Primary drive poll

Ongoing topics on interesting subjects, what did you do on/with your bike (or other things)?
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What primary drive do you use?

I run a chain primary without compensator
86
18%
I run a chain primary with compensator
104
22%
I run an open belt drive
82
18%
I run an enclosed belt drive
193
42%
 
Total votes: 465

Times Welding
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Re: Primary drive poll

#46

Post by Times Welding »

Cotten,
Forgive my ignorance, but, what is this "pedal pin" you are referring to?
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Re: Primary drive poll

#47

Post by Cotten »

Times Welding wrote:Cotten,
Forgive my ignorance, but, what is this "pedal pin" you are referring to?
Doug!

Just type 36812-65 into the search function.

No need to feel more ignorant than any of us, as everybody told me it didn't exist for years and years, even when I pointed at it.

The enigma is why a hole was provided for it upon so many earlier models.

....Cotten
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Re: Primary drive poll

#48

Post by Times Welding »

Cotten, that stop pin makes perfect sense and my rocker pedal has that hole. It looks like something that would be easily machined. Would you have length and diameter dimensions of the unthreaded portion?
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Re: Primary drive poll

#49

Post by Cotten »

Doug!

Not handy, if hasn't been mentioned in the forum discussion.

Just the bolt size was enough to confuse me.

....Cotten
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Re: Primary drive poll

#50

Post by PanJud »

Cotten wrote:Doug!

Not handy, if hasn't been mentioned in the forum discussion.

Just the bolt size was enough to confuse me.

....Cotten
I've pondered that very issue on and off for years.....was almost gonna ask one of you guys......EVERY time I reach 4th gear, I look down at the tranny and adjust the pedal to make sure I've got a quarter inch or so of free play.....kinda like one of those "did I lthe water running in the bathtub" things. Would be nice to just push my toe down and forget about it
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Re: Primary drive poll

#51

Post by Cotten »

PanJud!

I'm not sure I understand the question, but it sounds like you run with the pedal tensioner set on "enduro".

Meanwhile, without removing it, it appears to be simple 1/2" round stock, two inches long, and center-tapped on one end for a 5/16" bolt.

....Cotten
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Re: Primary drive poll

#52

Post by PanJud »

Cotten wrote:PanJud!

I'm not sure I understand the question, but it sounds like you run with the pedal tensioner set on "enduro".

Meanwhile, without removing it, it appears to be simple 1/2" round stock, two inches long, and center-tapped on one end for a 5/16" bolt.

....Cotten
Cotten! yeah....I'm quite the babbler.....what I was getting at, was that after I shift into 4th and settle down, the clutch lever/rod is clear of the actuator arm, but not so much that the rod bounces all over the place....hence, having to look down to verify (Enduro?)
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Re: Primary drive poll

#53

Post by Cotten »

PanJud!

So the pedal stays where ever you put it?

I musn't tell you what my early mentors called folks who rode on the street with their pedals tight.

Ideally, when you release the pedal, it should come to a positive stop somewhere, at which point the clutchrod length is adjusted.
Often that stop is digging a hole in the footboard pad.
Ideally, there should be at least a skosh of room for your toe under the pedal. (A difficult ideal no doubt.)
Ideally, your action on the clutch will only throw it as far as necessary for the plates to release.
Ideally, that is easily felt, unless your tensioner is stiff.

If you are relying upon your tensioner to stay dis-engaged at stoplights, I fear you may have to learn how to ride all over again.

It will be worth it.

Nearly everyone I have walked through a footclutch have agreed that the most comfortable operation is to release the pedal tension, and install the stop pin.
This greatly aids operation with a passenger as well, as the ankle need not flex un-naturally.

(I also advocate moving the handbrake opposite of the shiftlever as well, "correct" be damned if it ain't safe!)

....Cotten
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Re: Primary drive poll

#54

Post by Times Welding »

Cotten,
I've been gathering and restoring parts to convert my '59 to hand shift. I want to make the change this winter. Could you do me and lots of other readers a favor and walk us through the rocker clutch adjustment procedure when equipped with a stop pin? Thank you , Doug (Times Welding)
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Re: Primary drive poll

#55

Post by PanJud »

Cotten wrote:PanJud!

So the pedal stays where ever you put it?

I musn't tell you what my early mentors called folks who rode on the street with their pedals tight.

