JuliusPleaser

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

HMMMMMMM. You may be on to something here;)
 

marcusgunby

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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

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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
 

yz250-effer

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Nov 4, 2000
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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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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

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

roosteater

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Dec 27, 1999
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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.
 

osheen

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Feb 27, 2000
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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:
 

stormer94

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

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

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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_Taylor

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Jun 17, 2000
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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.
 

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