Got the bike to shift up and down smoothly. It still takes some effort but I think that's the nature of the beast here. It's a lot easier when the bike is warmed up and in motion.
The rearsets are easy to install but I found them difficult to adjust because of my novice abilities. I'm going to point out some of the pros and cons after the initial set-up.
Some of the cons-
- The pin that is supposed to be used for the shift adjuster knob is far too small resulting in some slack in the linkage. I simply drilled a larger hole in the clevis and used the stock pin which worked well. The pin on the other end of the rod works well with the arm that attaches to the foot peg.
- The stock brake arm needs to be modified in order to be pointing up (when it is stock it points down). This is a safety feature that makes it very difficult to move around/ fall off. I got around this by attaching the rod to the brake arm in its stock position. There is just enough clearance with the swing arm for this to be possible but I have a feeling that stopping performance would be better with the brake arm pointing up. I might modify it in the days to follow.
- I find the toe pegs to be a bit small and will probably attach some rubber to them. Keep in mind I'm coming from the massive stock configuration so it could be a simple matter of getting used to them. I find myself missing them completely resulting in some embarrassing/awkward moments.
- Will have to move stuck mufflers down (CB350) or to the side to have enough clearance to shift properly. I was able to do this easily with some very crude brackets.
The pros.
- The adjustability of these is quite remarkable. The arm that is attached to the peg can rotate 360 degrees in fairly small increments and is held in place by a circlip. Very snug and secure and was absolutely essential when setting up.
-These things are durable! They are very thick and look like they will take some abuse and appear to be well made/thought out.
-Value. They come with all the linkages, pins, cotter pins, washers, nuts, instructions and even a sew-on patch. Everything came neatly packaged with extra circlips and the CL350 bracket. For Canadian customers I paid no duty and no extra fees. 115 out the door which is great.
Comments for future improvements
-bigger toe piece and options for moving the toe piece back and forth depending on shoe size (maybe include rubber in the package as well).
-larger pin for shifter arm and matching clevis.
-bike specific brackets so that the position of the foot peg can be adjusted to different heights or back and forth.
-A small spring and smaller drilled holes so that the brake light switch can be easily attached (the small spring would be used for bringing the lever parallel to the ground, although this could be due to the set-up that I currently have)
Closing remarks
- very satisfied with the product and hopefully they continue to be developed further. I would order another set if needed for another project. Viet was very good to deal with and shipping was relatively fast. I'll try to update if I change the set-up. Thank you to everyone who helped!