New Boom Vader Gear Shifter Upgrade!

I had a love-hate relationship with the stock gear shifter, but it’s time for a Boom Vader gear shifter upgrade. On the first Ride, the shifter fell apart, leaving a part on the ground. I was able to later find and repair the shifter.   Which lead to doing a Boom Vader Gear Shifter Upgrade.

Since then, I’ve done my best to ensure the motorcycle gear shifter was well cared for; with so many moving parts, it was easy to overlook something and have the shifter fall apart again.

I’ve avoided doing my Boom Vader gear shifter upgrade, till now.

My Stock Motorcycle Gear Shifter Broke.

Well, it happened again; my Boom Vader gear shifter fell apart. The threads on the threaded cross arm wore down and separated. I was able to get home, but I was stuck in 3rd gear, using much clutch pl, which allowed me to wire-tie it together.  

The time has come… Boom Vader Gear Shifter Upgrade!

I Needed A New Shifter For My Boom Vader.

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After several searches, I found this aftermarket motorcycle shifter matched some of my little Grom-Clone bike’s dimensional needs.

Shifter I picked up: Check For Current Prices.

Once I got it from Amazon, it was time to upgrade. Here are the steps I took.

Remember, garage safety is essential, including wearing proper safety glasses.

Needed Boom Vader Gear Shifter Upgrade Items.

I collected my tools and the new motorcycle gear shifter and went to work.

FYI: Must-Have Motorcycle Tools

Motorcycle Tools I Used:

1. Combination Wrenches
2. Snap ring pliers (the spreading kind)
3. Hex head wrenches (Allen Wrenches)
4. Flathead screwdriver.

Materials I Used:

1. Thread-locker, the blue-kind.  

Note: I had to use wire snips for my upgrade because I patched my broken shifter with some twisted wire. No wire cutters should be needed if you are upgrading the gear shifter from an un-repaired stock shifter.

Boom Vader Gear Shifter Upgrade Steps.

1.- Remove Linked Cross Arm.

Using a combination wrench, untread the cross-arm. The link moves from the engine shift arm to the foot shifter arm.

Now, mine was broken, so it was already disconnected.

2.- Remove the Engine Shift Pinion Bolt.

This bolt goes through a slotted section and needs to be entirely removed. There is a grove on the engine shift pinion that the bolt rides in to interfere with its removal.

Once the bolt was out, I used a flathead screwdriver to separate the joint further and allow the arm to break free.

3.- Remove the Foot Lever Arm.

A snap ring holding the foot lever on the left rear set is on the inside of the left foot peg.

Using a pair of snip ring pliers, hook the ring ends(where the holes are), spread the ring, and remove.

Now, the foot shifter lever can be removed.

At this time, the older motorcycle gear shifter is gone.

4.- Dry Fit New Motorcycle Shifter.

Slide the shift onto the engine shaft pinion and check for alignment.  

Due to retained muscle memory, I made my new shifter in about the same position as the stock shifter.

Once satisfied, it is time to secure the shifter.

5.- Secure New Motorcycle Gear Shifter.

Applying the blue thread locker to the new bolt, it is time to thread into its new home. Using only your finger to avoid cross-threading, screw in the hex-head bolt till the finger is tight.

Afterward, use a hex head wrench to snug up the bolt.

6.- Clean Up and Go Ride!

Test out the new shifter and reposition it if necessary.

If you reposition the shifter peg up or down, re-apply a new blue thread locker layer to the bolt’s threads.

Experience: Boom Vader Gear Shifter Upgrade?

The foot peg is slightly forward of the original stock shifter.

So, initially, I had to be conscious of its position when up shifting.

When downshifting, the inside of my shoe would catch both the peg and a small portion of the lever, but I had no issues with downshifting.

What Did You Do?

Looking for feedback and learning from your experiences? Feel free to leave a comment below.  

Thank you!