Reverse Shift (GP Shift)

Allow me to caution you that calling someone an "idiot", while not being able to learn the basic skill that millions of folks have mastered.....seems awfully hypocritical.....

 

My first bike, decades ago, was a Ducati GT750. "GP shift" as we now call it, on the right-hand side.

I switched to GP shift after my 250 two-strike nearly pinged me into the Armco barriers on a track in France while trying to shift from 5th to 6th at an angle and my boot touched the road.

The only reason for street pattern as we now call it are the Japanese, who dominated the market and imposed how we (rather: you) now shift. Before they came along, there were all kinds of ways and no, that wasn't ideal either.
I don't use Windows either so I haven't mastered the "basic skills" of rebooting and format C that "millions have mastered" either. I'm just that stupid I guess.

Anyone who knows what they're talking about realizes that "GP shift" just makes more sense and shifts better. No false neutrals etc. That has nothing to do with being a wannabe ( or in my case has-been ) racer and besides, don't you 750/800 riders have anything left to talk about on your own forums?

Yes, I have (tiny) trophies but then again I raced tiny bikes with no gears.

Rant over.

 

Thats why when I used to race my 50 around the go-cart track and it had a gp shift I was constantly mis-shifting to the point where I was going into first. Just a total disaster really, turned that into regular street pattern and everything was good.

Dah 50 was used when I was racing as a tool, we had 10 racing friends with 50s and 80s turning wheels at night under the lights. For my race bikes, I used the street pattern because I was unable to adapt to the GP pattern after 26 years of street riding and maybe 220,000 miles. It was never an issue on the race track. I still have the little bastard and gona take it out in the near future to a go-cart track and drag some patella. Just wondering what the hell a gallon of VP 100 octane is gona cost now. I got my fire wood too (trophies)

You come from Belgium to tell us that we are snivel-leechies crying about gp shift and such? And you dont do "windows." figures your a Crap-in-Tosh user. Dont lull yourself into thinking that your so special and that you think with a different part of your brain than us, cause you dont :tongue:

 

So dude, are you going to enter your 1200 in some races when you get all this design and machine work done. I am sure you will kick ass bigtime.

One of the larger influences on the Japanese motorcycle industry might have been HD, who sold tooling to the Japanese in the 1920's. Come to think of it, I had a Francis-Barnett from the 50s that had a three speed box that "GP" shifted and a couple of German rigs, (Zundapp and Maico) that shifted the same way.

IMO your zeal is appreciated but your sense of history is skewed or you are just trying to BS your way though.

 

Okay I shouldn't have used the word "idiot", that was completely out of line and so unlike me on a forum. It just shows how worked up I got when Rocket22 got the same unreasonable stick I got when I asked the question a year ago. I do apologize and that, as 9000 posts on the Apriliaforum will show, is also very very rare for me to do.

 

You do realize that you're actually saying the same thing I am, only in reverse, right? I've been riding with GP shift for some 30 years so yes, I have more difficulty to adapt to street pattern than someone who doesn't know anything else. Excuse me for wanting to shift differently from most.

Crap-in-Tosh, how original. Ha ha.
Me and Windows just don't get along so I use something more suited to me. You're the one making assumptions.

As to me being from Belgium, what does that have to do with anything? Isn't this the VFRWORLD forum? Did I say anything about the USA? I don't think so.

 

Excuse me if I don't know HD history from 100 years ago. When I started riding, Kawasaki were the only ones with a slightly different pattern on their two-strokes: neutral, rest up. And it's so long ago I might even have that wrong.


No, "dude", I'm not going to enter any racing competition with the 1200. I'm not even going to do a track day on it. There are other bikes for that as you may guess. I just don't see the relevance of that question to the topic at hand.

 

"There is much you do not know and much you do not see, Grasshopper"

 

As far as I'm concerned there is nothing wrong with a GP (reverse) shift pattern on a bike. I had one for years. It started with our race bikes because that's the way we set them up.
I actually liked it better than the one down four/five up. You couldn't make a mistake down shifting accidentally if your sliding around on the bike and hit the shifter. You'd just bump in to the next gear and bog instead of over reving or locking rear wheel.

To each their own I say.

 

Here's how to do it...

