Shimano 6 speed SIS top mount thumb shifters

[chillyuk]

My Ridgeback has a basic 18 gear Shimano SIS system. It is spot on, changes cleanly, indexes perfectly across the entire range and runs very quietly. I have no interest in upgrading. It ain't broke so I don't need to fix it!

My question is, do the thumb shifters, top mounted on the handlebars, require any maintenance. I am not talking about the cables but the lever mechanism itself, or is it a matter of wait till it breaks then bin it.

These shifters are becoming a little difficult to find so I have a pair coming to have in reserve just in case. They can join the 6 speed freewheels and chains I have, useful as both my hybrid and road bike use the same ones.

 

[Jonathan M]

Wait till they break really, other than maybe a squirt of GT85 or such like.

 

[TheDoctor]

Don't WD40 the LHS one that does the front!
If it's like my old one, that's a friction shifter, and WD40 is the enemy of friction

 

[chillyuk]

Don't WD40 the LHS one that does the front!
If it's like my old one, that's a friction shifter, and WD40 is the enemy of friction

Thanks for the potentially useful warning but both the LH and RH shifters are indexed.

 

[TheDoctor]

No worries then