Shifter Fix

Oct 2016
Which brings me finally to the shifter.  Since last February, I'd spent hours deciding how the shifter and brake levers were going to work using the Tarozzi rearsets* (and levers) I'd purchased for the project.  In brief, the stock foot peg bracket on the right of the project I'd purchased was bent, and the foot peg itself had been cut off, replaced with a threaded hole.  Replacement either on eBay or new would be costly, and the aftermarket rearsets suited the cafe-style project better anyway, so I went this route.  But the 1975 frame and drum rear complicated matters.  I thought I had both figured out, but putting the solutions into practice turned out to be easier said than done.

Tarozzi brand aftermarket rearsets & levers

This issue has hung over the project since the beginning, and it took on a more urgent nature once the bike was actually finished and ready to ride.  A few short test rides quickly revealed just how much torque and force is going through the shift lever.  My prior solution (see earlier posts) became more and more sloppy, and the hole I'd drilled in the stock left block plate was actually cracking.  This plate is composed of some composite alloy and would not weld.  My neighbor Jerry suggested fabricating a plate with a spline shaft from scratch, and although I dreaded such a drastic approach I ended up concluding that this was indeed the way to go.  The alternative was to buy an $80 replacement stock block plate and return to the stock shifter (by cutting it down and adding the toe piece from the Tarozzi).

So it was, I sourced a steel plate and 5/8" ID steel bushing and drew out the required measurements.   Then drilled and cut until I had a rough bracket (as below, shown with stock bracket)

Jerry provided welding expertise and after a few hours we had a finished bracket incorporating a very snug-fitting bushing for the spline shaft.  All holes lined up and a test ride revealed positive shifting up and down through all the gears.  Success!  So now just have to dismantle, clean it up a bit more and paint before re-installing.

*footnote: the folding pegs stick out more than an inch wider than the non-folding pegs.  these were far too wide for the bike, and Jim at FFTP graciously agreed to swap my pegs for a new set they'd made which were shorter.  installation proved these to be a much better way to go.

Finishing Touches

Quick Update - Oct 2016.
Following completion of this project over a month ago, there remained several aspects to still address; some for running and driveability purposes and others for aesthetics.  I'd not been sure if I'd add signal lights to this bike, preferring to keep it closer to the stripped-down 'cafe' look.  And it had no signals when bought.  But the wiring harness has signal leads already included, and the left bar switch accommodates turn signal operation; and its a safer way to ride.  So a lot of searching and thinking arrived at a set of mini-stalk marker lights from BikeMaster, which were fairly cheap and actually look pretty good.  The round (closer to oval) lens and flat black housing do not look out of place on this bike.  And at 23W each, they put out a lot of light.  One of the four arrived not working, so I bought a few spare bulbs for the inevitable next time.

Also, a mirror was in order, and I'd looked exclusively at bar-end mirrors.  The left grip had already been chewed away at the end by something or someone, so cleaning up the hole for a mirror on the left did not damage anything further, assuming it did not work out.  Good thing, as it has not quite worked out.  The mirror I bought (BikeMaster again) looks the part, but includes a chunky mounting point which interferes with the clutch lever at full disengagement.  So to rotate the mirror to where it does not contact the clutch lever makes actually viewing traffic behind pretty difficult.  Oh well, I'll keep it for looks for now as I can no longer return it.  I may get another style or go with a bar-mounted mirror.
EDIT: I replaced this with another bar-end mirror which is much smaller yet fits well, looks good, and does not interfere with the clutch lever.

For the brake lever, I ended up tossing the Tarozzi lever and cut down the stock lever instead.  It already fit on the brake spline shaft with no modification or linkages (which were getting somewhat cumbersome to assemble).  Just past the curve I cut, ground and smoothed the end of the lever.  A hole drilled in the end accommodates the Tarozzi toe piece so it still has an integrated look.  Note gray PVC spacer between bracket and folding part of foot peg to take up the space that the Tarozzi lever occupied.
Also, the shorter lever reduces leverage on the rear brake shoes meaning less ability to lock up the rear.

Next, the shifter and seat are all that remain.