the new lever mmm shiny.



uhh is that suppose to be back there?

 

Well, obviously better for the shift lever to bend back than be too stiff and break or damage the shaft inside the motor. The shifter should be a sacrificial component...at least to some degree.

 

I could still shift it by kicking it forward or backwards when it was bent so I rode home like it was. The local Kawi dealer where I got it from wanted 65.00 for the oem replacement and they would of had to order it but they had these aftermarket ones for a Suzuki DRZ it looked like it would fit with no clearence issues so I gave it a shot since I could always take it back if it didnt. I actually like the fitment of this one alot better than stock I like where the shift "****" aligns with my boot while riding compared to the stock one. This one sticks about 1/2 inch more left than stock and is about 1/4 inch shorter. and it was HALF THE COST! It was only 29.99 for this one so the choice was easy

 

The Honda XR650L also fits if you're ever in a similar predicament, but it's about a 1/4" or so longer than stock and helps for people with bigger feet or boots.

 

The shift shaft is kinda small and wimpy, so better to bend the lever IMO. The stock shifter seems to be made of 2nd and 3rd chance metal as I've straightened mine out a numerous times. Even traced a template off a new one to make it easier. Using a brake snake to the frame has made the amount of bend after a hit more "rideable" on the way out, thanks to the poster who suggested it.

Template print and resize as needed:

 

after I took it off I put it in the bench vise and tried to bend it back so I could have a spare and it just broke in 2 pieces.

 

you mean like this? i actually took it off and flipped it 180 degrees and got this (it was seriously wrapped around the peg). got me home from big bear after being 20 miles from any paved road at one point.

 

I bent mine on the trail once and got it almost back to normal, then I pushed on it one more time and snapped the shift shaft right off.
Good thing I was stuck in 3rd gear and rode it home.
The shift shaft isn't too hard to fix though.

 

Damaging the shift internals from an overly strong shift lever is a legitimate concern. I dropped a W650 in the driveway while I was washing it and it landed on the lever and bent it. The shift from one up to two was very stiff for ever after. None of the other up or down shifts was affected though, thankfully.

 

Side note: Next time you're riding in some mud, remove the rubber covers on your foot pegs. They should look like Punks photo which will help you keep your feet on the pegs better. That little change may have prevented you from crashing in the first place.