Can you bend this back? I did the same thing. New one's are $50

 

I have a 2021 KLX14G.

This shifter question has come up a few times. We all are having problem shifting up in gears. Of course no issues down shifting. I have raised the shifter as high as possible using the linkage.

My question is if we bypass the linkage and install the shifter directly to the shaft will it damage the shifting mechanism?



Thanks for any advice

 

I'm not totally clear on what you mean. You adjusted the linkage? Did you move the actual shift lever itself that is splined and held in with a screw?

 

He mentioned he has a KLX140, which has a linkage that allows fine adjustment. The KLX250/300 does not have that linkage. It can only be adjusted a spline or two up or down for adjustment. So your adjustment on the 250/300 is limited. Usually raising it up a spline works well to compensate for MX boots.

 

No you will not damage it. It may work. I looked to see how it is set up and see that the shift pattern will stay the same, so no problem there. The other problem will be if putting a shifter on the shaft will position the shifter so far to the front that it is too far from your foot. Or if you shorten the shifter, that it will be too hard to upshift no longer having enough leverage to work easily. It can't hurt to try it if you have a shifter with the right spline count. Probably pretty common.

Unless you have really big feet I have a feeling that the lever will not be positioned anywhere near where it will need to be. What you could do instead is to look around the shop floor at the new bikes and see if any of them has the same linkage setup, but a slightly longer tie rod. It isn't easy to make a rod because one end is right thread the other is left thread. if you know someone who can weld small things you could cut the shaft and add a piece in the middle to lengthen it a bit. But I'm betting you can find another Kawasaki or other Japanese brand with a longer tie rod that you could buy. Look around.