YZ250F Shifter Mod

JuliusPleaser

Too much of a good thing.

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Nov 22, 2000

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• Sep 25, 2001

• #1

Can a shifter be shortened? I have to raise my foot completely off the peg to shift up. I miss 2nd a lot and my leg cramps from having to lift so high to shift. I tried rotating the shifter down one notch, but that makes it way too low.

Is a shorter shifter available? Will I have to cut and reweld my present shifter? CAN my shifter be cut and rewelded? Has anyone else had this problem, or am I just a freak? :confused:

 

Okiewan

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Dec 31, 1969

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Texas

• Sep 25, 2001

• #2

I have the same problem. Be interesting to see if anyone else does. As much as I love the baby F... I hate the shifter.

 

Rich Rohrich

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Jul 27, 1999

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• Sep 25, 2001

• #3

Originally posted by Julius Pleaser
or am I just a freak? :confused:

Click to expand...

HMMMMMMM. You may be on to something here;)

 

marcusgunby

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Jan 9, 2000

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• Sep 26, 2001

• #4

You can change the angle of the lever by removing the shift shaft from the engine,then scribe the plate thats welded to the shaft and grind off the original weld a reweld at a slightly different angle.

 

JuliusPleaser

Too much of a good thing.

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Nov 22, 2000

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• Sep 26, 2001

• Thread starter
• #5

Thanks, marcus, but I'm not ready to bust the motor open. It'll be hard enough to start whacking my shifter in half. What I should have asked is whether I should shorten the shifter or just cut it and reposition it. I'm not sure where to cut it, either.

Are any of the other Yammy shifters interchangeable with the 250F shifter?

Rich, I hate that I didn't shake your hand before I left. Every time I saw you, you were up to your elbows in Thumper and Katoom motors. Next year, I'll buy you a beer. :D

 

Y

yz250-effer

Member

Nov 4, 2000

304

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• Sep 26, 2001

• #6

Don't have that problem.

I have a shift lever off a 98 KX250, and just for kicks compared the length and shaft diam. The shaft is smaller on the yzF but the length is exactly the same, as I imagine it is on yz250.

Maybe go to your local Yamaha shop and see if 125, TT, or even an 80 lever will fit?

You must have smaller feet? Most shift levers are probably designed for size 9-10 feet. I wear an 11 and wish the shifter was just a "tad" longer. Well good luck with a solution.:)

 

Rich Rohrich

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• Sep 26, 2001

• #7

Originally posted by Julius Pleaser
Rich, I hate that I didn't shake your hand before I left. Every time I saw you, you were up to your elbows in Thumper and Katoom motors. Next year, I'll buy you a beer. :D

Click to expand...

JP - You should have said hello. We could have swapped Ivan strories :)

 

R

roosteater

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Dec 27, 1999

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• Sep 26, 2001

• #8

Interesting post. I haven't ridden a 250F yet. I actually rode a '99 400F for the first time on a track this past weekend. I noticed the same thing on the 400. It seemed like I always missed 2nd gear. Getting up into 3rd and higher didn't represent a problem, but going from 1st to 2nd sure was. Made me very nervous as I was approaching some jumps.

 

O

osheen

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Feb 27, 2000

202

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• Sep 26, 2001

• #9

Buy an aftermarket steel shifter from IMS. You can then cut and weld all you want until you find what works. Heck, you might want to retrofit a Honda 90 heel-toe shifter on it :silly:

 

G

godfather

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Aug 23, 2001

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• Sep 27, 2001

• #10

I've got a 250F shifter for sale. $25 plus shipping. E-me at godmutha@cableone.net pics available

 

S

stormer94

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May 30, 2001

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• Sep 30, 2001

• #11

Somebody makes a short shifter lever for the TTR, to eliminate all that pesky linkage... Wonder if it would interchange? More likley than a KX part on the blue bike. :) I thought it was BBR, but I looked, and they have no mention of it.

I've never welded a shift lever before, but can't imagine why you couldn't. It would only take about a minute to hacksaw out 1/2" and weld it back together. Take if off the tip, not out of the middle, to keep it as strong as possible when you re-weld it. Leverage is your enemy when it comes to that kind of a repair, I suspect.

 

Rich Rohrich

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• Sep 30, 2001

• #12

Originally posted by stormer94
Somebody makes a short shifter lever for the TTR, to eliminate all that pesky linkage... .

Click to expand...

It's Frank Nye at Engines Only http://www.xr100.com/ . Not sure if it will help on the 250F though. Give him a call. Frank is a good guy and will likely be able to help.

 

JuliusPleaser

Too much of a good thing.

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Nov 22, 2000

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• Sep 30, 2001

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• #13

I hooked up with godfather Saturday and purchased a lightly worn stock shifter. Thanks, Jeff!

Let the butchering begin! :scream:

I'll go ahead and check with Frank also, so I'll have a backup plan.

 

P

P_Taylor

Uhhh...

Jun 17, 2000

106

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• Oct 2, 2001

• #14

Does IMS or Moose make a steel shifter for this bike yet? I have modified several of these for people. The same could be done with the aluminum stock shifter , the steel ones just make it a little easier to do.