Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
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- Posts: 121
- Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2018 9:37 am
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Motorcycle: 1995 Goldwing TriKing Trike
Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
I read that the "play" in the shifter shaft can cause shift shaft seal leak.
In the service records that came with my bike was an invoice for replacing that seal. Upon inspecting the shaft seal, I could see that it was not leaking, and was well seated in it's recess. So, made the decision to protect it (and avoid a future replacement), and install the shifter brace.
I took it for a road test today. Wow! Rock solid shifts, with no more play in the shifter.
If you're on the fence on this mod, get off the fence and just do it.
In the service records that came with my bike was an invoice for replacing that seal. Upon inspecting the shaft seal, I could see that it was not leaking, and was well seated in it's recess. So, made the decision to protect it (and avoid a future replacement), and install the shifter brace.
I took it for a road test today. Wow! Rock solid shifts, with no more play in the shifter.
If you're on the fence on this mod, get off the fence and just do it.
- virgilmobile
- Posts: 9087
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- Location: Denham Springs,La.
- Motorcycle: 1988 GL1500 I
Previously owned
78 GL1000
81 GL1100
82 GL1100 I
83 GL1100 I
83 GL1100 standard
84 GL 1200 I
Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
As a added bonus, although not confirmed,I believe that the poor shift problem also leads to the shift fork not being aligned properly...Maybe causing the abnormal wear on the fork and the dreaded transmission gear noise.
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- Posts: 121
- Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2018 9:37 am
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Motorcycle: 1995 Goldwing TriKing Trike
Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
I've read that as well. I wasn't having any shifting problems, but you can definitely tell the difference after installing the brace.
Money well spent, IMO.
Money well spent, IMO.
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- Posts: 42
- Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 7:24 pm
- Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Motorcycle: 1999 Goldwing gl1500se
Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
ok where do i get this shifter brace
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- Location: Texas
- Motorcycle: 89, 1500 candy wineberry gone to another owner
92 Aspencade Cambridge blue
Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
Doing mine tomorrow. Finally did the long ride to trade my 89 for the 93 and it isn't done yet. Did my 89 7 years ago worth the hour and a half out of the day for the result.
Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
Why wouldn't you want the shifter shaft to rotate arount the axis if the shifter shaft, instead of around an axis that is 29mm from the C/L of the shifter shaft?
- MikeB
- Posts: 3173
- Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:54 pm
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Motorcycle: 1998 - GL1500 Aspencade
184K Miles
2017 - GL1800 Audio Comfort
14K Miles - Contact:
Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
Is that a rhetorical question? Perhaps I do not understand what you are getting at.
What I do understand is that the Honda design is inherently flawed and the shift shaft brace made by a member of this board corrects that flawed design.
MikeB
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
- dingdong
- Posts: 4011
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- Location: Oklahoma City
- Motorcycle: 1976 gl1000
1993 gl1500A
2004 NRX1800 Rune SOLD
Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
Maybe you could restate your question. It is kind of confusing. In the meantime read this thread.
viewtopic.php?t=19759
- Charlie1Horse
- Posts: 577
- Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2013 9:35 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, Florida
- Motorcycle: 1986 GL1200A Aspencade
1992 GL1500I Interstate
Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
Because there is a secondary shifter shaft that is ofset from the main shifter shaft by 29mm which causes an offset pressure on the shifter shaft that sticks out through the seal which causes excess up/down force in the seal and eventual seal failure and possible excess wear on the internal shifter forks.
Russell
Those who say it cannot be done should try not to interrupt those who are doing it.
Those who say it cannot be done should try not to interrupt those who are doing it.
- CrystalPistol
- Posts: 1419
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- Location: Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
- Motorcycle: 1997 GL1500SE/'98 Lehman Trike
Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
Huh?
Make Courtesy your "Code of the Road" …
… & Have a Safe Trip!
… & Have a Safe Trip!

Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
After following the attached link above, I can now see from the photo that the shifter shaft does not rotate like the shifter shaft on my good old Bultacos of the 70's. It truley is a dumb design. I now understand how this linkage would be of great benefit.
Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the information.
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- Posts: 121
- Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2018 9:37 am
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Motorcycle: 1995 Goldwing TriKing Trike
Re: Installed shifter brace, what a difference!
Just got another Wing (1994 trike), and first thing I did was order up another shifter brace.
Unfortunately, the shaft seal on the trike is clearly weeping, so the oil seal needs a refresh also.
There were only a couple "watch outs" that I needed to sort out on the first one.
There is a washer that goes on the outside of the brace, under the pivot bolt. There was a tiny interference with the crash guard, so I nicked off a bit with a dremel so it would fit in clear.
There was also a minor bit of interference with the heat shield, but a pair of tin snips made short work of that.
Unfortunately, the shaft seal on the trike is clearly weeping, so the oil seal needs a refresh also.
There were only a couple "watch outs" that I needed to sort out on the first one.
There is a washer that goes on the outside of the brace, under the pivot bolt. There was a tiny interference with the crash guard, so I nicked off a bit with a dremel so it would fit in clear.
There was also a minor bit of interference with the heat shield, but a pair of tin snips made short work of that.