Paddle Shifters

[Sdannenberg3]

So I was showing my friend my Indy Kart so far when he told me that I should put paddle shifters on the steering wheel to control the shift lever on the engine.
Well thats when I said "hmmmmm" and he said "ohh ****, I shoulda kept my mouth shut...."

So it got me to thinking, Do you think it would be possible to hook up something like that? I think it would be pretty bad@$$ to have paddle shifters! I was thinking I could use cable but the only problem is when you pull one lever to lets say upshift, It would also pull the downshift lever the wrong way. Its kinda hard to say what I mean, but picture setting it up in your head and you will most likely run into the same problem I am seeing.

Or better yet, think up a way to do it right and tell me about it so I can do it and then show you all!

 

[kibble]

Sounds like a good idea, but you'd have to figure out a way where turning the steering wouldn't affect the cabling.

 

[Sdannenberg3]

Gyro from a bmx bike??? Well actually 2 gyros, one from each paddle shifter.

 

[2or3wheels]

if you have the cable on one side, you pull one side up and it would bring cable up and upshift, when you pull otherside down it would push cable down downshifting. The hardest part would be finding an inexpensive push and pull cable.

 

[kibble]

Something like that might work.

 

[Sdannenberg3]

Ohh! well I thought about that, but I didnt know there was such thing as a push pull cable. Cause I know if you use a regular cable it would just bend when you push it in.

But this would work for the cable and the steering wheel.
http://cgi.ebay.com/BMX-GYRO_W0QQitemZ160292516175QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item160292516175&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318#ebayphotohosting

 

[2or3wheels]

well i know about them because theres one on my jet ski's steering cable.

 

[kibble]

They use cables like that in cars too sometimes, especially in the doors for the locking mechanisms. They're flexible but can be pushed one way or pulled.

 

[Sdannenberg3]

The hardest part would be finding an inexpensive push and pull cable.

Well based on what you guys are telling me, that would be easy! My neighbor has both a jetski AND a car! Ill just go take some off of his toys!

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

Electronic would be best, a 2 stage switch that hits the clutch on the first and shifts on the second would be even better.

 

[I like karts]

personally, I like the good 'ol stick shifters better, they're more fun (and look cooler )

 

[Sdannenberg3]

Well no matter what I do I would have a manual foot operated clutch. But I was also thinking about electronic, but then that ads a lot of complexity and now you bring in electrical and stuff.

And thats another thing is my original plan calls for a sequential stick lever shifter mabober thingie and I would love that JUST as much, and plus its cheaper/easier to hook up. I was just seeing what you all though about doing paddles since it would be more like a F1 car.

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

I dont have much experience with dirt bikes/quads. But the only one I have drove (a 4 stroke semi automatic Suzuki 250 form the 80s, that thing had some ****in torque, would flip if you floored it) required some force and distance to shift that would make paddle controls impossible.

 

[carbon]

just put some slack in the cables like in a bike
they are loose enough to turn with the handlebars but still shift because they are held in place by little brackets
or you could just take the trigger shifters directly off a bike...
my 2c

 

[newrider3]

If I were you, I wouldn't use a gyro, they take away a lot of pull force. Pick up some strong shifter cables from a car, or get a LINEAR bmx cable. They have strands inside the housing that allow the cable to get wrapped around without kinking, or locking the brakes. I run a linear on my bike, it works perfect, the brakes still work normally even when the cable is fully wrapped.

 

[Sdannenberg3]

Well this would just be for shifting. Dont need much pull force there, if it pulls hard enough to shift then its fine! its not like its brakes or anything.

But it was more or less just an idea and I think im going to stick with the good old sequential shift level on the right side!

 

[modelengineer]

Seriously, it would be much easier and more fun, IMO, to just use a normal shift lever.
Most electronic kits don't use the clutch at all. It just cuts power to the spark plug to make sure the gearbox isn't under heavy load, and then slams it into gear. You can do this with a m.bike gearbox because it's constant mesh.

But yeah, people have gone the route of two push-pull cables and it works, but so much extra effort compared to a good ol' fashioned gear lever which works fine.

 

[kibble]

Man I love this forum! You guys just gave me an idea with the electronic shifting! Could use paddles, like already mentioned, with a couple of solenoids from like a starter motor, a high uF capacitor and 12v battery.

 

[modelengineer]

You can use the solenoids, just make sure the system shuts off spark just before and while you're shifting otherwise you can ruin the gearbox.

Also, since most motorbike gearboxes have neutral as a sort of 'half way' between first and second it is very difficult to get one of those automatic shifters to shift into neutral. Just another problem to work out.

 

[ed1380]

a local uni bult a 600cc mini f1 car. they used a bike engine and air selenoids to shift. there was a little lever in the cockpit that would knock the bike shifter up or down one.