[ChopperCharles]

I want to use the 500 Turbo's shifter lever on my latest (naturally aspirated) project bike. The Turbo apparently has a larger shifter shaft, because the splines on the turbo lever are much bigger than the stock lever. Can I simply swap the shifter shaft from the turbo into my motor, or is the hole a different diameter with a different seal? Thanks.



Charles.

 

[timothy_d]

You may want to consider a CX650E or CX500E shifter too.

The CX E Rearsets are the same distance as the CX T, but the shifter shaft is the standard diameter.



I think that Sam Logan (svenolaf777) has one for sale in Canada.

 

[Don in Oz]

I want to use the 500 Turbo's shifter lever on my latest (naturally aspirated) project bike. The Turbo apparently has a larger shifter shaft, because the splines on the turbo lever are much bigger than the stock lever. Can I simply swap the shifter shaft from the turbo into my motor, or is the hole a different diameter with a different seal? Thanks.



Charles.

Charles, The oilseals are quite different - the 500 Turbo uses a 22/36/7 mm seal, whereas the NA motors use a 14/26/7 seal, and I visually confirmed that ther turbo's gearshift shaft is indeed quite a lot larger in diameter at the seal.

HOWEVER, you'll be encouraged to know that a caliper measurement of the spline diameter is 14mm on BOTH shafts, so I reckon the shifter lever from any/all CX bikes would fit whichever shaft you have in the motor.

There is a sharp taper on the turbo shaft - from one diameter to the other - and the turbo shifter lever sits about 6 mm further to the rear of the rear motor-casing than on the NA motor, mainly due to the length of this taper.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Charles, The oilseals are quite different - the 500 Turbo uses a 22/36/7 mm seal, whereas the NA motors use a 14/26/7 seal, and I visually confirmed that ther turbo's gearshift shaft is indeed quite a lot larger in diameter at the seal.

HOWEVER, you'll be encouraged to know that a caliper measurement of the spline diameter is 13.5mm on BOTH shafts, so I reckon the shifter lever from any/all CX bikes would fit whichever shaft you have in the motor.

There is a large taper on the turbo shaft - from one diameter to the other - and the turbo shifter lever sits about 6 mm further to the rear of the rear motor-casing than on the NA motor.

Huh? I don't quite follow that last part. I have a Turbo shifter, and it doesn't fit on the NA motor's shaft. Not even close, it's way too big. I was hoping I'd be able to use the shaft from the Turbo, but that looks like a no-go since the outer diameter of the oil seal is quite a bit larger on the turbo. I'd have to swap rear covers, and I'm guessing there's a whole lot of other differences in the rear cover which will make things overly difficult.



Charles.

 

[Don in Oz]

Huh? I don't quite follow that last part. I have a Turbo shifter, and it doesn't fit on the NA motor's shaft. Not even close, it's way too big. I was hoping I'd be able to use the shaft from the Turbo, but that looks like a no-go since the outer diameter of the oil seal is quite a bit larger on the turbo. I'd have to swap rear covers, and I'm guessing there's a whole lot of other differences in the rear cover which will make things overly difficult.



Charles.

Charles, I'm away until Sunday, but then I'll have a look at my second turbo motor and its gearshift shaft and shift lever, to see whether my good machine has had any mods there, and to directly compare the two shifter setups.

 

[Don in Oz]

Charles, I'm away until Sunday, but then I'll have a look at my second turbo motor and its gearshift shaft and shift lever, to see whether my good machine has had any mods there, and to directly compare the two shifter setups.

Charles, Job done. My second CX500 Turbo motor is the same as the good one - large diameter oil seal in the crankcase rear cover, and 14mm splines for the gearshift lever. My third motor is 80km away in storage, but I'll bet it's the same.

Looks like you were "sold a pup" with that gearshift shaft - it's from a different type of bike.

I can't speak for the CX650 Turbo shifter, but seeing that the CX650ED parts microfiche says that the oil seal on its gearshift shaft is 14mm internal size, and the shifter arms for the 500EC and 650ED have 14mm splines, I'd say that, although the gearshift arms are alloy on the turbos, they fit the 14mm splines of ALL gearshift shafts for CX/GL bikes.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Charles, Job done. My second CX500 Turbo motor is the same as the good one - large diameter oil seal in the crankcase rear cover, and 14mm splines for the gearshift lever. My third motor is 80km away in storage, but I'll bet it's the same.

Looks like you were "sold a pup" with that gearshift shaft - it's from a different type of bike.