I bought a new VFR1200 last month. I love it, but had a real problem with the fact that I couldn't switch to GP shift. I was amazed no one on this forum had figured it out, but as I can't let something go until I do, well, I did. For all of you who have been chastised for even wanting to go GP shift on this bike or any bike, this is for you. Enjoy your ride the way you want to! Sorry I can't post pics today, but if anyone wants them I happy to do so later. Parts list: Reverse Shift Kit for 2002-2006 RC51 from Sato Racing ($50) Stock shift rod for a 2007-2011 CBR600RR ($10) Step 1: Go buy a reverse shift kit for a 2002 RC51 from Sato (you can find it on their website but I got mine from solomotoparts.com. This little gem will let you flip the shift cam 180 degrees and clear the hydraulic clutch line without issue. Pull the stock shift cam and install the Sato onto the transmission rod, but don't tighten yet. Step 2: Unscrew the stock shift rod from both the stock shift cam and the stock footpeg. Step 3: Get out your dremel. If you don't have a dremel, go buy one and never admit that you haven't always owned one. Cut the threaded end of your stock shift rod off right at the top of the threads. You want it so that the threads can be used on both ends. Step 4: Screw the threads that you just cut off into the CBR600RR shift rod. This shift rod is narrow in the middle and helps you clear the final drive housing. Step 5: Screw your new modified shift rod into the fototpeg. Step 6: Screw the Sato shift cam bolt into the top of your new modified shift rod. Step 7: Adjust the height of your footpeg to suit you. Step 8: Tighten it all down. Don't forget the bolt holding the Sato cam onto the transmission rod. Enjoy!!

 

Good to know don't think I will ever do this mod as I did it on one of my Race bikes and then switched from track to street and then to dirt and kept getting it messed up. Tried to blow up my dirt bike a coupe of times cramming it down in the next gear downshifting when I wanted to up-shift. So now they stay stock.

 

afmmer, many many thanks! A good friend told me that the only solution was for me to show how it's done but you've beaten me to it. Your first post ever is the most informative and useful one I've seen on here I think.

I will do as told. And yes, I've always owned a Dremel. :smile:

Edit: you've got the last one from solomotoparts so I took a look at kyleusa.com and they have a Sato part that looks incredibly similar and will work with stock rearsets and not with Sato sets. It's supposed to be for the Ninja 250 I think. Think I'll continue searching for something closer to home first.

 

Okay I ordered the RC51 Sato part from intobikes.co.uk. Saves on import tax which can run high.

I've a question about that: can I use a 6 mm stainless steel rod to clear the final drive housing? Cutting left-hand thread is not a problem.

Thanks again! :smile:

 

A 6mm rod might work, but the problem is that the footped needs the rod screwed into it and the sato part is threaded so you need a rod you can screw it into. Does that make sense? In other words, you need threads coming out of one end of the rod (male) and a female receptacle at the other end. That's why I went with the 600RR rod and modified it as described.

 

I see what you mean. The one from Kyleusa.com for the Ninja 250 R would actually be ideal because it has inside thread so you would only need a different size rod and cut thread if needed.



As it is, it's a valuable tip and I can always weld a stainless steel small piece of pipe with inside thread to the rod for a clean look.
Or get that CBR rod of course and do your mod.

I prefer not to alter the OE rod for when I sell the bike in about 4 years' time.

Thanks again,

Bef

Another edit: yes pics would be much appreciated please!

 

Thanks so much for the info!!

Man, pics would be great also.

 

Shaft Housing

Any issues with clearing the driveshaft housing when using the CBR600RR shift rod.

Just looking at things, seems you could flip the stock shift cam over, maybe route the hydraulic house back a little (by knocking off the placement tab)...but seems like it would then take an extra long shift rod that needs to be curved/bent some to clear the driveshaft coupler...

 

My Sato RC51 reverse kit just came in. 60 quid shipped.
Clearing the housing looks easy as the Sato part pushes the location of the rod connection outward about an inch.
Unsure if I'll have the time this weekend to put it all together but I'll post pics when I do. Definitely going for a home-made rod to
a) Have fun making up the mod and
b) Have something shiny there that doesn't rust.

:smile:

 

Parts Ordered

Just ordered my Sato Reverse Shift cam ($52.50 US) and a CBR600RR shift rod ($10.64 US), plus about $8.00 shipping cost.

Done deal!!

Thanks for the help in figuring this out!!

 

Parts Installed

Received my parts Friday afternoon.

Took about 30 mins start to finish. Ended up adding a 1/8 inch spacer on the Shift cam to give a little more clearance on the shaft housing.

Works perfectly. SO much easier and quicker going through the gears.

Excellent modification, very easy and not expensive at all.

Thanks for the info guys!