Has anyone purchased a Hammerhead or other after market gear shifter?
I'm so frustrated with my KLX not coming up in parts searches.....
Also someone at the Kawi dealership told me the KLR is about the same bike, do you guys agree??

 

Found this, oem part.
motosport.com/dirtbike/oem-parts/kawasaki/2014/klx250s/gear-change-mechanism

 

There are a few aftermarket shifters out there, but beware, many are much stiffer and during a crash have been known to transfer damage from the shifter to shift shaft and/or internals with much more expensive damage ensuing. My '06 KLR650 shifter doesn't fit the '06 KLX250. A KLR250 may be closer, but IDK. I bought a used OEM off ebay and keep the stiff MSR as a backup.

 

I'm running the MSR (I think it is for the Honda 650), it is stiff and needed some bending. Most of the riding around here is deep sand, so I'm not too worried about crash damage. Plus.. I try to always crash to the right...

 

I do not know how to emphasize with any more passion than to warn you to think long and hard before utilizing a forged steel or other high strength shift lever on a KLX250! Just as IDRIDR stated, a hard crash on a forged steel shift lever can break internal parts of the transmission!
My story - low side crash on left side on two track with a significant rise in the middle of the two tracks. Not a dynamic or dramatic crash by any means. The forged steel shifter that was designed for an XR650 sheared the shift shaft off at the oil seal. This left me with no shaft exposed to grab with a vise-grip or other way of shifting gears. After paying a tow company dearly for a pickup in the hills 30+ miles outside of Ellensburg, I got home and opened up the case to replace the shift shaft. The stop pin or centering pin for the shift mechaism was bent so badly that it distorted the case where it attaches. A replacement pin had to be ground down to allow proper shifting due to the distorted engine casing where the pin bolts up.
I realize that a bent or pretzel shaped stock lever is a bother to stop and straighten after a crash, but at least you can bend it back and be on your way.
Side note, when I stepped "up" to the forged steel shifter for the XR650 application, it was because the XR shifter was about 3/4" longer than the stock shift lever, leaving much more room to get your boot under the shifter. I now run a stock XR650 lever that still gives me the desired extra length on the lever but it is mild steel like the factory Kawi part.
My $0.02,
TC

 

The worst you will do is strip the thread on the gear shifting shaft. Its not hard to replace.

If you are going through that many gear levers like I did, replace part 13161-1214 on (2011 Kawasaki KLX250S (KLX250TBF) Gear Change Mechanism | Flemington Kawasaki) and everything should be fine to use the OEM one again.

 

I never thought about the stock XR650 lever... had only read about the MSR model.... good info... Thanks!


EDIT: Ouch... $69... that hurts....lol

 

I've gotten two, used, on Ebay and didn't pay over $20 for either.
FWIW, I've seen aftermarket replacements for the XR650L that had rubber- tipped ends at the boot like a street bike. Both of the used OEM Honda shifters had folding metal ends....

 

Not sure what you are basing that statement on, but I would still recommend caution with stronger than stock shift levers. Threads on the end of my shift shaft that sheared off with the aftermarket lever were in perfect shaped when removed from the lever.

 

Yep... found one on ebay soon after posting.. a little beat up, but cheap