Ideally, when you release the pedal, it should come to a positive stop somewhere, at which point the clutchrod length is adjusted.
Often that stop is digging a hole in the footboard pad.
Ideally, there should be at least a skosh of room for your toe under the pedal. (A difficult ideal no doubt.)
Ideally, your action on the clutch will only throw it as far as necessary for the plates to release.
Ideally, that is easily felt, unless your tensioner is stiff.

If you are relying upon your tensioner to stay dis-engaged at stoplights, I fear you may have to learn how to ride all over again.

It will be worth it.

Nearly everyone I have walked through a footclutch have agreed that the most comfortable operation is to release the pedal tension, and install the stop pin.
This greatly aids operation with a passenger as well, as the ankle need not flex un-naturally.

(I also advocate moving the handbrake opposite of the shiftlever as well, "correct" be damned if it ain't safe!)

....Cotten
Cotten!
Yeah, the pedal stays (pretty much) where I put it....has always been that way for the nearly 20 years I've owned the bike, I just assumed that was normal. My initial concern for this subject is to make certain I'm not leaving the clutch partially engaged when I'm done shifting...When I hit 65 or so....the vibration slowly pitches it forward until it hits the floorboard and quits....nearly perpendicular to the ground (rare occasion I go that fast, at any rate) Normally, it sits slightly forward of parallel to the ground, and isn't in the way. Gonna fiddle with fashioning a stop tomorrow, though...sounds intriguing

(Oh yeah, +1 on what times Welding just said)
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Re: Primary drive poll

#56

Post by RUBONE »

Despite Cotten's claims, I for one have never found the pedal when operated as H-D intended to be an issue in over 40 years of riding handshift rocker clutch bikes. One man's opinion is not the end of the world. And growing up among many old riders, racers, , ex-dealers, and many more knowledgeable than I ever hope to be, such a conversion was never suggested, insisted on, or even talked about.
Sorry Tom, but I don't buy into it. And if you tell me I need to "learn to ride" all over again, I will tell you to take a long walk off a short pier.
Pure BS in my opinion...
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Re: Primary drive poll

#57

Post by Cotten »

Folks,

Each rider should decide for himself if he wants to feel the clutch, or stab in the dark at it.

It doesn't take unusual coordination skills to get into neutral before you roll to a stop.

If you need to get off and push through mud occasionally, by all means tighten the pedal to where it sticks.

But sitting at a stop with your foot on the ground and the pedal in the air is worse than novice:
Its dangerous.

....Cotten
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Re: Primary drive poll

#58

Post by PanJud »

Cotten wrote:Folks,

Each rider should decide for himself if he wants to feel the clutch, or stab in the dark at it.

It doesn't take unusual coordination skills to get into neutral before you roll to a stop.

If you need to get off and push through mud occasionally, by all means tighten the pedal to where it sticks.

But sitting at a stop with your foot on the ground and the pedal in the air is worse than novice:
Its dangerous.

....Cotten
That's not even in the top 5 of the reasons why I prefer it to be as such (DEFinitely nice to be given that 2nd chance when having to put left foot down, however)...where i live, large % of stops are on hills, and you end up riding the clutch the same as a car
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Re: Primary drive poll

#59

Post by 58flh »

This is really interesting!--I have rode many foot-clutch bikes ,up hills on stop & down while backing-up.If your rocker pedal engages & disengages Its working just fine!---Now I will Admit I haven't had the Footclutch on my pan for about 5-6yrs now,But when I was running it & Riding the 45 that's my buddies machine ,It never even occurred to me on those issues your talking about.--I know a heavy shifter knob will pop out of gear here & there,But I never encountered any problems Its either disengaged or engaged & off you go!----Now Im reading that the rocker is moving by itself from vibration???--I cant believe its moving so much that it will engage or disengage.---My buddy been riding a footclutch since before I knew him Everyday for 17yrs. now & He never complained about any problems like are being discussed here.I just put the new discs & plates in for him . ADJ. it so the kicker don't slip & Hes off. I think if your riding a Bike equipped with that kind of drivetrain, you get to know your bike in a short amount of time & once you got it Down You don't need a stop-pin for it.---Just my 2 from prior EXP.-----Respectfully--RICHIE
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Re: Primary drive poll

#60

Post by Cotten »

PanJud!

You prefer it to be a crutch and not a clutch.

.....Cotten
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