I can't speak for the CX650 Turbo shifter, but seeing that the CX650ED parts microfiche says that the oil seal on its gearshift shaft is 14mm internal size, and the shifter arms for the 500EC and 650ED have 14mm splines, I'd say that, although the gearshift arms are alloy on the turbos, they fit the 14mm splines of ALL gearshift shafts for CX/GL bikes.

I didn't buy a shifter shaft, I bought a CX500 Turbo shifter lever. The Turbo shifter lever most definitely does NOT fit on a GL650 motor's shifter shaft. So now I'm looking for a CX500 Turbo shifter shaft that I can cut and weld, because I want to use the alloy lever.



Charles.

 

[Don in Oz]

I didn't buy a shifter shaft, I bought a CX500 Turbo shifter lever. The Turbo shifter lever most definitely does NOT fit on a GL650 motor's shifter shaft. So now I'm looking for a CX500 Turbo shifter shaft that I can cut and weld, because I want to use the alloy lever.



Charles.

Charles, Don't hold your breath - all three of my CX500Turbos have 14mm splines and 14mm shafts for the gear shift - and all three shifter levers have 14mm splines at their end where they fit onto the shifter shaft.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Charles, Don't hold your breath - all three of my CX500Turbos have 14mm splines and 14mm shafts for the gear shift - and all three shifter levers have 14mm splines at their end where they fit onto the shifter shaft.

Don't hold my breath for what? Finding a shifter shaft? They're on eBay, they're just pricey. I don't plan on installing the Turbo's shaft in my NA bike, I just plan to cut the end off the turbo shaft and weld it to the end of the NA shaft.



Charles.

 

[Don in Oz]

Don't hold my breath for what? Finding a shifter shaft? They're on eBay, they're just pricey. I don't plan on installing the Turbo's shaft in my NA bike, I just plan to cut the end off the turbo shaft and weld it to the end of the NA shaft.



Charles.

Charles, Well, I am the one who is baffled, now. All three of my alloy CX500T gear shift levers have 14mm splines in them, and they fit any/all of my three turbo motors.

So, did the motors for Oz get totally different shifter pieces?

I hope someone is USA can do a quick measurement for both of us.

 

[Don in Oz]

Charles, Well, I am the one who is baffled, now. All three of my alloy CX500T gear shift levers have 14mm splines in them, and they fit any/all of my three turbo motors.

So, did the motors for Oz get totally different shifter pieces?

I hope someone is USA can do a quick measurement for both of us.

Charles, You might also comment on why I have to sign in every time I come to this BB. When signing in, I tick the "Remember me" square, and each log-on is successful. I used to be able to sign on "indefinitely".

 

[ChopperCharles]

All three of my alloy CX500T gear shift levers have 14mm splines in them, and they fit any/all of my three turbo motors.

Right. But the Turbo shifter doesn't fit on the NATURALLY ASPIRATED CX500 Standard, Deluxe, or Custom shifter shaft, nor the CX650 Custom or GL500 and GL650 shafts.



The naturally aspirated motor's shifters have an 11mm inside diameter. The turbo shifter I have has a 13mm (and some change) inside diameter. I need a Turbo's 14mm shifter shaft so i can weld it to the end of the GL650 motor's shaft, so i can then use a turbo shifter on a naturally aspirated bike.



Charles.

 

[Don in Oz]

Charles, Well, I am the one who is baffled, now. All three of my alloy CX500T gear shift levers have 14mm splines in them, and they fit any/all of my three turbo motors.

So, did the motors for Oz get totally different shifter pieces?

I hope someone is USA can do a quick measurement for both of us.

Charles, My sincere apologies. I went to fit a gear shift lever from my CX500EC onto my spare turbo motor AND ---- woops, it won't go. So, out with the slide calipers again. The N/A gearshift shaft has what are probably classified as 12 mm splines, whilst the turbo motor has what would be called 14mm splines.

I don't know where I went wrong in my previous measurements, but I NOW certaily agree with you that the turbo shift lever has a spline PCD that is too large for an NA gearshift shaft. Sorry for all the confusion.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Hey, I realize this was never updated. Instead of hacking apart a rare and expensive shaft from a CX500 Tubo, I acquired a shaft out of a Suzuki RM80, cut it off just after the splines, and welded it to a CX500 shifter base. (cut off the shifter, leaving just the clamp).

With this setup and reversed GL500 pegs on a CX500 frame, the Turbo shifter will need to be bent, or it is too close to the peg.

With reversed CX500 Custom pegs, it's a perfect fit.

Charles.