Clutch upgrade, add a mousetrap clutch

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giorgio
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Clutch upgrade, add a mousetrap clutch

#1

Post by giorgio »

I have a 59 hand shift duo.
I have been suggested to add a mousetrap clutch in addition to the difficult foot clutch to use for manouvring. What do you think about it???
It looks pretty smart to me. Any suggestions well accepted.
Best to all from Italy.
Giorgio
57pan
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Re: Clutch upgrade

#2

Post by 57pan »

Hi Giorgio,

I assume that what you are trying to do is set it up so that you can use the foot clutch for normal shifting but have the hand clutch available for times when you need to "feather" the clutch such as when you are in real slow traffic and you're just creeping along.
It sounds like a neat idea but I think it would take some real creativity to set it up so that the two linkage systems don't interfer with each other. Have you actually seen a set up like this?
BTW - what part of Italy are you in? My wife and I just went on a bicycling tour in the northern part of Italy this past September. We were in Pavia, Vegavino, Fumo, Piacenza and Cremona. We had a great time but I think I only saw about 7 Harleys while we were there.
kell
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Re: Clutch upgrade

#3

Post by kell »

Hey Giorgio
I've heard of a number of people besides me that have a redundant hand clutch on a foot-shift bike.
I used a "mousetrap eliminator" kit that has a hand lever, cable, and a bracket (for the cable end) that fastens to the frame tube just below the oil tank. There are no extra springs and levers, just the straight cable.
The standard "mousetrap eliminator" uses a short lever arm on top of the transmission. However, you have to keep the long tranny lever because your foot shift is connected to it. You will have to connect the hand cable to the middle of that lever arm.
It can be done without too much trouble.
57pan
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Re: Clutch upgrade

#4

Post by 57pan »

''Hey Giorgio
I've heard of a number of people besides me that have a redundant hand clutch on a foot-shift bike.
However, you have to keep the long tranny lever because your foot shift is connected to it. You will have to connect the hand cable to the middle of that lever arm.
It can be done without too much trouble.''


Kell,

I think you meant foot clutch instead of foot shift didn't you?
King
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Re: Clutch upgrade

#5

Post by King »

Kell

Sound’s like a great Idea. A dose of heavy traffic with the ole rocker and I have a case of “clutch knee”. The hand clutch option would sure get rid of that as well as give you more stability when creeping along.

But I'm a bit confused as to how you connect the eliminator cable and what you connect it to. By "tranny lever" do you mean the clutch lever rod that goes from the foot rocker to the clutch release lever? And do you connect the eliminator cable to it?

Thanks,

King
52WLCnFL

Re: Clutch upgrade

#6

Post by 52WLCnFL »

Ciao Georgio,

You my be able to upgrade your clutch WITHOUT a mouse trap, by converting your clutch to glued instead of riveted lined plates. These are less mm's thick, so you can add an extra plate that allows you to install WEAKER springs for LESS hand force. This is IMHO the solution of later (Electra's and so on) hand-operated clutches.
You then connect a cable to the original foot clutch lever, by making an extra hole in the lever. Very much similar to the additional hand clutches on Canadian army 750 side valves.

Where do you live in Italy? Me and my wife travel every year from Holland to Italy on a '58 Duo Glide. With foot-operated clutch! This year it was Liguria, Ferrara, Roana (alps) and Santa Maria Maggiore (alps).

Ci vediamo!
Saluti, JW
kell
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Re: Clutch upgrade

#7

Post by kell »

The mousetrap eliminator kit should come with a bracket that bolts to the frame just under the oil tank. It uses the same tabs that the stock horseshoe tank attaches to.
The housing of the cable leading from the hand lever butts into that bracket. The mousetrap eliminator kit probably also comes with a clutch release lever that's shorter than the one you have. You won't be using the new lever. Just keep your clutch release lever and connect the end of the hand cable to it. You will have two cables attached to it. The foot connection at the end of the lever, and the hand cable at the middle of the lever.
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