[japac1]

hey guys. I am looking at used Virago 250’s. I sat on a new Star v 250 today and was wearing the boots I’ll probably wear when riding. I noticed that my left foot had a hard time fitting under the shift lever. I noticed this also on my trainer during the BRC. Is this supposed to be this way? Am I supposed to bend my foot down from the peg to get my toe under the lever to upshift? Just feels uncomfortable. Is this always adjustable? I assume that from a downshifting concern, you would not want the shift lever too high, as you could miss the downshift?? Thanks for the advice.

[Jon D.]

The shift lever can be adjusted by a tooth or so if you need it, just make sure that you can comfortably place your foot on top to downshift. Your ankle is not accustomed to the stretching exercise that you are asking it to do right now, but will loosen up over time and you won’t give it a second thought. I would say give it a week of riding time prior to making adjustments. Motorcycles are pretty generic in the lever settings. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Munch]

make sure its at a 1 tooth increment. It seems minute at the pivoting point but by the time the change has gone the full distance of the lever it can be rather dramatic.

[eternal05]

Keep in mind that when you’re riding, the pegs should be resting under your toes or the balls of your feet (unless you go floorboard style on a cruiser). Your feet should not be covering the shift lever / rear brake during riding, especially when you’re new. If your throttle, brake, clutch, and steering control are still a bit rough, you can inadvertently shift or brake if you accidentally chop the throttle, let the clutch out too fast, or lose your balance.

Therefore, if leaving your toe under the shifter is uncomfortable, that’s not necessarily bad, as it’s not meant to be there. If it’s hard for you to get under the shift lever at all, or to do so easily and quickly, then you will need to adjust it or consider a different bike with more suitable ergonomics for you.

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