R60 Shift Lever

Restoration forum Bmwbike.com
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Ron Cichowski

R60 Shift Lever

Post by Ron Cichowski »

The parts manual shows the shift lever mounted to the transmission with the locking pin being inserted from the top and nutted from the bottom. The shift arm has a machined flat surface on the bottom for the washer to contact. With the pin installed in this way the shift arm contacts the motor mount nut at the bottom of a downshift stroke. I see a lot of web photos showing the pin installed from the bottom and nutted on the top. This allows the arm to clear the motor mount nut but provides much less foot clearance between the lever and carbuerator. This also sets the pedal/peg relationship so that the left foot is lightly resting on the shift pedal.
Allan Atherton

Re: R60 Shift Lever

Post by Allan Atherton »

When my R60/2 came to me, the previous owner had installed the pin down, with the nut on the bottom, and I could not get into first gear. This problem was solved by inserting the pin from the bottom so that the nut was on top.

On both my R60/2 now, and on my R69US, there is plenty of clearance between the shift lever and both the carb and the footpeg. I will take some photos and see if I can post them.
Allan Atherton

Re: R60 Shift Lever

Post by Allan Atherton »

When my R60/2 came to me, the previous owner had installed the pin down, with the nut on the bottom, and I could not get into first gear. This problem was solved by inserting the pin from the bottom so that the nut was on top.

On both my R60/2 now, and on my R69US, there is plenty of clearance between the shift lever and both the carb and the footpeg. I will take some photos and see if I can post them.
Allan Atherton

Re: R60 Shift Lever

Post by Allan Atherton »

R60/2 shifter...
Allan Atherton

Re: R60 Shift Lever

Post by Allan Atherton »

R69US shifter....
Ron Cichowski

Re: R60 Shift Lever

Post by Ron Cichowski »

Yes there is "0" clearance between the motor mount bolt and the shift lever when I downshift but all shifts are full stroke.
My main contention is that the shift lever has a flat machined on the bottom to accept the washer contact. If the nut and washer are installed up top they are resting on the curved surface of the casting and the washer is mashed into the fillet at the inboard portion of the shift arm. This "looks wrong" and is not proper manufacturing. I am wondering if a group of the locking pins were made with a "too steep" ramp angle. This would rotate the lever further down if the pin were installed from the top.
This winter when boredom overtakes me I'm going to fabricate a pin with the shallower angle to position the lever to my liking and allow nutting from the bottom as shown in the parts book and designed by the lever configuration.
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