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How to protect the gear shifter of a T120?

9K views 21 replies 9 participants last post by  NN65 
#1 ·
I am looking for a means to protect the gear shifter against damage if my T120 is dropped while stopped or handled while parked --parking attendants here won't let your motorcycle alone, and that may well be surprised by the weight of a T120, as they are used to pushing very light bikes.

While there may be engine guards that may do that, I am thinking of the Renntec ones for instance, this may be a bit overkill.

I wonder if simply limiting the freedom of the front peg upwards might not do the trick.

Would there be a means to add a part besides the spring?

Else is it possible to weld on these pegs? What material are they anyway? Cast aluminum? Stainless steel? ...antimony?

Anyone with a similar experience to share?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Fixed foot pegs used to be a thing on old bikes. They were essentially built in engine protectors, shift lever protectors, etc.

But they went out of fashion in favor of the foldable pegs for safety reasons and you just don't see the fixed variety on modern bikes.

There is probably a racing supplier out there somewhere that makes fixed pegs you could swap in place of the stock foldable ones.

The suggested approach on these forums is to cut a notch in the shift lever, creating a break point so that it snaps off in the event of a fall, instead of transferring the force into the shift lever axle and shift fork (the expensive bits).

Not sure I like that method, as I'd probably end up accidentally snapping the lever off while actually riding.
 
#3 ·
There are folding shifters used on dirt bikes. Might be something that could work on the T120.

One advantage of fitting rearsets on the AirCooled bikes seems to be reducing the risk of damaging the shifter shaft....the actual shifter could still be damaged but the force will not transfer along the rearset pushrod to bend the shaft.
 
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#6 ·
moving the controls with a connecting rod, even short like on the Bobber, would certainly be a solution, but the pegs are right for me where they are.

You mentioned grinding the shifter to weaken it, would you have any pictures and advice?
 
#9 ·
@Delta, thanks, read through that, it sounds like it is really worth protecting this small bit.

There was a mention of crash bars with pictures there, a simple bar across the engine with plastic endings protruding maybe two inches. The one depicted looks to high on the bike to actually protect the shifter, but how about lower ones? Is there any manufacturer of a low bar across the engine?
 
#11 ·
For the time being I have settled for putting a number of stainless washers on the shaft behind the gear lever in the hope that this would limit the inward travel and spread the load in a way that would at least allow surviving a static topple over. Of course it might also damage the casing so its not ideal. I haven't been able to find folding lever which has the necessary downward kink in the vertical plane to match the original but I have contemplated getting a steel lever which could be heated and reformed to the correct shape. I hope I'll never put this to the test.
 
#14 ·
Most dirt bikes have folding shift levers...it wouldn't take much to fabricate a piece that attached to the end of the original Triumph shift lever that could accommodate the folding part from a dirt bike lever



If you have a Honda shop near you ask them to order a shift lever from the new CRF250L Rally

 
#17 ·
Most dirt bikes have folding shift levers...it wouldn't take much to fabricate a piece that attached to the end of the original Triumph shift lever that could accommodate the folding part from a dirt bike lever

The OP was concerned about a soft drop; foldings don't work then as the fold is in the wrong direction. My solution for my AC Scram was here in post #15:

http://www.triumphrat.net/water-cooled-twins-technical-talk/741098-dropped-street-twin-now-trouble-shifting-2.html
 
#20 ·
Still a common occurrence here, you park your bike at a designated place only to find the place changed into a restaurant at the time you are back.

Just the sheer number of people who find a T120 attractive means most bike parking attendants will want to move your bike, and as few have experience with heavy bikes, and most are of a smaller frame, they take risks: pushing without sitting on it, standing to the left of the bike (and they cannot hold it if it goes away from them)...

We live a dangerous life :) and I am starting to lock the steering column to avoid tempting them.
 
#21 ·
Not so bad now that "big bikes" are more common but years ago you would find Thais sitting on your bike taking pictures - Chinese tourists still do!!!

Moving a bike so that you can park your car is common here and the locals just do not have the same respect for someone else's bike that we do. After all a bike is low class transport compared to a car!
More than once i have had to tear a strip off them for touching my bike.
Twisting the throttle on my pumper carb equipped Harley is a very special annoyance
 
#22 ·
Not mentioning turning on the blinkers, opening the rainproof cover of a 5V outlet, fiddling with the off switch... most often turning the mirrors to pick one's nose.

Beauties don't have privacy.
 
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