Halfway rearsets anyone? (2020)

robs ss · Aug 10, 2021

cliffa said:
Rob, I've been busy mulling this over (sad isn't it) and have come up with another idea which would be aesthetically pleasing on the eye and I think would work. Excuse the rough drawing...

View attachment 81378

I suppose it all come down to space below the knuckle when it's fully at the end of the stroke. You mentioned you need 40mm movement at the toe piece, but remember that can be reduced by changing the lengths of the two linkage arms.

Thanks for that cliffa, I was actually heading the other way (linkage below/pedal above) but will ponder your suggestion tonight.
I'll let you know.
Cheers

robs ss · Aug 11, 2021

Well @cliffa & @Fast Eddie I've been trying a few things - hard to do with the confined space (I mean - on the bike).
I have arrived at a combined upper/under lever - testing it with laminate cardboard (when it dries)
The foot lever is the "over" part while the linkage (thanks to cliffa's suggestion) is the "under"part.
"under" for the lever won't work because the lever will need to come up/outward over the exhaust pipe and require about 40mm clearance to allow gear changes. Won't work - in my view.
Anyway, this shape is quite "organic" if I may say so. More importantly - I hope the bugger works!

cliffa · Aug 11, 2021

robs ss said:
Well @cliffa & @Fast Eddie I've been trying a few things - hard to do with the confined space (I mean - on the bike).
I have arrived at a combined upper/under lever - testing it with laminate cardboard (when it dries)
The foot lever is the "over" part while the linkage (thanks to cliffa's suggestion) is the "under"part.
"under" for the lever won't work because the lever will need to come up/outward over the exhaust pipe and require about 40mm clearance to allow gear changes. Won't work - in my view.
Anyway, this shape is quite "organic" if I may say so. More importantly - I hope the bugger works!
View attachment 81386

Hi Rob, I'm sort of wishing I hadn't mentioned anything as I seem to have put you to a lot of bother. However, I reckon this looks good though and will blend into the Commando curves better.

robs ss · Aug 11, 2021

cliffa said:
Hi Rob, I'm sort of wishing I hadn't mentioned anything as I seem to have put you to a lot of bother. However, I reckon this looks good though and will blend into the Commando curves better.

No - cliffa, I'm glad you did.
If I had persisted with the first tack I'm sure I never would have been quite happy with it.
Cheers

robs ss · Aug 11, 2021

What it should look like...
The "high" arch is to get over the gearbox inspection cover.
The lower horizontal link will be behind the exhaust pipe (just).

Fiddlin' round with cardboard - works for me!

robs ss · Aug 27, 2021

Got the "horseshoe" back from the water-jet cutters this morning.
Spent some time bending and grinding to allow it to fit - I think this one will work!
An added, albeit small, advantage of having the linkage underneath is I can retain the gear indicator "pointer".
The, rather crude, bound splint is to hold the toe-piece in place to test length before welding.
You can se the black mark on the shortened gearbox lever - that is where the final connection hole will be to deliver the correct (original) "throw" of the toe-piece.
Cheers (better than covid bullshit)

cliffa · Aug 27, 2021

robs ss said:
Got the "horseshoe" back from the water-jet cutters this morning.
Spent some time bending and grinding to allow it to fit - I think this one will work!
An added, albeit small, advantage of having the linkage underneath is I can retain the gear indicator "pointer".
The, rather crude, bound splint is to hold the toe-piece in place to test length before welding.
You can se the black mark on the shortened gearbox lever - that is where the final connection hole will be to deliver the correct (original) "throw" of the toe-piece.
Cheers (better than covid bullshit)
View attachment 81624

Hi Rob, it's looking good. Are you going to try it on the bike before making any more changes ?

robs ss · Aug 27, 2021

cliffa said:
Hi Rob, it's looking good. Are you going to try it on the bike before making any more changes ?

Yes - I has already been on the bike a number of times - but "piece-meal". All the bends have been dictated by what it has to miss on the bike.
I'm going to try the assembly as shown above then if all's okay get some tack-welding done before road trials.
Cheers

robs ss · Aug 28, 2021

cliffa said:
Hi Rob, it's looking good. Are you going to try it on the bike before making any more changes ?

Here is the set-up on the bike. Not finished but getting closer.
The operation is good and it's not fouling anything. The calculations prove accurate - the "throw" is the same as stock.
I have found that I need to strengthen the area from 50mm below the pivot to 100mm above the toe-piece (the "arch"). It's a bit too flexible.
Working on the best way to achieve that.

Fast Eddie · Aug 28, 2021

Ref stiffening it up, how about ‘closing the loop’ like below? Probably have to be mounted behind the lever to clear thing:

robs ss · Aug 28, 2021

Fast Eddie said:
Ref stiffening it up, how about ‘closing the loop’ like below? Probably have to be mounted behind the lever to clear thing:

View attachment 81636

Thanks FE - hadn't thought of that. There may be obstacles ( eg: kickstarter (ahem!) when changing down) but I'll test that when I refit it tomorrow - after the obligatory Sunday coffee & twisties run!
Thanks

robs ss · Aug 28, 2021

Fast Eddie said:
Ref stiffening it up, how about ‘closing the loop’ like below? Probably have to be mounted behind the lever to clear thing:

View attachment 81636

...of course - the natural follow-on question from that is...
If that can be made to work, then would a beefed up version of that obviate the need for the "over" loop, as per @cliffa 's suggestion some posts ago?
Keep you posted!
Cheers

robs ss · Aug 29, 2021

Nope - no way of getting a brace to fit below! (definitely no room for a lever down there)
So... an hour or so fettling gave this result.
The cross brace is ally-tube at the moment - welded steel will be the final fix.

robs ss · Aug 30, 2021

Welding done and first road test complete.
I'm very happy with it - just have to cut a bit more thread on the adjustment rod to lift the toe-piece a tad.
Then sanding and polishing prior to chroming.
I'm going to do the hangers in bright chrome, as per original but do the brake pedal and gear linkage in satin chrome, for something different.
Cheers

Fast Eddie · Aug 31, 2021

Is it stiff enough?

(ooh Matron…)

robs ss · Aug 31, 2021

Fast Eddie said:
Is it stiff enough?

(ooh Matron…)

Yep - perfectly... and the throw is exactly same as stock.

Edit: If you look at it, the distance from the cross-brace to the toe piece is 15mm less than the length of the stock gear lever.

robs ss · Aug 31, 2021

Fast Eddie said:
Looks workable to me Rob.

Might look ‘busy’ though.

Of course, things would be simpler without that great honking redundant kick start lever ...

I agree Nigel - it is a bit "busy" but (if I'm to keep the kickstarter

) it's the only way!!

trident sam · Aug 31, 2021

Looks great Rob, I'm sure they would be a commercial success if you were to go that way

Fast Eddie · Aug 31, 2021

robs ss said:
I agree Nigel - it is a bit "busy" but (if I'm to keep the kickstarter ) it's the only way!!

Hey, c’mon… i posted that way back !

It’s turned out far, far neater than I had worried it might Rob.

By the time everything is chromed etc, it’ll look better than many commercially available rearsets.

I think you done good mate.

robs ss · Aug 31, 2021

trident sam said:
Looks great Rob, I'm sure they would be a commercial success if you were to go that way

Thanks Sam - I won't be doing that though.
The jigs, drawings and DXF files are available to anyone who might want to make their own (or more) though.
This was purely an exercise in doing something for me - because I wanted it and thought it was possible.
Cheers