Shifter help

[towerworker]

Ok, I reckon this is a request for engineering advice and if any of you guys (or gals) happen to have knowledge of and access to metal working equipment I'll throw in a big "pretty please"!

This May 17th will mark 2 years since I last rode my R, due to an illness that hit me pretty hard. I spent 2 months unconscious and 9 months in hospitals and rehab facilities. 2 months out like a light does wonders for one's physical fitness level.

I am now strong enough (I hope) to get back on my bike for short rides. I can fairly easily handle the bike's weight and can handle the switch gear and hand controls. My issue is that I can't pull my left toe up to shift gears. I can press down but not up. Hopefully my foot muscles will eventually come back on line but I don't want to wait possibly another year. I've been dreaming of and working toward riding ever since I woke up in July '10. I am attempting to come up with a heel-toe shifter for my R or a workable mod. I've seen an aftermarket device for an LT and that has given me some ideas but I can't find anything for the R. If any of you would have some real good ideas I'd love to hear them. Also inexpensive would be real nice! I'm not climbing any more towers (for now!) so I have to frugal.

Thanks!
Wayne

[angellr]

Wayne,

Wonder if you couldn't find something to work off a metric system (yamaha and others have the floorboards/heal-toe bars in all kinds of configurations - Kuryakyn makes all kinds)? You also might be able to find a machine shop to help you make something custom by removing the bar and seeing if you can't have make you one. Glad you are getting stronger and improving daily!! Take care.

[riceburner]

I seem to remember that the gear-shift has plenty of room behind it - it shouldn't be beyond a machine-shops abilities to make a heel-toe lever that loops under the footpeg.

Good luck with it - and don't forget to change the anti-freeze in the bike before you hit the road.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I am now strong enough (I hope) to get back on my bike for short rides.

woo hoo!
Great
Congrats

[JCL]

I cannot help with the shifter. But I'm glad as can be to join the others rooting for you.

John

[towerworker]

I deeply appreciate all the good wishes and ideas here. There is a small machine shop close to here. Driven past it many times but until Saturday I had never stopped. In short the shop owner has looked at my bike and I have already removed the left footrest/shifter assembly and I have left it with him to start working on a heel/toe shift.
He feels confident that he can come up with a shifter solution. My beginning is in sight!

[CycleRob]

My friend Wayne called and we spoke on the phone about this, where it was agreed a welded on adjustable addition was the only solution. That would be a short, strong bracket welded-on the shifter with an angular adjustable slot and pivot point bolts to provide the perfect location for the new heel shifter pad. Any welding/fabrication shop worth staying in business can do this job in an afternoon.

Wayne, you may want to tell the fabricator he can have an idle-time work product line for other R1150R riders that want an adjustable heel-toe shifter weld-on IF his/her simple fabrication jig is able to produce 50R shifter clones. You can be the trustworthy on-site go-between guy that got customers to their business (or ?website?). Send in your shift lever (during the winter), get it back with an adjustable heel-toe shifter.

BTW, I have unlimited USA/Canada long distance calling . . . if you would like to talk about your bike or a problem with it, just PM me your land-line (preferred so it won't burn your cell minutes) your screen name here and the best times/days to call you when you'll be available. We do have more time to talk in this winter weather.

[towerworker]

Thanks Rob--that's a good point and I'll discuss this with the shop owner. On the phone issue--we dropped our land line some months ago as we seldom used it. Our phones are unlimited everything so there's no minutes issue. The number you called me on saturday is my cell. My old # from 2 yrs ago died when I nearly did!

[duckdave]

Welcome back to the road TowerWorker. I know you'll get the shifter thing worked out. Keep on keeping the rubber side down. Woo-hoo!!!!!

[tlwood28]

I sold my R1150R about a year ago, and I haven't been back on this forum much. I use to be a real regular here and remember what you were going through. So glad to hear you are healthy enough to get back on the bike. You have had a long battle. My best wishes for many long days in the saddle beginning in the very near future.



(And for the rest of you guys, thanks for all that help you so freely gave!).

Tom W.