Just wondering if anybody has done it to a 929. It is not as easy to do as my f4i, I just wanted to get used to it on my street bike first before I did it on a race weekend.
It is a piece of cake on a 929. Here are the steps:
1) Remove left peg
2) Remove shift lever and linkage, reinstall left peg
3) Throw shift lever and linkage in the trash
4) Order VFR800 shift lever ($25 from www.ronayers.com)
5) Install VFR800 shift lever
6) Enjoy reverse shifting
Seriously though, all you need is the VFR lever and you are set. The VFR doesn't use a linked shift lever so you just bolt the lever directly on the shift drum. It worked well with both the stock rearsets and the Woodcraft rearsets I have on there now. You can do the same thing with the RC51 and older CBR 600's as well (won't work on the 600RR due to stacked engine design).
FYI, if you go this route then make doubly sure the shift lever is adjusted high enough such that something else (engine cases, footpeg, etc) will drag before the shift lever does if you get really cranked over on the left side. It sure would suck to have the ground send you into a false neutral mid corner while hard on the gas fully leaned over. I have mine higher than the engine cases and figure if I am dragging the cases then I am probably on my way down anyway so it won't matter.
Yours if friggin high enough!!!! :o
But reverse shifting is cool!!
Hey, at least you didn't drag it on the ground and high side yourself during the race!
BTW, we dragged the crap out of my fairing. I am patching the hole on the right side probably tomorrow, but we also got the left side. Just rubbed the paint of but still. Hopefully before the next race and/or track day I will have the fairings adjusted such that they are in a little tighter. Can't afford to patch them after every trip to the track... ;)
That is all you brother....I don't get low enough to drag fairing...especially on my left...I suck on lefts...
Just curios as to what year VFR i would need to order the shifter from? as i have been wanting to do this to my 954 8)
I got a VFR lever for my RC51 and I think the shift levers from all years of the 800cc VFR are the same.
ok ill order one up but can anyone who has changed there shift pattern on there 929/954 please post a picture just so i can see what it looks like? :)
Anybody with Sato sets on a 954 try this...I assume it's just like the 929 but I wonder about my Sato linkage????
yes someone please post a pic. i've been thinking about doing this on my 954.
thx
So realitivly speaking for those that do have reverse shift on there bikes already. How much more of and advantage does make for you to have... Does really help with your times on the track.... :-*
comfort level really. When you are upshifting you are speeding up so tucked in as much as possible, much easier to push down than to lift up with body already as close to knees as possible. Also you normally do not need to downshift in a corner but you do normally need to upsift after a corner you can prepare for the upshift when in gp by placing foot over shift there norammly is not room under shifter to prepare for shift.
Also the whole it is easier and more positvie upshift when pushing down than when pulling up but I have never really had that problem.
Haven't checked here in a while.
Switching to GP shift (reverse shift) seems more natural to me. You get rid of the linkage which makes shifts feel more positive (no more slack from the linkage). Plus, as someone else mentioned, there are lots of cases where I am still leaned over quite a bit and need to shift into a higher gear. Don't want to try doing that with regular shifting while in a left hand turn, might lose a toe!
As for pics, here is one of my race bike with the VFR lever and Woodcraft rearsets:
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iddg.com%2Flglaze%2FMC-Pics%2Freverse-shift.jpg&hash=e51a4295a42a56fbd3719a88c32b11cf2255f15f)
If your rearsets came with a new linkage then it might be possible just to flip the connector upside down to reverse the pattern. I couldn't do that with the Woodcraft rearsets, but I like the VFR method better anyway since race spares are only $25 each. BTW, I have a couple of them if anyone wants them. Say $15 each plus shipping (likely only a couple bucks).
Lastly, I have the same thing done on my RC51 with stock rearsets. The main thing to insure is that you position the shift lever high enough that it does not drag under extreme lean angles in left hand turns. Getting tossed into a false neutral while fully leaned over would be bad.
lfg929 - I'm just getting back into racing after 2 years off and will be running my 929 in the Northeast region (GTU, USS, UGP). I'll take 2 of your spare reverse shifters.
Any specific set-up tips you can share while we are at it? Shoot me an Email at Linhart1@prodigy.net and we can make arrangements for the shifters.
George Linhart
I already sold the shift levers a while back.
As for tips, it is pretty straightforward. As I have already said though, just make sure the lever is high enough that if you get really leaned over you don't drag the lever and pop into a false neutral or actuall do a downshift. I put mine high enough that the stator cover would have to be dragging on the pavement before the shift lever would touch.
I was thinking more of general bike set up tips. I am definitely getting the suspension done (front and rear). Just wondering if you found it useful to drop the front or raise the rear, stuff like that...
Let me know if you have any thoughts.
George
I added 7mm to the rear end. It makes the bike a bit more twitchy but i got used to it after a couple track days. I left the front alone for the most part. My biggest issue was ground clearance. I would drag the bodywork on both sides of the bike. The thing is just too freaking wide at the bottom.
Other than that, the bike handles well. It could use a little more stability in the turns, but it is workable. I didn't have any complaints about racing the 929. If CCS ran some tracks closer to me then I wouldn't be selling the 929. Unfortunately, WERA is much more convenient so the 929 is out the door in favor of a GSXR 750.
For setup, get a rear shock and have someone work the forks. You don't have to replace them, but at least have someone breath on them a little. I had Dan Kyle do mine (they worked much better). Basically he put the proper springs in for my weight, modified the stock shims and valving, and then polished the tubes to reduce stiction.