[null]

I think it all about seating ergonomics & how a human leg is built to move/flex. Your foot is comfortable at right angles (or slightly >90 deg)to your leg (and never <90 deg) as much as possible. And, if you observe, in a heel-toe shifter, the heel side of the lever is on the higher side. So, when you press it, you are not forcing your ankle to fold much lower than 90 degrees.

In a sports bike, the seating is such that your feet is never parallel (or your legs are never at 90 degrees) to the ground. A heel-toe shifter will make the positioning angle soo awkward that you cannot shift easily using the heel and hence a toe shifter is provided. Moving the toe shifter any further lower (because the heel will be typically higher) may make it very difficult to shift in this position & hence a toe-only shifter.

I remember my uncle's shoes from the yezdi days, where the toe shift-cum-kicker used to them mess up. Then, when the new flashy 100 cc bikes came, I was impressed with their heel-toe shifter capabilities. Then when the next generation bikes (with a racing DNA) came in, they moved back to a toe-only shifters & I was like why this again? Above explanation was my logical thought then.

So, a heel-toe shifter is a design for a cruiser/commuter seating bike - where the rider sits at right angles to the ground. Toe-only shifter is mainly designed for sports bikes - were the rider position requires the toe shifter to be positioned much lower (than the foot peg - to be at right angles). Most of our 150cc bikes try to be in between these segments (i.e., pseudo racers) & hence, I feel, you can mix and match the toe-only or a heel-toe shifters easily.

Off topic: If you notice the one of the improvements from Honda Dazzler to Trigger, you notice, they realised they should remove toe shifter and bring a heel-toe shifter due to it's seating position (and of course, the segment they want it to be in which commands a heel-toe shifter).

[rki2007]

Toe shifters are the best according to me. I have ridden cd100 during my childhood which is normal shift levers. From thereon I never used conventional gear shifts . I used cbz for 8 years which is again toe shift and now its cb twister which is toe shift again. I personally feel toe shift is more comfortable and easy.

[arunr]

Cost is not the reason for single-peg shifter. Its just that the market perceives them as sporty and the manufacturers tout them as such. I remember the first gen unicorn coming with heel-toe shifter but now even Honda has shifted to single-peg shifter to promote it as a sporty bike.
You can however get change a the single-peg shifter to a heel-toe sifter quite easily and it doesnt cost much.

[ashwin.terminat]

The newly launched CB Trigger sports a heel-toe shifter!

[2000rpm]

I have absolutely no problem with both. I use the gear shifter based on my mood. I have owner a Suzuki, Velocity, Old CBZ (1997), Unicorn, Old CBZ (2002).

I love the CBZ for its riding position and yes, it will be difficult to use the ankle in CBZ driving position but for Unicorn, yes I used to use the ankle on long drives.

Slightly off topic, Royal Enfield, with that Hard Gearing, has a only Toe shifter!!

[latentpotential]

I personally used to prefer the old-school method of heel-toe shifter. It remains that I have not driven my bike - or any other bike - for over 6 years now.

But what I remember is:
Only toe shifter + working class stiff = ruined formal leather shoes, and in some offices, that is still a strict no-no.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by latentpotential

Only toe shifter + working class stiff = ruined formal leather shoes, and in some offices, that is still a strict no-no.

While i wont comment on the toe shifter part as each one has his own preference, the above is a myth. I have only owned bikes with toe shifter (P220, RTR160, FZ16, RTR180)and I am a working class stiff who has to wear formals 4 days to work. So far my shoes have not been ruined. Yes there is a slight stain near the area used for toe shifting but nothing a little bit of polish cannot bring back to its original shape.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

the above is a myth.

Each person obviously has their own preferences, but formal shoes getting ruined by constant toe-shifting certainly can't be dubbed 'a myth'! A year of shifting in stop-go traffic has ruined a couple of my shoes. And a pair of sneakers even. It probably gets worse when you're toe shifting while riding in the rain.

(yeah, yeah, now we'll have extended discussions on the 'correct' toe-shifting 'technique' )

Wearing riding boots, carrying the formal shoes, and then changing in office is probably a sensible thing, but too much of a hassle for me to do everyday.

(I know that many women carry their heels to work and use different shoes while driving, but they have always been the more sensible gender now haven't they. )

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by am1m

Each person obviously has their own preferences, but formal shoes getting ruined by constant toe-shifting certainly can't be dubbed 'a myth'!

Ok, agreed myth is a strong word but in the midst of doing many things, i just typed what first came to my mind.

