Since putting a 6-speed in my R50, I've noticed the increased effort and
notchy-ness of the Getrag compared to the Midlands, especially the bit
of muscle to pop it into reverse, and was wondering if a heavier **** would
smooth it out a little. The notchy-ness is a bit more sporty and serious
feeling than the floppy light Midlands touch, though.

The two main choices seem to be the Whalen and the Cravenspeed.
I'd want to go with a simple 6-speed pattern on the top to emphasize
the non-standard shift pattern compared to a regular R50 with a 5-speed.

The Whalen is heavier (18 oz) - possibly heavier than necessary?, and
significantly more expensive, but looks very nice, especially the locking mechanism.

The Cravenspeed is supposed to be a little more than 12 oz, and has a nice thin
rubber ring around its circumference, and is a bit less expensive. I'm kind of
leaning toward that at the moment. Or should I just be happy with the
standard factory 6-speed **** I have on it now (about 6 oz, I think)?

Something heavier than stock with a leather wrap around its lower 3/4 would be great,
especially for very cold and very hot weather, but I don't see anything made like that.

 

Love my whalen! Has a great size and feel in your hand. As for the change in shifting, its there, but its definitely not proportionate to the price tag! Its a bit more of bling item IMO

 

I guess no one has had experience with both *****.
Fortunately, I'm getting to like the stock 6-speed **** just fine.