xt600e gearlever and motocross boots

[transam08]

My trip is 80% off road so I want to wear motocross boots.
Usual problem not enough room to get foot underneath gearlever on my 4pt xt600e 2003.
Remove gearlever and rotate round a few splines as I have done on previous bikes and....gearlever now hits plastic sprocket cover. I could just remove this cover or bend the gearlever in an artistic curve . I was wondering if anyone had a nifty solution to this problem.I was thinking about an afternoon at the scrappies to see if I could find a suitable replacement or perhaps a motocross gearchange. Any thoughts would be welcome.

[transam08]

In case anyone is interested a gear lever from a YZ 250WR F fits and allows a good range of adjustment, easier than cutting holes in covers, bending gearlevers etc. Now I can stand up without shifting gears!

[*Touring Ted*]

I have the same bike as you and Alpinestars Tech 10's which have a HUGE toe area. Maybe the biggest MX boots ever made lol

It was aukward at first but you do get used to it.. I think the gear lever is ok to be honest.. its just your method that needs fine tuning.

I find myself only using half the toe area..

[transam08]

OK what's your secret? I find that if I have the lever high so my foot stays underneath it in normal riding, it is really awkward to change up. If i have it in the more usual position the lever doesn't return to the central position and my foot needs to stay to the outside of the lever. Where is your foot in normal riding, underneath or outside the lever?

[*Touring Ted*]

Originally Posted by transam08

OK what's your secret? I find that if I have the lever high so my foot stays underneath it in normal riding, it is really awkward to change up. If i have it in the more usual position the lever doesn't return to the central position and my foot needs to stay to the outside of the lever. Where is your foot in normal riding, underneath or outside the lever?

I guess I have the lever a little higher than usual as its easier to adjust your footing for down shifting than it is to get under the lever with a large boot.

You dont need to get the whole toe of the boot to shift grear, just enough to grip the lever.

You dont want the lever so high that you can leave you boot under. I kind of twist my foot outwards and under to upshift.

Everyones different though. The gear lever splines are usually quite universal so maybe find a larger or different profiled one off a different bike and experiment, experiment, experiment.

Ed

[transam08]

Right. You can do it in Alpine stars. Women can dance in stilletos. Saddus stroll across the Himalayan moutains bare foot.African make shoes from old car tyres and I used to ride in 6 inch platforms in the 70's.
s'pose I'll keep trying!!