I’ve been having a discussion after posting a poll on the Concours Forum website (www.zggtr.org). The poll question asked: Have you flipped the transmission cog end of the shift linkage to make the bike GP-shift? The reason I asked is that I did this to the Superhawk over a year ago, and have been running the Concours that way for quite some time now. On the racebike, it makes sense because you can upshift while leaned way over to the left without having to slide your foot under the shifter and possible catch it on the ground. On the Superhawk specifically, it also helps to eliminate the ‘klunk’ related to the 1-2 shift, since the gap on those two gears is pretty big, and the ‘hawk transmission is known for being kinda wonky shifting past neutral.
The Concours does well in stock form, but I just thought I’d try it to see how it felt. Almost as soon as I did it, I remember thinking “Why wouldn’t you do this with all motorcycles?” It shifts smoother, shifts easier, and this pattern eliminates any issues with 1-2 shifts on any transmission. I’m completely sold, and will probably do this on any bike that I can in the future.
Completing this modification is pretty easy: simply take the connector off the transmission end of the shift linkage, flip it upside down, and re-attach it. On the Concours it means moving the connecting point from the top to the bottom:
On the Superhawk, it’s the other way around, i.e. move the linkage so the shift rod runs above the transmission cog instead of below:
(please ignore the chain lube and gunk slung all over the kickstand mount point, and do note the shift pattern printed on the side of the front sprocket cover… It’s wrong now!)
So that’s it, simple mod to make for more positive shifts, with less slop and less likelihood of hooking a toe in a tight left-hander.
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