Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

Have any of you guys ever welded a steel shifter and tip to your original aluminum shifter to extend the length? Can it be done or do you have any better ideas? I saw the post and pics of the new spring loaded tip welded to the original shifter but could not tell if the stock one was aluminum. It's for a '74 CR250M shifter. Help please!!
Thanks,
Jeff

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Jeff Smith
'78 Husqvarna CR250
'74 Honda CR250
'73 Bultaco Pursang 350
'78 Honda Z50 ( kids baby )

Unless something has changed since a took a very basic course in metallurgy, you cannot weld aluminum to steel.

Mitchie's right about welding dissimilar metals.

Depending on how good a fabricator you are or how much effort you want to put into it, you have a few choices. You can cut your stock shifter, then using aluminum stock, TIG or MIG weld an extension. Or cut the end off your stock shifter and cut the end off of a late model CR shifter, then weld the late model spring loaded end on to your vintage shifter. This would allow you to use the hammer head shifter extensions while enjoying the benefits of a spring loaded tip. Or you can check out some of the steel replacement shifters to see if any have the same spline count and size. If you are able to find one that matches, you can easily bend and weld a match to your OE shifter. Who knows, you might even find a niche business providing custom shifters to all the riders out there with big feet.

Good luck with it.

dogger

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1973 CR250M
1979 CR250R
1993 CR250R
2008 CR500R
2009 CR250R

Thanks guys,
I've got a broken one off my '79 I think I'll use to piece it together. I just wonder how strong the welds will be under constant use.
'preciate it.
Jeff

_________________
Jeff Smith
'78 Husqvarna CR250
'74 Honda CR250
'73 Bultaco Pursang 350
'78 Honda Z50 ( kids baby )

You won't be the first to do this. A lot of people have gotten excellent service from home-fabricated welded extensions.
And you can always use about any shifter from a CR 250 or CR 125. The splines are the same on the CRs from 1973 to present. The problem I've found is that most of the modern ones you can find on the shelf stick out about 3/4" from the case more than I like. But I ran one from a 2000 Cr250 for about a year and got used to it.

What about the 125's?
I have a 76 CR 125 & would like a longer shifter. Will the ones from more recent 125's fit?
Anyone?
Bueller?