rear set install with shifter side conversion

Having owned old Brit bikes alongside Jap bikes back in the early 70s, I used to swap between them OK too. But for the last 40 years or more I've been riding left-shift only bikes. It wasn't a preference or conscious decision I made at the time to stick with left shift. I just wasn't impressed with the way pommy bikes left a trail of nuts, bolts and spare parts along the road so I stuck with Japanese bikes, which at the time were a revelation in performance, reliability and oil-tightness! Jap bikes were invariably left shift.

The ability to swap is like any other skill - use it or lose it. I reckon by now I've all but lost it. There have been the odd occasions in recent years when I've ridden other people's right-shift bikes without any issues, but I wouldn't trust myself to react appropriately in an emergency, so all my bikes are left shift.

Anyway, this thread was about fitting the left-shift rearsets on Paul's bike, not a debate about whether or not to fit it in the first place  :D 

Have you taken it for a test ride yet Paul? I'd be interested to if it all works to your satisfaction. Especially the rear disk brake.
 
I only use the rear brake as a cornering device, if I want to stop, its the front brakes only and the lever is always on the right, and always will be. I rode my Laverda for so many years with right side shift that I still occasionally use my right foot to 'shift the brake pedal' with my more modern LH shift bikes when I'm not concentrating.

Stu
 
I can swap from RH to LH also, usually the first stab at the brake pedal trying to put in gear will be the only 'error' then I'm good the rest of the ride.

I race VMX Rickman Montesa w/RH shift and Post VMX HL 500 replica w/LH shift. Actually have more problem with rear brake 'feel' on the RH shift bikes.

Trained myself with mock panic situations my stepping on everything, works regardless of bike.
 
Dellortoman said:
Having owned old Brit bikes alongside Jap bikes back in the early 70s, I used to swap between them OK too. But for the last 40 years or more I've been riding left-shift only bikes. It wasn't a preference or conscious decision I made at the time to stick with left shift. I just wasn't impressed with the way pommy bikes left a trail of nuts, bolts and spare parts along the road so I stuck with Japanese bikes, which at the time were a revelation in performance, reliability and oil-tightness! Jap bikes were invariably left shift.

The ability to swap is like any other skill - use it or lose it. I reckon by now I've all but lost it. There have been the odd occasions in recent years when I've ridden other people's right-shift bikes without any issues, but I wouldn't trust myself to react appropriately in an emergency, so all my bikes are left shift.

Anyway, this thread was about fitting the left-shift rearsets on Paul's bike, not a debate about whether or not to fit it in the first place  :D 

Have you taken it for a test ride yet Paul? I'd be interested to if it all works to your satisfaction. Especially the rear disk brake.
Click to expand...

yes, have test ridden.

Rear brake works as well as it did before I added the rear sets, I can lock the back wheel at will.

the shifter is another story. With my original linkage set up and the rod at the top, there was not quite enough clearance for the lever for proper upshifts. Wound up copying you and swapping setup to the bottom, now works really well, nice and crisp. Will probably interfere with the Bushman side stand conversion I want to add, but I will deal with that later. ;)

really like the rear sets, should have done this a long time ago. The set I got from Wolfgang have folding pegs, not so sure I really needed the folding pegs now that the set is on the bike, but it seemed like a good idea when I ordered..... ::) ::)

Paul LeClair
 
Paul LeClair said:
Will probably interfere with the Bushman side stand conversion I want to add, but I will deal with that later. ;)
Click to expand...

Hi Paul

The lever arm will probably foul the bolt head on the stand bracket. You'll get it to fit with a bit of tweaking.

To make mine fit with the side stand, I took some of the bend out of the lever arm that fits onto the crossover shaft. Just applied oxy-acetylene until red hot and bashed it into a less bent sort of thing. When it's straightened out it ends up longer, so I think I chopped a bit of the excess length off it too.

It's also spaced out a bit by the plastic bush between the lever arm and the crossover shaft bearing. I dunno whether you have a lathe, but if not there must be someone local to you who could make up the spacers you need at each end of the shaft.

Cheers,
Cam
 

Attachments

  • gearchange with side stand.jpg
    gearchange with side stand.jpg
    150.3 KB · Views: 37
I have folding pegs, good and bad points. The good point is when my dual seat is on the bike and with the longer shocks the seat height is pretty high and it's difficult to push about while parking and sitting on the bike, folding the pegs makes getting your feet down to do this easier.
And the bad is after padding about you take off with the pegs up and its a bit hard to flick them down while your riding. If your a real star its handy to lift your foot and have the peg fold up in a bend, that's at really big lean angles so its rare for me to do that. I set mine at 45 degrees so they can fold and not hang up. I have had my pegs come loose and rotate on long rides, that's a hassle finding a 17mm that will get at them to snug them up.
 
My question is WHY convert the rear brakes to the right and shiftier to the left when standing on the brakes the Cross pattern keeps you balanced without all your weight being on the right ?

Muscle memory or not, I still prefer brakes right front and left rear - Don't give a shit what side the sifter is on other then a left shiftier disposes of the left rear brake.

Drums are slower to haul you down from high speed then disks but much better when it's wet where I spend over 50% of my time on the North Shore.
 
