Like its BMW single cylinder 650GS nephews, the TR650 Terra comes with a non-folding gear shifter. Undoubtedly a cost-savings decision by some BMW bean counter. The problem with this design is that in the event of a fall, a significant part of the force of the impact on the lever is transferred to the gear shift shaft. Even a small impact can get very expensive this way.
During one of ours trips through the Pyrenees we ran into a victim of this design. The week of off-road fun he had looked forward to was suddenly cut short by a slow speed fall on the very first day. We would rather not have this happen to us.
A number of after market alternatives exist that either use a folding tip or a less rigid lever that bends to take the biggest grunt of the impact. Most of these options, and notably the Touratech ones, are rather expensive though. A simple DIY modification offers similar benefits for free though. A few strategically placed holes in the lever should weaken it enough to bend away upon impact.
First step is to remove the lever from the bike and take a small punch to create a few pilot holes.
This keeps the small metal drill nice and centered when creating the holes.
Two holes should do it.
A larger drill bit to widen the holes finishes the job. Reinstall and we’re good to go.
