Heal Shifter Problems?

[Second Chance]

On the way home from the Sierras yesterday I started having issues with shifting with my heal. Strange ones, like finding the pad the first time I wore my Sidi X Powers on the Trail. The problem was getting worse and I just wanted to get home for supper so I continued to ride for the next hour. Keep an eye on your boots...

 

[Cpd419]

Wow. I cut mine off. I can’t reach it anyways.

 

[m in sc]

yup. one reason I rotated it 'up' a spline in the front. if my heel would have still caught like yours did i would have sawed it off as well. it used to do that the 1st time i ride it, super sketch.

 

[BergyPatty37]

Depending on what year yours is (JA55 or JA65) you could either get the Hammerhead Designs Toe only shifter (diirt bike style with break away tip. Fits JA55).
If you have the JA65 engine I have not come across any toe shifter only for that bike. I ended up cutting mine off with a cutting disk, then used grinder to smoothen out any burrs. So much better. Coming from dirt bikes my whole life I just didn't understand the appeal of the heel shifter.
Other mod I did was I removed the kick starter and moved it down 2-3 splines, so standing it doesn't false engage.
Hope that helps

 

[Second Chance]

Thanks, I appreciate your thoughts. Initially I thought I would be bending the rear portion of the stock shifter. I've gotten used to it and don't have any issues with the kick starter. If anything I'll probably just go with the factory folding pedal shift and brake levers from Honda.

The real impetus for this thread was what I perceived in the humorous aspect of boot heal failure related to all the fluff about the heal shifter difficulties. To be fair the boots a nine years old and the right one took a hard impact when a very nice gentleman turned left 15 feet in front of me and totaled my souped up Grom. I pulled my spare pair of Mag-1s out of their box for the time being and will put on my cobbler hat and repair the old ones.

On a serious note, regarding the shifter I rather like it and didn't think that I would. I am thankful for the folks that suggested to try it for awhile. It's no different than picking up the muscle memory to trail brake on a bicycle or Vespa and do the same on a motorcycle, or left foot braking on a FWD car versus the throttle on a RWD car to hustle around a corner. If anything I'm more concerned about the difficulty of disabling the electronic nannies preventing Erik Carlsson moves in the current crop of FWD automobiles.

I'm no Henry N. Manney III however I do hope this was mildly entertaining.

Edit: For the youngsters, Henry Manny Meets Motorcycle, a classic in his usual prose.

 

[Dia1Up]

Wearing low shoes (which you should never wear) would get caught. Now with my full ankle coverage shoes, I have 0 problems. Although there is a small wear spot you can see where it rubs. I wear Icon Cargas for a decent entry level real motorcycle shoe (99.9% of my riding is 50km/h and lower)

I tilted my shifter arm a single knotch forwards, and I absolutely love it now (toe part is now lower, heel is now higher). Although disclaimer: Only motorcycle I've ever ridden, and Canadian model which is the international version with the backwards rotary transmission.

 

[Cpd419]

If your foot touches it most likely it’s engaging your clutch even if you don’t notice it. No bueno.

 

[Daytripper]

The other day after changing the front sprocket I was trying to get that plastic cover back on properly along with the metal spacer. I just couldn't get the cover back on. After multiple tries I looked over at my Ryobi sawzall, and something snapped in my head, and 30 seconds later that heal shifter portion was on the floor, and around a minute later the plastic cover was back on the bike! I am not a big proponent of sawing things off my Trail, but this thing just had to go. Now I can stand up without disengaging the clutch, can fairly easily swap put the front sprocket for off road or on road use. And I don't miss that rear peddle one bit in actual riding. I have saved it so if somehow I should change my mind I can weld it back on, but really I don't see it.

 

[m in sc]

worst case just buy a spare stock one and have it on hand. 24701-K2E-T01 34 bucks on partzilla for a ja55. 24701-K2E-J10 28 bucks for a ja65.

 

[vintagegarage]

(ed.)and 30 seconds later that heal shifter portion was on the floor. (ed)

That is a shame, but m in sc is right, no worries..

 

[Daytripper]

That is a shame, but m in sc is right, no worries..

I do feel shame I suppose, after all it has become almost a Honda legacy. But not regret.. I would have left it on but it makes changing sprockets that much harder. Enough so that I simply would avoid it. Now I can set it up for doing more off road riding, or highway more or less on a whim.. If Honda would have given the bike a low range, or even another gear in the tranny,... But they didn't. I suppose it is the same with the rear rack handle. I wanted to keep it, but my ass thanks me every time I ride it for not.

 

[m in sc]

funny, I have a 67 kawasaki and a 67 yamaha w a heeli toe shifter, they sucked as well to heel shift. I didn't cut them off either but I also don't use the heel part on those, either. 0.02