Paul, I am curious to how you fixed the folding Tarozzi pegs to the rear set plates.  I had a set of the folding type sitting around for a quite awhile, so when Gert offered his reproductions of the plates, I quickly acquired a set (with the brake cable boss on the left hand set).  The problems I encountered are 1) the stud (can't really call it a bolt) to secure the foot peg to the plates is too short to pass through inner and outer plates  2) the hole in the plates is larger than the stud, and 3) the stud is stepped, with the diameter smaller at the threaded end. 

Is your set up similar?  Did you need to make up some spacers or bushes for a proper fit?  And, does peg stud pass through both inner and outer plates? (there is no way to lengthen the stud, as it is machined from the same piece as the folding hinge).

I had resigned myself to having to purchase the fixed pegs, but than noticed you have used the folding type. 

Finally, found this supplier of Tarozzi rear sets with an explanation of the 42 unique positions of the lever arm (basic logic really!).

http://www.fastfromthepast.com/rearsets


The timing of your original post has been perfect...Thanks!

Keith


 
SandPebbles said:
Paul, I am curious to how you fixed the folding Tarozzi pegs to the rear set plates.  I had a set of the folding type sitting around for a quite awhile, so when Gert offered his reproductions of the plates, I quickly acquired a set (with the brake cable boss on the left hand set).  The problems I encountered are 1) the stud (can't really call it a bolt) to secure the foot peg to the plates is too short to pass through inner and outer plates  2) the hole in the plates is larger than the stud, and 3) the stud is stepped, with the diameter smaller at the threaded end. 

Is your set up similar?  Did you need to make up some spacers or bushes for a proper fit?  And, does peg stud pass through both inner and outer plates? (there is no way to lengthen the stud, as it is machined from the same piece as the folding hinge).

I had resigned myself to having to purchase the fixed pegs, but than noticed you have used the folding type. 

Finally, found this supplier of Tarozzi rear sets with an explanation of the 42 unique positions of the lever arm (basic logic really!).

http://www.fastfromthepast.com/rearsets


The timing of your original post has been perfect...Thanks!

Keith
Click to expand...

Hi Keith

talk to Wolfgang. The folding pegs do not stick all the way through both plates, exactly as you described. However, Wolfgang provided a very deep "nut" with a 17 mm head, it sticks in from the back of the plate and sticks at least half through to the front, also acts as a bush. This part of the install, mounting the folding pegs in the plates, was true plug and play as provided by Wolfgang.

I did wind up doing a variety of fiddling with the brake rod, eventually cutting it shorter and re threading it to suit, and I replaced most of the other hardware with different and stainless steel bits and bobs, mostly my own preferences to match the rest of the bikes hardware. It also took me a while to figure out exactly how adjustable the Tarozzi clocking system is, really ingenious. Do not forget that the index pin has to slot into a notch in the front threaded assembly, do not try and force it, make sure it lines up. Took me a few moments to catch on........ ::)

I was out for a long ride this evening after work, really pleased with the rear sets and the shifting and braking action, and especially with the improved riding position. I should have done this conversion a decade ago......, highly recommended!

Paul LeClair
 
Paul,

Thanks for the reply....the extended "nut" with the 17 mm head is exactly the answer I was looking for.  I had conceived of such hardware but had no way of actually creating one.  Your recommendation to contact Wolfgang is appreciated.

And thanks for the heads up on the index pin...I do also like both the look and engineering behind the Tarozzi rear sets.

Do you prefer the folding pegs?  With a nod to Helicopter Jim's post, I have bikes with both types and just accept the pros and cons of each type.  It appears most, if not all, new bikes come with folding pegs.  Is this for safety reasons by the manufacturers?  Just curious.

BTW, I am sticking with RHS gear change, so hopefully the linkages won't be too much of a challenge (but hey, that's half the fun, right?) 

Keith
 
I can't see the point of folding pegs unless you're in the habit of dragging them on the road in corners. I've never leaned my Jota over that far so I don't even know if it's possible. I think there are other bits that hit the ground first, like alternator cover on the right and primary chain adjuster bolt on the left.

If you fall off the bike with folding pegs, they offer less protection to the rest of the bike when it's sliding down the road on its side.
 
SandPebbles said:
It appears most, if not all, new bikes come with folding pegs.  Is this for safety reasons by the manufacturers?  Just curious.
Click to expand...

New bikes don't come with any tip over protection ..... no frame sliders, no rigid pegs and usually very simple plain bar ends. My guess is that they hope your bike falls over so that they can sell you lots of parts to rplace all the broken plastic.

My Guzzi V11 tipped over once ....... rigid pegs, large bar ends and aggressive guards on the cylinder heads. Tank never touched ...... seat never touched and the exhaust can touched slightly. A bit of rub and polish and all good.
 
Folding pegs are also less likely to pierce your calf in the case you spill and you're trapped under the bike... mandatory in off-road competition.

Same reason road-racing footpegs are required to have definite radiussed ends.

piet

 
sfcpiet said:
Folding pegs are also less likely to pierce your calf in the case you spill and you're trapped under the bike... mandatory in off-road competition.

Same reason road-racing footpegs are required to have definite radiussed ends.

piet
Click to expand...

I would have thought a radiused end would have been more likely to penetrate human flesh in comparison to a flat end. 
 
Solid foot pegs can save your engine and frame BUT perhaps not your legs or fingers if you drop her.

I'll go for solid pegs front and rear anytime not a fan of crash bars forsake a light narrow fairing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top