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Three speed shifter question

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Ernbar

I live for the CABE
I noticed that my 1973 Lemon Speedster’s three speed shifter doesn’t have the SA placard. Is this small cover made as a repro?
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There was an aftermarked piece that was named Speedy Switch and it looked almost identical to the SA shifter. It has a sticker on the face and stamped Japan on the back.
 
Hey thanks GT. I will have a better look in the morning outside in the daylight. I have seen some 3 speed SA shifters on eBay under $15 but wonder if they are repros. The current shifter works fine so I don’t know if it’s worth it to replace a working part.
 
I don't think SA made reproductions. At one point their shifters had a plastic face that almost always broke, but I don't know the years they used that one. I believe the current pieces have a black plastic housing.
 
My ‘76 Speedster has the plastic face, and a black plastic cover on trigger (annoying). OP’s looks like that. My ‘68 Speedster has a similar one but with a metal tag riveted on, and sans trigger cover.

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There was an aftermarked piece that was named Speedy Switch and it looked almost identical to the SA shifter. It has a sticker on the face and stamped Japan on the back.

GT this might be the Sturmey with plastic cover. The pin / screw locations seem to match up better. OP - If that's the case, just get a SA with cover off ebay for cheap in good condition they pop up all the time.

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Thanks fellas for all your responses!
GT this might be the Sturmey with plastic cover. The pin / screw locations seem to match up better. OP - If that's the case, just get a SA with cover off ebay for cheap in good condition they pop up all the time.

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Yes it does seem to look like the SA you posted as comparison. The holes line up perfectly. I don’t see any other markings at all on the other side.
 
GT this might be the Sturmey with plastic cover. The pin / screw locations seem to match up better. OP - If that's the case, just get a SA with cover off ebay for cheap in good condition they pop up all the time.

View attachment 1032719


Correct - 1973 would be the clear plastic cover with small block lettering as shown in your picture. This is the standard cover of that era and used on both American and English bicycles. There is an earlier clear cover with large logo/lettering from the 1960s, and then there is a later cover made of black plastic material (later 1970s and into the 1980s). The later era ones with the black cover often have the black, plastic-covered shifter lever. The clear plastic ones should have the plain metal shifter lever.

The black plastic cover is commonly seen as a replacement part because the clear ones broke and fell off, needing replacement. The clear ones have not been reproduced, to my knowledge. They usually are cracked to some degree when you find them. Best bet for an original is eBay or the used parts bin from a bike shop that has been around a long time. Another option is to replace with an earlier, all-metal Sturmey shifter.
 
Correct - 1973 would be the clear plastic cover with small block lettering as shown in your picture. This is the standard cover of that era and used on both American and English bicycles. There is an earlier clear cover with large logo/lettering from the 1960s, and then there is a later cover made of black plastic material (later 1970s and into the 1980s). The later era ones with the black cover often have the black, plastic-covered shifter lever. The clear plastic ones should have the plain metal shifter lever.

The black plastic cover is commonly seen as a replacement part because the clear ones broke and fell off, needing replacement. The clear ones have not been reproduced, to my knowledge. They usually are cracked to some degree when you find them. Best bet for an original is eBay or the used parts bin from a bike shop that has been around a long time. Another option is to replace with an earlier, all-metal Sturmey shifter.


Thanks Mike. Lots of great info given here. I saw one on eBay but it’s cracked like you said.
 
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