X series straight shifter upgrade kit

L

Len 900

Member
I have a x900 and came across this straight shifter upgrade kit. The part number is 77700 11119. Trying to find out why kabota made it and what improvement it does. Kabota calls it an "upgrade ". Not cheap at 200 dollars.. Anyone have information on it?? If it makes shifting easier may be worth it? Thanks
 

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I bought one for my X1100. The handle is longer making shifting easier. Also the shifting pattern is in a straight line, a slight pull to the right and then a straight push or pull into gear. I prefer it to the original shifter. I also modified a long nut to screw onto the lever to accept a rtv 850 shifter knob, which is more ergonomic than the one for the X series and the one that comes in the kit.
 
It may help with snow plowing to shift quicker with not having to work through the gate of the original. I wonder why Kabota just doesn't make it the stock shifter if it is better. The hard and inconsistent force needed to shift is my only complaint with my x900. The extra leverage may make it so my wife can bend up the linkage easier..lol...Thanks for the picture armyaviatr. Is the kit hard to imstall ? I assume you can slap it striaght up or down to shift guicker ?
 
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I removed the steering wheel and the console. I imagine you could do it without removing them, but I didn't try. Once the console was out of the way it only took about 10 minutes. I always use a little never seize when I reassemble the steering wheel, it makes future removals so much easier. I learned on here that it is always good to use the brake when shifting because if everything is adjusted correctly, applying the brake eases the hydraulic pressure in the hydro from the transmission. I wonder if Kubota put the gate in to keep you from accidently bumping it out of or into gear. Yes shifting is much quicker and easier.
 
This shifter upgrade has been on my mind so today i spend some time looking at the stock shifter and the upgrade stright shifter from kabota. What i discovered is the kabota engineers eliminated a steel pin that is on the stock lever that indexes into a steel gate under the dash. The sreel pin and shift gate forces the operator to fiddlefart around to shift gears instead of a smooth, straight and guick up or down motion. The little plastic nub on the stock plastic by the letter N has little effect on straight shifting. I decided if the kabota engineers eliminated the pin as an upgrade I would too. I took a little hacksaw and cut the pin off and WOWSER what a vastly improved shifting experience!!!! The guicker timeing of the shift without having to go through the extra motion to go through the shift gate seems to catch the transmission at a good pressure point for it to slip into gear. I don't know why this is not a service bulletin. It is a fifteen minute mod verses a 250 dollar kit and 1 1/2 hours labor to instal. I wanted to share this "Lens Shifter Mod" with my fellow owners.. lolIMG_2084.jpgIMG_2089.jpgIMG_2093.jpg
 
Hmmm.....I've never really looked at it before. Thanks for posting.

I have developed a technique with mine, I time my shifts just as it comes to a stop. Kinda hard to explain...I don't shift in motion, nor does it grind but I have learned to catch it just before it comes to a complete stop and it shifts perfect.

But if your mod works, better still.

Mine shifts a lot easier than a couple I test drove at dealer, but still, you would think a company like Kubota could make a smoother shifting transmission.
 
I believe the shifter is designed to prevent inadvertent shifting into Low while travelling at-speed….and/or shifting from R to H without pausing at N…. which can cause expensive damage if done at speed.

I’m not flustered by it at all…and I’m reluctant to remove what I perceive as a safety-feature which might allow less-experienced drivers to damage that expensive transmission.

However, it is common that the selection of either R or H from N is thwarted by the actual gear-set not meshing from time-to-time….and the solution is simple… barely “bump” the go-pedal and it falls-smoothly into gear.
 
I understand your concern geohorn. Remember the shift lever is still spring loaded holding it to the left indexing it in the console plate blocking any accidental shifts. When in high it can only be bumped into neutral and is blocked from going into low. If bumped when in reverse the spring pressure will pop the lever to the left into neutral same as if the pin was still there. I would not do it if the kabota engineers did not do it. Kabota's up grade shift kit lever is identical except they eliminated the pin. If I get into a gear bind I also blip the throttle as you suggest but a newbie operator has to be careful not to over rev and jam it in gear causing damage too. As I study the console shift plate that comes in the upgrade kit I think it has less safety from accidental shifting than the stock plate. The notches in it are smaller and can easily be over ridden. I guess kabota doesn't think it is a problem and the pin was an over design that just causes a nuisance and i agree.
 
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I have run my x900 on the farm a few days now after the upgrade and I continue to be amazed and pleased with the huge improvement in forward to reverse shifting. I have a lot of tight places where i have to do 3 point turns and most of the time I don't have to hold the brake pedal for a three count or blip the throttle to shift. VERY happy. Thanks again to Armyaviatr for posting pics of Kabota's upgrade shifter. It is indeed guicker and easier shifting.
 
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I see Messicks Has two of the stright shifter upgrade kits in stock now. The install manual shows about an hour and a half to install. It is much easier to remove the pin from the stock shifter and get very close to the same results for free!
 
I removed the pin today from my shifter. (Cut it off) Simple job with an oscillating saw. I will find out how well it works next time it snows. It already seems better just sitting in the garage.
 
ZMAN said:
I removed the pin today from my shifter. (Cut it off) Simple job with an oscillating saw. I will find out how well it works next time it snows. It already seems better just sitting in the garage.
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Well, we got some snow overnight and that allowed me to try out the shifter modification. While it didn't eliminate all shifting problems it sure did improve it. You now mainly move the shifter straight up and down without having to go left and right thru the gate. I am very happy with the easy upgrade!
 
This mod is one of the best improvements I have made to my x900. As a side note it is my understanding that the hew models will have an updated transmission with bevel gears that will make them shift more smoothly with less effort. Maybe kabota finally fixed my only complaint with the rtv......we will see.
 
Len 900 said:
This mod is one of the best improvements I have made to my x900. As a side note it is my understanding that the hew models will have an updated transmission with bevel gears that will make them shift more smoothly with less effort. Maybe kabota finally fixed my only complaint with the rtv......we will see.
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Probably not. I have a 2023 RTV X1100C. I have 65 hours on it and it's transmission is tough to get into gear sometimes. I also found: Don't back up a hill partially and then expect to shift into high or low. It ain't happening. You have to literally turn the engine off, while still in reverse, then you can get to neutral.
 
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