You and most others complain about the gear lever length on that model, so much so that Yamaha decided that E and F models would get a longer shifter. The hot ticket back in the day was to install a TT or XT shifter to remedy the action. A genuine E/F model shifter will cost an arm and a leg if you can find one, go for an aftermarket XT shifter in steel so it can easily be shortened a little if required to tailor the fit. Splines are the same, so easy fix for about $25.
