cross link gear change

Hi Lother.

I would say it is then easier to buy another Laverda motor, to the side you want your gear change, I drive the SFC 1000 myself, in my Endurance from 1974.
 
Hello all, Apologies for late response and thanks for help. I do have a frame with cable lugs on both sides and would highly appreciate measurements, pictures and photo's Dellortoman. I cannot find where and how the crossover system is attached to the frame. I want to avoid welding ofcourse.
Are your engine and frame matching numbers?
Paul
 
Hello all, Apologies for late response and thanks for help. I do have a frame with cable lugs on both sides and would highly appreciate measurements, pictures and photo's Dellortoman. I cannot find where and how the crossover system is attached to the frame. I want to avoid welding ofcourse.

I can take some photos of my North American version 3C as it is on the stand at the moment. I just need to wait for the wood furnace to bring things up to operating temperature as it was a barmy -28 this morning.

Jim
 
Good photos Jim.

I was wrong in my original post when I said the cross-over mechanism was attached to the frame. I don't have a 3C, and it's been a while since I had a close look at one. I don't think I'd never actually grovelled on the floor for a detailed look. So I hadn't realised that the tube for the crossover shaft was bolted to the underside of the motor.

I presume all 3C engine castings were the same whether left or right shift, so if the studs for the cross-tube aren't there, then hopefully the cast-in bosses will be there. They may just need to be drilled/tapped. If European market bikes had those mounting bosses cut off, then you have a slightly more complicated problem. In that case, changing the mounting lugs on the cross-over tube to pick up the rear engine mounts would probably be the simplest option.

I had a look on Laverda Paradies. Andy only has some (not all) of the parts for the later (3CL) crossover that uses plastic bearing blocks bolted to the rear of the gearbox. He doesn't appear to have the earlier 3C system.

I'd suggest you contact Wolfgang (http://www.laverda.ca/) or put an advertisement in the "Wanted" section of this forum. There's gotta be someone with an unwanted 3C cross-over system for sale.

If you can't find an original cross-over mechanism, it wouldn't be difficult to replicate if you have a half-decent workshop.

The cross over shaft/tube is simple enough to make, and the linkages are dead easy to cobble together with 6mm ball joints and bits of aluminium rod. It's a little more difficult to make the right-hand brake pedal and left side shift pedal (with lever arm for the linkage). But it's certainly do-able. It'll just depend what workshop facilities you have.

I could make all the parts for you (I know where there's a couple of left-shift 3Cs that I could take patterns and measurements from). But one-off manufacturing jobs aren't cheap. I haven't done any detailed costing, but I'd guess at least €600 in labour cost, possibly more. Then there's the materials cost, the longer brake cable, out-sourcing of chrome plating, etc. Not to mention postage halfway around the world. I'd be surprised if I could produce a complete kit for less than €1000.
 
Good photos Jim.

I was wrong in my original post when I said the cross-over mechanism was attached to the frame. I don't have a 3C, and it's been a while since I had a close look at one. I don't think I'd never actually grovelled on the floor for a detailed look. So I hadn't realised that the tube for the crossover shaft was bolted to the underside of the motor.

I was lucky enough to have the exhaust off to get polished and to get the bottom all cleaned up so have a perfect view of the linkage.

I have thought about converting this bike to RHS shift a few times but it is handy to have a loaner bike for someone who is not familiar with RHS shift. This set-up works okay but I may have to take it apart to clean up some rust so maybe I will thoroughly clean and re-lubricate the system so it works as best as possible.

Jim
 
What is your actual disability? I have drop foot iny right leg, can't lift the gear lever. Easy fix was to make up SFC style rocking gear levers for my right change bikes. Works a treat, much easier than engineering a cross over. Just converted my 3C to a heel rear brake on the left hand side, works great!
 
It's been decades but from memory, you need to lift the engine up a bit, mounts released to get the bloody thing out. I pissed mine off cause I was sick of constantly sailing into 35kph bends in angle gear, false neutral or revving the arse off the bike with missed gear changes. Mine was HORRIBLE for that with the left gear changes. Much better with non-flogged-out direct connection right lever. So that improved, but converting to a left rear brake with really direct connection was also not good. That resulted in the slightest touch on the brake had the rear wheel lock, even tiny leg pressure was to strong. That fix was stronger brake shoe return springs. I have no idea if that flogged out left change could have been fixed with tighter bushes. The bike was 10 years old when I bought it and it had been ridden hard and put away wet as they say.
 
I was wrong in my original post when I said the cross-over mechanism was attached to the frame. I don't have a 3C, and it's been a while since I had a close look at one. I don't think I'd never actually grovelled on the floor for a detailed look. So I hadn't realised that the tube for the crossover shaft was bolted to the underside of the motor.

I presume all 3C engine castings were the same whether left or right shift, so if the studs for the cross-tube aren't there, then hopefully the cast-in bosses will be there. They may just need to be drilled/tapped. If European market bikes had those mounting bosses cut off, then you have a slightly more complicated problem. In that case, changing the mounting lugs on the cross-over tube to pick up the rear engine mounts would probably be the simplest option.


Early cases do not have a provision for the plastic cross-over bearing blocks. These need the bolt-on tube containing the actual shaft.

Later cases have a cast-on boss on the LH side, the boss for the RH bearing is on the sprocket cover. These bearing blocks take up the shaft directly with an integrated lever on the right and splined at the LH end to accept a short actuating lever. The bosses are tapped ex-factory.

piet
 
Thanks Piet. I had guessed that the later style of crossover with the plastic bearing blocks on the back of the engine was a 3CL thing. I've never seen it on a 3C.

I suppose it's an improvement because it eliminates one set of linkages by fitting the shift lever directly to the end of the crossover shaft.

If making a custom system, it may be possible to put the crossover shaft in approximately the same position (to gain the same advantage of eliminating the left linkage) by putting the shaft tube above/forward of the top rear engine mounts with attachment lugs that pick up the upper rear engine mounting bolt.

If you have rearsets, there are linkages all over the place, so it makes little difference where the crossover shaft is.
 
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Earlier system is actually a lot superior as the shaft is better supported. Does require regular greasing though, stiffness can be worse than slop.

piet
 
Thanks again for all your help. Especially Jim's pictures made it all clear to me. I will make my conversion just like yours because it looks most like the original from the partslist posted by The Sock earlier. Give me some time and I will come back with my homework.
 
What is your actual disability? I have drop foot iny right leg, can't lift the gear lever. Easy fix was to make up SFC style rocking gear levers for my right change bikes. Works a treat, much easier than engineering a cross over. Just converted my 3C to a heel rear brake on the left hand side, works great!
More or less same as yours. Thanks for your suggestion but I want to stay close to the original option.
 
Thanks again for all your help. Especially Jim's pictures made it all clear to me. I will make my conversion just like yours because it looks most like the original from the partslist posted by The Sock earlier. Give me some time and I will come back with my homework.

I can try and get some dimensions off mine when I get the heat back on in the shop. Takes a lot of wood to keep it reasonably warm when the temperature outside is in the -20's.

Jim
 
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