Originally Posted by am1m

A year of shifting in stop-go traffic has ruined a couple of my shoes. And a pair of sneakers even. It probably gets worse when you're toe shifting while riding in the rain.

The bikes mentioned in my post were used for office commute in peak traffic over a period of 5 years in all types of weather. So may be my take on ruined shoes and yours (and some others) is probably different.

Originally Posted by am1m

Wearing riding boots, carrying the formal shoes, and then changing in office is probably a sensible thing, but too much of a hassle for me to do everyday.

Agreed and its a hassle for any normal office goer to do this. I too don't find it feasible to do this everyday.

Originally Posted by am1m

(I know that many women carry their heels to work and use different shoes while driving, but they have always been the more sensible gender now haven't they. )

[manolin]

I love the heel toe shifter, especially the stamping on the heel to shift again and again part. it is intuitive, and perfect for the galli riding that I have to do quite often.

[car.lover]

Originally Posted by am1m

Each person obviously has their own preferences, but formal shoes getting ruined by constant toe-shifting certainly can't be dubbed 'a myth'! A year of shifting in stop-go traffic has ruined a couple of my shoes. And a pair of sneakers even. It probably gets worse when you're toe shifting while riding in the rain.

(yeah, yeah, now we'll have extended discussions on the 'correct' toe-shifting 'technique' )

Wearing riding boots, carrying the formal shoes, and then changing in office is probably a sensible thing, but too much of a hassle for me to do everyday.

(I know that many women carry their heels to work and use different shoes while driving, but they have always been the more sensible gender now haven't they. )

One solution is too permanently keep a pair of black formal shoes in office. 99% of the time this should suffice

[latentpotential]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

While i wont comment on the toe shifter part as each one has his own preference, the above is a myth. I have only owned bikes with toe shifter (P220, RTR160, FZ16, RTR180)and I am a working class stiff who has to wear formals 4 days to work. So far my shoes have not been ruined. Yes there is a slight stain near the area used for toe shifting but nothing a little bit of polish cannot bring back to its original shape.

Originally Posted by am1m

Each person obviously has their own preferences, but formal shoes getting ruined by constant toe-shifting certainly can't be dubbed 'a myth'! A year of shifting in stop-go traffic has ruined a couple of my shoes. And a pair of sneakers even. It probably gets worse when you're toe shifting while riding in the rain.

(yeah, yeah, now we'll have extended discussions on the 'correct' toe-shifting 'technique' )

Wearing riding boots, carrying the formal shoes, and then changing in office is probably a sensible thing, but too much of a hassle for me to do everyday.

(I know that many women carry their heels to work and use different shoes while driving, but they have always been the more sensible gender now haven't they. )

When you are in a customer facing profile, needing you to be on the road hopping from one client to the other, you will end up buying a new pair of leather formals every few months with a toe shifter, polish can do only so much. This of course was my situation earlier, in which the best I could have done was carry another pair of formal shoes in my backpack and change before and after every meeting.

Today, of course, I use the four wheeler option for my commute, so rain, sun, toe/ heel shifters do not matter any more. But the key thing is : it is not a myth, it is extremely dependant on you and your driving and work-travel profile.

[Machado]

Having used both shifters over 10 years, I feel its just a matter of getting used to.

Though I do prefer heel shifter when one is available, not because it is most comfortable, but because the heel shifter's end sort of obstructs free movement of my ankle to use toe shifter. I tend to keep my feet angling away so that I can quickly put my feet above/below the toe shifter and this results in my heel getting obstructed by the heel shifter end. Also, as mentioned previously in this thread, its harder and uncomfortable to move your foot < 90 degrees.

When there is no heel shifter, no obstruction whatsoever and its toe shifter all the way ( Well do I have any other option in this case )

Long story short, love your bike and these minor things just vanish

[saket77]

My single peg shifter is having a problem lately. The pivot of the shifter has developed a bit too much of play and sometimes while shifting, due to the play, it moves in slightly outer direction, which makes the gear shift, either little hard, or at times, even impossible.

The pivot joint is fully tight, I guess there may be some sort of bearing arrangement which has worn out. Any of the bikers here had any similar problem?

Regards,
Saket

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by am1m

Wearing riding boots, carrying the formal shoes, and then changing in office is probably a sensible thing, but too much of a hassle for me to do everyday.

Mate,
how are you doing? Any new rides post the Assam kaziranga?

Getting back to topic, suggest you to use one of these to make life easier for your shoes. They might fit the bullet as well provided its not the right gear shifter. The old bullets were really a handful with right gear shifter and hard ones at that.