How to make a hand operated shiftier (For disabled guy!) Yamaha YTM200

[eBoyDog]

I have a very bad left leg, and basically have no function of my left leg from my knee down and as a result I have to bend over and pull the left hand shifter up with my hand rather than using my foot to shift up. M.y trike is a Yamaha YTM200EK.

What I thinking about is attaching a rod to the shifter that sticks up that I more easily pull the shifter lever up, I have no problem downshifting as I can push the lever down with my foot but the toe up shift is as I described, impossible and bending down and grabbing the lever with my hand is difficult not to mention not very safe. Another thing I thinking about was using the front brake lever to unhook the front brake and attach the cable to the shifter lever but I'm not sure if I want to lose the front brake function.

I have good mechanical abilities including fabricating including welding so building something isn't a problem, I'm just curious if anyone else has had a similar problem and come up with a good working solution.

This little trike is is gateway to getting back outdoors after a several years of bad health problems, as while I walk short distances, this three wheeler is able to get me places that I could otherwise not get to hunt and fish. how course it will get into places that perhaps I should never be, but I will not let my disability stop me from doing things that I use to!!

Any advice would be great! Thanks!

[Davidcz75]

Just make a jockey shifter for it ... pretty easy ... infact one of my three wheelers i bought had one on it ... the guy was older and when he was wearing boots he couldnt get his foot under the shifter so he made that ... i left it on for a long time but now its just sittiing in my garage ... worked well

[Ghostv2]

I have seen trikes and 4 wheelers with the shifters that you described. Maybe there is a company that produced them, maybe they are home made. It simply bolts on to the shifter and is a long rod and has a knob at the top. Could easily make one, weld it to your existing shifter or get a tweaked one to experiment. You still can shift regularly too if anyone else wanted to ride it. And of course this is made easy due to the semi-automatic transmission. Good luck to you.

[kb0nly]

They are still made... Moose makes them. I have one on my 200ES for the winter, i take it off for the summer. In the winter time when i am plowing its hard to get my big insulated boots under the shifter so i put it on for that.

Go to DennisKirk.com and search for Moose Hand Shifter and there will be quite a few different lengths to choose from. There is universal fit ones in 15, 20, 22 inches length. And there is some other application specific ones.

Also if you go to ebay and search for Moose Universal ATV Hand Shifter you will get tons to look at!

[eBoyDog]

Thanks for the ideas, right now I'm putting togather something with some 1/4 rod I found.... if it turns out ok I see if I can post a pic or two.

[jeswinehart]

Hi Wes.
About a month ago I came across a couple of Honda 125M's that both had hand shifters.
I bought the parts one for a buddy but have it on a bench in the storage area if more detailed pictures are needed.
No manufacturer name on it. If it is a handmade one the person who fabricated it was quite talented.
Here is the picture I have on file already.

[kebby28]

I've never seen a 125m before. Never knew they existed. Very cool shifter too.

[El Camexican]

You might find some good ideas on here

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/157871-85-225DR-Mods-and-Updates?highlight=Paraplegic

[Mosh]

If you can pick your foot up to down shift I wonder if using a heel toe set-up could work. A lot less fab involved to just attach a rear portion on and be able to jam down on it for upshifting.

[tri again]

If you can pick your foot up to down shift I wonder if using a heel toe set-up could work. A lot less fab involved to just attach a rear portion on and be able to jam down on it for upshifting.

What agreat idea!

you mean like a honda trail 90 heel and toe shifter?
I wonder if the shift shaft spline is close or the same...

We had an epidemic of stripped shifters on the 90/110 collection.
Kids wouldn't listen so I just pulled the shifters off and mounted them vertically until they learned to listen.

We usually go into 2nd hi range and leave 'em there anyway.
Prettys sure a couple are still like that.

[eBoyDog]

Lol, I ended up using bailing wire yesterday instead of anything more involved, tied one end to the shifter and the other to the handle har with enough slack that turning the handlebar right wouldnt shift it. Worked fine but I did look up the Moose shifters and for the price i'm going that route as I cant make anything that nice or even if I spend a day fabricating something, I have other things to take up my time as im picking up two more Yamaha trikes next week along with a 4 wheeler of some type.

Its nice being retired, the only problem is my hobbys get to expensive.....

[tri again]

I'm withchoo man.
My left leg is good for nothin' except waking me up every 47 minutes.
THE main reason I have trikes in the first place.
I'll go look at my trail 90's and see if the heel toe shifters have the same
spline diamter and count.
Might take me a day or 2 but I do know they made literally millions of them.

Yeah, mounting the existing shifter vertically is not that bad.
Just gotta reach behind your left knee to change gears as I recall.

ps -
I LOVE bailing wire too.
Freaks people out.

[200x flatrack]

My dad has a jockey shifter on his 200m. Its was home made by my grandfather back in the mid 80s for fun and has been on many machines over the year.

[eBoyDog]

Thanks for the Moose shifter suggestion, got it and I love it!

Now if the temps would warm up above 20 degrees, I might try playing in the snow but we arent going to get above zero tomorrow!

[Ethan1]

I have a yamaha yfm 225 moto 4 that some one made a hand shifter for , they drilled a hole in the foot shifter and ran either 1/4'' or 5/16'' rod to it , the only support is mountet the the fly wheel cover and its a short piece of metal bent at 90 degrees with 2 holes , one for the rod , one for the bolt . the top end of the rod is bent for a handel.