they still work on it do you think?
OK, my brain is fried from an all-day meeting at work so i'm gonna sign off for tonight, but thank you again everyone...
elle

08-04-2008, 07:33 AM	#1
BenzillaScrapping Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wabash, IN Posts: 6	Adjusting the shifter lever OK, so I'm totally new to riding (except being a passenger), owning a bike (my first), and vehicle maintenance (outside of when i was a kid helping my dad many moons ago) so you'll have to forgive me for asking really dumb questions, but......I noticed someone said it is possible to adjust the shifter and/or foot peg to make it more comfortable, but i've checked my manual and it shows nothing....how is this actually done? I have a 2008. I actually accidentally ditched it :oops: over the weekend, and short of some scratches and dirt, the big thing is now the shifter is too far away and I had to ride it home upshifting with the back of my boot, which is a bit weird. I don't really want to take it to a shop (although if that is what i need to do i will) as i really want to learn how to take care of it myself. any thoughts and suggestions? thanks kindly in advance.... elle Login or Register to Remove Ads
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08-05-2008, 10:12 AM	#7
music man Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Hot Springs Arkansas Posts: 1,127	First off you shouldn't feel stupid for having an accident, thats just how it goes sometimes. Secondly it looks to me from your photos that you bent not just the shifter lever itself, but also the black plate that the foot peg and shifter are attached to. If It were me I think I would just get it fixed considering it is a brand new bike, I would want to have all kinds of bent, then bent back parts on my new bike. But thats just me. But like Jonathan said, If you decide you want to fix it yourself I am sure between all the minds on this site, you can do it. Later While I was typing this, I guess jonathan put up his post about the bent peg mount and all. :oops: __________________ "Tell me what kind of wreck you're going to have and I'll tell you what type of helmet you need." [Author Unknown]
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08-05-2008, 05:01 PM	#8
patrick_777 Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 1,763	Like Jonathan said, it looks like the footrest bracket is actually bent. Those are easy to find (BikeBandit part number 1480531-001 for $21.12) and easy to replace. You might actually have to replace the shift lever too. Either of these aren't hard to fix yourself, and will only take a few minutes once you have the parts. Not hard to fix, but I definitely wouldn't ride it until you do fix it. __________________ ]I am hiding in Honduras. I am a desperate man. Send lawyers, guns and money. The shit has hit the fan.
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08-06-2008, 09:08 PM	#9
Solaran Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 5	Did the same thing I did the same thing two weeks ago. Had a small spill stopping too quickly in a rain storm. I ended up bending the left foot-peg bracket which moved the peg and shifter way out of true. Yours looks a lot less bent. The replacement foot-peg bracket ran about $30, and was a not too bad fix to do. There are two or three things to keep your eye out for if you're replacing the part, or removing it just to bend it back into shape. 1) Removing the shifter from the bracket. There is a circlip on there that is a huge pain to get on or off if you don't have the right tool (like I didn't). 2) Smaller e-clip to remove the peg from the bracket. Same as above, but much easier, just small. 3) Mounting bolts may be bent as well. Taking the bracket off may be difficult. The shifter itself has a nice ball joint connecting it, so that should be okay once you get the bracket sorted. Hope this helps some.
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08-04-2008, 09:12 AM	#2
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	With the back of your boot? How messed up is this thing? Can you post us a photo. As far as the actualy adjustment goes, there is a detailed post on here about how to do it. Make sure to search the older posts. They usually contain the answer to a majority of new-rider questions. I never needed to adjust the shifter and, to be honest, haven't even taken the time to bend down and look at it.
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08-04-2008, 11:55 AM	#4
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	I agree with Easy's advice but I'll add that if you can post us a photo, I'm sure there are enough collective brains here that we can figure out what needs to be done. Written descriptions often leave some to the immagination and make it hard to properly offer useable advice on fixing something yourself.
	0

08-05-2008, 10:07 AM	#6
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	Looks like you've also bent your whole footpeg assembly. As long as you didn't bend the footpeg mount, which is that part that comes off of the frame, you should be alright. I can't really tell definatively from the photos. The good news is that the shifter isn't damaged and the footpeg mount can be removed and replaced. The actual shift lever can just be moved over to the new mount and straightened out. Patrick just recently finished remounting his, as the factory bolts had some loose and thepart that is replaceable had come free. See this post as a guide http://www.gz250bike.com/viewtopic.php? ... t=footrest Hope this helps. You may also need new footpegs, depending how badly twisted the mounting tabs are.
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