Who needs first gear anyway?
https://i.imgur.com/qbqiHfB.jpg


Even in tight single track second gear ran like a champ. Say what you will about this bike, it doesn't stall very easy.

Might just be time to do that fancy cable tie mod I've seen around.

 

I have brake-saver cables on both my shifter and rear brake pedal. I can't say that they would be strong enough to prevent that from happening, but maybe. I had the cables on my 09 (and have on my 2011), and my son had bent the shifter (almost like that), but after putting the saver cables on, never had bent shifter or brake pedal - not to say it's directly because of the cables, but they likely helped.

I somehow had my shift lever come right off the shaft (bolt was still in place), and then was dangling by the saver cable. I was in a section where I likely would have been in first gear for a while, so if the cable hadn't been there, I would have been walking that trial looking for my shift lever, if I hadn't noticed for a while.

 

SWEET! What's the story behind that!? Looks like you've been riding hard!

 

Cables on shifter and brake levers really was about keeping brush from packing in between them and the case or frame. Thin cable with crip on connectors to make the loops would be the trick. Old trick from the 70s. I had my Bultaco pack long grass and junk in between the shifter and clutch cover happen a few times.

 

Gear shift lever ? We don't need no stinking gear shift lever...

 

Oddly, it wasn't even a hard fall, but I think I landed right on a rock.
This is an interesting trail to ride (especially at night) around 0:40, I get caught up on a root - the trail is steeper than it looks and there's about a 25 foot drop-off on the right side, into the creek - I'm pretty sure I got caught up because I was thinking about that drop-off...

Another night ride where my buddy wipes out on a bridge that was missing about 4' of decking:
I like about 8:20 in on this one where my buddy flips the 09 KLX250s I had:

 

Yeah, the cables aren't all that strong - likely wouldn't keep the lever from bending in a hard hit, but it might help - I just know that since I've had the saver cables I haven't had any issues. Certainly helps from getting sticks and stuff from getting behind the lever.

 

I was doing some really tight single track hair scramble trails with a buddy of mine.

Thankfully it happened near the end of the ride. I had been hopping logs all day (getting some surprised look from the orange fan boys) and I think a branch or something caught the shifter on the way over... that or the ruts that were up past my foot pegs - thought I was being pretty careful through those sections because I was worried about just this thing.

My thought was that the cables would at least give some resistance to getting "sucked" under the peg when crossing a log or what have you.

Gonna have to start bringing an extra just in case though... or maybe some vice grips - lol.