Jonny’s Story

You have to admire a person that doesn’t let huge life changes interfere with his or her passions. For Jonny Aquino, this meant not giving up his love of motorcycles even though he became paraplegic at the age of 13. To take it one step further, Jonny is helping other folks with disabilities to get back to the sport they love with his Parashifter.

Jonny Aquino’s passions were easily described as riding BMX and riding his dirtbike. So after becoming paraplegic at the age of 13 it made the most sense to him to keep trying to ride! And he did, until one time he fell on his dirtbike and it fell on him, breaking his leg. As any concerned parent would do, Jonny’s dad took him off the motorcycle and swapped it out for Honda Oddessy’s and other steering wheel + cage motorized vehicles. It was a few years later when Jonny got his first quad and where the story of the Parashifter begins.
“In about ’89 or ’90 I got an ’87 250X and shifted suicide-style with a piece of wood trim. I chose the trim because if I crashed, it would break and I wouldn’t get stabbed,” Jonny explained. He rode with something to help him shift in one form or another until he got together with a good friend and fellow fabricator, Kevin Faulk.  ” We talked about a hand-shifter to let me leave my hands on bars, and worked out a design,” Jonny said over the phone, “We tried new things until finally finding a shifter to work on the bars. I rode and experimented for a long time and let it evolve. We have kept a cable-design since ’92.”

In 2008, Jonny got back together with Kevin and they worked on a new design together. They changed the design a little bit to look really good, make sure anyone can use it,  and have it be adjustable for bigger or smaller hands, and rider preference. Jonny explained, “We came up with the current design for my YFZ. It’s machined, works with any sized hands, and completely reliable. Electric shifters on the market just overheat or you can’t find neutral or they don’t have a positive feel when riding, so I came up with a mechanical version. It’s been flawless for the last 2 years.”

The Parashifter works by mounting two levers on the handlebars on the left side, running two cables through a pivot point, down through the plastics and through another pivot point, and then mounting a piece down by the footpeg to keep it secure, where the cables attach to the motor. It’s similar to running an extra clutch cable through the plastic and so far he has had no problems with unusual wear or the cables snagging. The lever closest to the rider will put you into first gear, and to upshift you use the lever below the clutch. You can even mount the system to pull in the up-shift lever and the clutch at the same time.

“There’s nothing worse than having to limp a bike back to the pits because something doesn’t work,” Jonny said, and he’s got an excellent point. The Parashifter is made of 6061 aluminum and retails through ADA Motorsports for $450.  ADA Motorsports stocks some, but most of them are made to order. The bar piece is universal, but the shifter/footpeg is different on each model. Current models ADA Motorsports has designs for fit the YFZ450 and the LTR450. They currently have a Raptor 700 model in production, as well as a Banshee model. “Almost everything can be made. Bottom mount of footpeg, it attaches there, and cable lengths are little different,” Jonny explained.

So how did ADA Motorsports come into the picture? After the the first few versions of the Parashifter, Jonny’s friends and family urged him to patent the design, but he never felt it was good enough. It wasn’t until February of 2011 that he decided to head back to the drawing board, tighten up the design, and file the paperwork. It became a patent-pending Parashifter in July of 2011 and ADA Motorsports was formed to help get people who otherwise would not be able to ride, back into their passions. Jonny stated, ” Spinal injuries are more frequent, and more people need to ride. I just wanted to give back to the sport so people can continue to ride.”

Ultimately the plans are to get the Parashifter to take off and eventually expand and develop new products to help people get on their bikes. In the meantime, Jonny rides every couple of weeks and races on occasion, even winning a few here and there. He plans to ride more and complete a series in 2012, so be on the lookout for this local talent at the track! Jonny will also be at Dunefest again in 2012.

“Get back on your bike and just ride. Tear up the trails, tear up the dunes, tear up the track, just be on your bike and ride!” Jonny declared.  For people who might otherwise not be able to, Jonny is giving them the chance back. For people who think they “can’t,” Jonny has shown them, indeed they CAN.

Nothing’s stopping him from going fast! This is Jonny riding the MX at Madras
Contact Jonny Aquino at ADA Motorsports via:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ADA-Motorsports/150128468421084
Website: ADAMotorsports.com
Phone: 541-508-8869
Email: ADA@yahoo.com

— Thanks,
Megan
Murray211

ADA Motorsports changing lives with the Parashifter

Jonny Aquino is one of those make it happen kinds of people.  On a recent trip to the Oregon Dunes I met Jonny and learned of the unique challenges he faces when trying to enjoy his favorite hobby.  Taking it one step further, Jonny is using the knowledge he’s gained through the years to help other riders with similar disabilities  to continue enjoying the sport they love.

Like many teens today, Jonny spent much of his childhood aboard a BMX bike with high hopes of being able to ride dirtbikes sometime in the future.  Tragically, at age thirteen he was shot in the chest rendering him a T-7 paraplegic.  Not only did he survive the incident, but he recovered well enough to get back onto a dirtbike however after breaking his leg in a crash, his parents told him no more until he could find something with a role cage.

It didn’t come with a cage but in the early 90’s Jonny found himself back in action, this time aboard a Honda 250X ATV.  In the early years he used a piece of wooden lattice to reach down and pull the shift lever, much like a jockey shift setup.  The lattice was strong enough for him to shift with but pliable enough to break in the event of a crash.

From there he began exploring the use of a cable and pulley system to shift the machine between gears.  There are a few companies that manufacture electronic solenoid shifters but his experience has been negative as these particular units can overheat and stop working.

His original design started in 1994 and has evolved into the CNC machined bracket and housing he uses today.  The system is machined out of 6061 billet aluminum and offers adjustability for riders with differing hand sizes and preferences on control setup.  The handlebar mounted shifter allows him to change gears without ever having to remove his hand from the bars.

Another feature unique to Jonny is the use of ski boot bindings to plant his feet on the pegs.  Other riders have used bungee chords or snowboard bindings but in the event of a crash, the rider would remain attached to the quad.  According to Jonny the ski boot bindings clasp his riding boots well enough to keep him on but will manage to release in the event of a rollover.

After honing the design and testing it for himself, several of Jonny’s friends encouraged him to patent his product and offer it for sale to other riders with similar disabilities.  Despite the adjustability, Jonny’s system is nearly universal between the different machines.  The main difference being a different foot peg bracket to house the cable system which he can easily machine when ordered.

Jonny is working hard to continue enjoy the sport he loves but also make it easier for others with similar disabilities to get to doing what they love as well.  There are even roomers of a team of paraplegic riders taking on the Baja 500.  You’ll have to wait and see.

For questions or info regarding the para shifter contact Jonny Aquino at ADA Motorsports