Hidden choke

I am looking to clean up my handle bars. Is there anyway to hide/simplify the choke cable setup near the carbs? It's going on a xj550.

Thanks,
Stu

 

Don't know if this will help on a 550. I replaced my "choke" lever with an age-appropriate early 80's Campagnolo Nuovo Record downtube shift lever. It is just mounted right to the original housing stop bracket on the carbs. Very easy to reach on my bike, like that's where it should have been all along. Can be easily returned to stock. Drilled a small hole in the Campy lever (a sin) to weave the cable into. That hole also makes the amount of throw more usable. Used a couple inches of bicycle shift cable. Out of sight, out of mind. The high idle at the first traffic light usually reminds me.

 

Done deal. Now to figure out how to mount it and make it so that it stays in one position until adjusted back to no choke.

 

It's a friction shifter. It won't snap back. It just stays where ever you set it. The screw that holds the housing stop on a bracket on your carb rack is 5m x .8. So is the screw for all these old bicycle shifters. Just screw it on and set the cable. I did also use a nyloc nut as a locknut against the bracked, black in the photo. I could use a real camera and get you a much better photo or two it would help. It did help clean up the bars a bit. I like the mod.

 

I would love to see better photos as I think I am missing a part that the shifter would mount to. Thanks

 

Man, that looks great. Do believe I'll be digging around at the flea market this weekend for an old bike shifter. Thanks for the idea.

 

Might be a day or two, but I will try to get you a better pic. From what photos I could find, it looks like the 550 carb rack choke cable housing stop bracket is on the outboard end of things rather than btw #3 and #4 like on mine. Should make it even easier to reach.

 

What signal lights are those?

 

Sybe: those are like these: http://www.grote.com/product.php?product_number=45022 but with a socket that will take an 1156 stock bulb. Came with a bit lower wattage bulb, switching in the stock bulbs keeps the auto-cancel happy. Can't seem to find that variant in the catalog. A little more info about them here: http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... art=0.html Came from my hardware store for under 4 dollars per.

Stu: here's few more pix with an actual camera. Figure on having to improvise a little with whatever shifter you find. Some shifters were clamped on the frame and the "core" or center of the shifter popped out the back of the clamp band. That will help. There's probably a million other ways to bolt some simple lever there, I just happen to have a bunch of bicycle parts around.

 

GOod ideas are often simple, this one is!

It wouldn't help for some XJs that have the horizontal "choke" plungers, though.

 

Sweet thanks. I am adding this to my bike this weekend