Jockey shifter

[53rigidrider]

Description: I'd like to know if anyone out there ran into anything I haven't thought of about the pro's and con's of it.

I've got the setup for a suicide shifter for my Pan. I'm a week away from installing it for my old school tastes.

I rigged my old softail up with one before I got rear ended on it. (not rider error)
I'd like to know if anyone out there ran into anything I haven't thought of about the pro's and con's of it. ???

[suicideshovel65]

I rode with a suicide shift on my rigid shovel for some time here in Tokyo. Nuts. It is a pain in the proverbial to lane-split (ride between cars in traffic) especially if you have apes, and it is a pain to pillion (slightest lean to the left at slow speeds usually means an engine stall!).
Having said that, it looks the dog's bollocks, and is a blast to ride when the traffic is moving, or you're on more open roads. I had mine set up attached directly to the ratchet top so it was a slap shift rather than a tank shift.
If you are riding with the setup on a ratchet top (as I did), I highly recommend a working neutral lamp - of course not mandatory, but helpful!
I also recommend setting the clutch up to have travel more like a car's clutch. On/off only where you have to control it with your entire leg bending at the knee/hip rather than at the ankle can be very difficult in traffic.
Have good brakes!
Also, make sure the shift rod/linkage is securely attached at the transmission end, and carry a spare of whatever it is you use to attach it. I had the rod come free twice, and it is a pain in the proverbial to try an re-attach by the roadside when you're in a hurry.
Glass shift knobs look great!

Have fun!

[kell]

Of course, the setup ss65 described is a suicide clutch with a ratchet top, not a jockey shift. When I changed my 52 FL over from foot shift I took the ratchet off the tranny and put a jockey top on with a short lever, and I'm glad I did. I love to feel the snickety-snick of the gears through the lever and into my hand as I shift. I modified the previous owner's aftermarket foot shift lever some and made it serve as a clutch pedal, with a chain going back to a clutch lever I fabbed. I also had to make my own shifter lever and the shaft that goes into the shifter top. The chain just barely clears the shifter shaft, right in the gap between the lever and the tranny top.
The lever for a jockey top has to move a lot farther than the lever on a ratchet top does.

[53rigidrider]

Hmmm..interesting!
I'll look into the different ideas and see what would work best for my setup.
I do love the "coolness" of racheting through the gears while everyone on a twinkie or evo looks like I'm insane!
Plus, I like the simplicity of a jockey over the mousetrap, but both are equally cool.
Ride With Pan Pride!

[haggis]

53 rigid..
me...I like the mouse trap........nothing like having an evo rider come up and ask what that extra doohickey is hanging off the downtube!
Mousetraps rule!!!!Haggis

[DuoDave]

Mousetrap. This contraption has to be the most eccentric piece of engineering design ever conceived
by a human mind. I love it! Sometimes when I am fooling around in the garage, I pull my clutch lever a few times (there's no law against it!) just so I can watch all those levers, rods and springs do their thing.
A word of warning, though. If you are ever tempted to tinker with it, mind your fingers. It's not called a mousetrap for nothing. Guess how I know that?
Sproing, clang, Arrgghhhh!

[53rigidrider]

Mousetrap caught me a few times!
You're right though, I love watching the contraption operate.
It kinda reminds me of the exaggerated trap the characters from "Looney Toons" use to make.
I think the designer was Wiley Coyote!
It's a hard choice between the two.

[dirtydistrict]

Me it's tank shift and i wouldn't change for nothing, at least i can park my scoot without chainlock, if anyone want to steal it he would have to kick it first, then use the footclutch, engage the first gear....nooooo, no need to run after him, just wait and call for an ambulance

[53rigidrider]

Exactly DD!
Most present day shops don't have anyone that knows how to test ride a foot clutch!
That's one of the secondary reasons for my wanting to changeover, it'll maim most of the thieves out there trying to kidnap my "wife!"
I know I seem anal for taking so long to make the final move, but I want to consider everything before the change.
Thanx for the input!

[52 Chopper]

Hey 53, I've had all the parts (VTwin kit) sitting around this summer to convert my 52 ridgid chopper over to a suicide shifter w/8-ball knob. Now that it's going into winter I'm ready. Since you need to pull the primary, I'm considering dropping the primary chain for an open belt. I've never had a suicide before, but looking forward to it. I'm sure it will cut down on the beer intake.... I'll report back!

[panomania]

would you believe i've had posers ask me if my bike was a automatic because they didn't see a clutch lever?

[panhead]

Yes I believe you, probably Evo-riders?!

Tank shifters!!!!!

[kevsett]

Hey guys! Not only do I get funny looks on my 64 FL when tank shifting/foot clutching..........it usually draws a crowd when I kick start it. I'll never forget the look on the faces of several riders at a KC H-D plant open house. Most posers would have to lift old iron into a truck or van to steal it, because they sure couldn't start it and ride it!
One other thing............at the 1st annual Gail's HD bike show in Overland Park, KS the other day someone had a twincam model all set up in 50's/60's Panhead fashion; even a hand shifter on the tank. The funny thing was that no one I saw noticed there was NO linkage from the hand shifter and the foot shifter and rod were still hooked up below. What a hoot!

[DuoDave]

Like those fake kicker kits that don't connect to anything. How pathetic is that? :
I imagine those guys hiding out in the garage, practising the ritual, trying to get it to look just right.
"Nope, I need to grunt a little more at that point. HAAA-YUNG! potato, potato potato. Yessirree, this is a real mans sickle, you bet!" " Now, I'll just stuff this sock down the front of my pants."
(Damn! what a giveaway. now you all know why I wanted those socks for Christmas.)

[panomania]

explain this for me... i have a buddy that owns a metric shop here in the deep south,us. he acts like he hates everything about my bike. the kick start, jocky shift, springer and so on... my question is, how could any automotive or motorcycle gearhead not appreciate a 50 year old motorcyle that already had a history, before his vulcan 1500 cc's engineer,s great uncles grandfathers, grandfather ever had the conception of that bike? Just because he's had to push me around the block a time or two in public...whats the problem? of course only when theres a crowed. I just scream faster,faster.

oh and i forgot, the ones that ask you, is that belt dangerous downthere by your feet? I guess i should remind them that the pavement is screaming past them 2 1/2 feet away from there torso, if a little ol belt scares em that bad, they should probably find a safer hobbie. and back to kick starting in public, have you ever caught yourself begging your bike (silently) to crank when a bunch of people are watching? Please baby, please. dont let me down now.. Or when it aint crankin, under your breath you are saying, piece of%$*^ son of%^&??? so when that time is at hand do you proudly keep kicking or duck your head and pretend theres not 50 people standing there watching?
last year we went to a 4 day ralley in panama city, florida and i swear i didnt see another jockey shift bike out of about 30,000 bikes. anyhow i had a car battery straped to my rear fender because my generator had gone out. but at the main square, main event, when i finally got mine to start, i got a huge standing ovation. i was so proud..NOT!!!