Anyone else with problems shifting their paddle shifter.

[Mroth22]

Hey everyone. this is my first time posting anything on SpyderLovers. I have a 2019 Spyder RT-L and I love driving it around town in Denver. As I have aged, the old arthritis has set in on my thumbs. When I drive around town, I am always upshifting and using my turn signals. I hate to sound like a wimp but my darn thumb is really starting to bother me upshifting all of the time. I end up taking my hand off of the handle and using my index and middle finger to shift. I rarely ever downshift. So my question is, has anyone ever thought of switching the wiring around so the downshift button is the upshift button and the upshift is for downshifting. You would shift up by pressing with your index finger instead of pushing with your thumb. I have seen threads where they have modified the shifter lever by adding an extension. I haven't got ahold of an electrical schematic yet to see if it would be possible to do. Any ideas or comments?

[CopperSpyder]

That would be the first time I see that one (reverse shift lever), but where there is a will there is a way.

[BertRemington]

where there is a will there is a way.

Probably not. The LHS (properly identified as MSL) generates CANBUS messages (ID=340h) for button presses including Shift (Free-UpShift-Downshift). The switch states are transmitted about 16 times a second and I believe the modules listening for the messages want to see several in sequence for debounce purposes. Any recoding of switch states would require the insertion of a "translation" device between the MSL and the rest of the Spyder electronics. Only two wires would be involved but my estimate (based on work to date) is about 2K lines of timing-critical C++ code not including libraries would need to be written. That's if the various redundancy and other checks BRP (Bosch) implemented can be properly replicated. Not for the faint-hearted.

[Mroth22]

I didn’t think that it would be an easy thing like switching the wires. I might try making an extension to the shifter like I have seen from another post. Thanks for your input.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

To put this in simple terms .... lately a lot of the paddle shifters are failing on the newer models .... My 11 RSS was failing ( 240 incidents according to a smart BRP Tech - not at my dealer tho ) As BR explained above it's quite complicated, ,,, I doubt you can get it repaired and finding one has been a problem lately .... good luck .... Mike

[Bangorbob]

They could have made the paddles a little closer to the thumb and forefinger. I am going to figure a way to move closer.

[BertRemington]

I thought about the MSL a bit more. Hardware would be an Arduino UNO with two Saeed CANBUS shields (because two CANBUSs -- MSL side and Spyder side). Most of the time messages would be received on the MSL side and directly copied to the Spyder side. Even when all switches are in Free position the message rate would be 16 per second (because Free is state) so there is no "quiet" period. Intervention would only be required for UpShift and DownShift positions. Probably only one bit is involved so no checksum calculation needed and sequence number wouldn't change either. So that much is easier. However the MCP (CANBUS) libraries would need to be modified for faster processing by making them specific to this application. Not too hard, just a bit fussy. I'd be inclined to trade memory for speed and have two copies, one for each CANBUS shield.

While most of the traffic is MSL=>Spyder it's likely there is Spyder=>MSL for RTR messages requesting "health" messages.

And interesting project. I went down another path and this one might be better wiring-wise.

[JayBros]

I have minor arthritis in both thumbs and am left handed. I can upshift using the top of my L index finger on the front of the grip to push the shift lever forward even with a gloved hand. I'm limited in pain meds I can take to acetaminophen and naproxen sodium with the latter limited to 1X week if the former doesn't work well enough.

[Isopedella]

Hey everyone. this is my first time posting anything on SpyderLovers. I have a 2019 Spyder RT-L and I love driving it around town in Denver. As I have aged, the old arthritis has set in on my thumbs. When I drive around town, I am always upshifting and using my turn signals. I hate to sound like a wimp but my darn thumb is really starting to bother me upshifting all of the time. I end up taking my hand off of the handle and using my index and middle finger to shift. I rarely ever downshift. So my question is, has anyone ever thought of switching the wiring around so the downshift button is the upshift button and the upshift is for downshifting. You would shift up by pressing with your index finger instead of pushing with your thumb. I have seen threads where they have modified the shifter lever by adding an extension. I haven't got ahold of an electrical schematic yet to see if it would be possible to do. Any ideas or comments?

This is worth considering.

b 1 20230324_133812.jpg b 2 20230324_133504.jpg

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...ig-improvement

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

They could have made the paddles a little closer to the thumb and forefinger. I am going to figure a way to move closer.

I created some a few years ago - 2018 .....Mike

[Mroth22]

Wow! That’s too much for me to absorb. That is so awesome that you are so knowledgeable. So.. do you think it might work with a simple wire swap?

[Mroth22]

Great job on your mods. I wish I was that talented to make those. Did you 3d print them?

[Mroth22]

Yep. That’s kind of how I am doing it.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

This is worth considering.

b 1 20230324_133812.jpg b 2 20230324_133504.jpg

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...ig-improvement

Interesting .... I designed SHIFTER PADS like that in April of 2018 .... I have pics in my album "Ergonomic paddle shifter Pad" ..... Mike

[Peter Aawen]

Quick bit of housekeeping here - just remember that ONLY Sponsors of the site are allowed to sell things on the site other than those 'personal items' advertised thru the 'For Sale by Owner' sub-forum!

Not that it costs much to become a Sponsor, but until you know someone IS a Sponsor (the Black Username is usually a good indication ) then it's best to ask any questions about selling/buying from them off the public pages!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Hey everyone. this is my first time posting anything on SpyderLovers. I have a 2019 Spyder RT-L and I love driving it around town in Denver. As I have aged, the old arthritis has set in on my thumbs. When I drive around town, I am always upshifting and using my turn signals. I hate to sound like a wimp but my darn thumb is really starting to bother me upshifting all of the time. I end up taking my hand off of the handle and using my index and middle finger to shift. I rarely ever downshift. So my question is, has anyone ever thought of switching the wiring around so the downshift button is the upshift button and the upshift is for downshifting. You would shift up by pressing with your index finger instead of pushing with your thumb. I have seen threads where they have modified the shifter lever by adding an extension. I haven't got ahold of an electrical schematic yet to see if it would be possible to do. Any ideas or comments?

It's been quite awhile since I had the MSL opened up, but if IRRC the paddle shifter presses on two different bubble switches on a little printed circuit board. It would be a delicate procedure but you might be able to cut the trace that goes to each of the switches and then reconnect them by soldering jumper wires between them to reverse the function of the switches.