I would like to leave my testimony. I've been driving my Harley for 25 years with hand shift, clutch in my right hand with the throttle, and both brakes on my right foot. I've never had any problems and I drive without any stress. When I brake I lean to the left. I wish you all good motorcycle rides
Hands down one of the best videos I’ve ever watched. Although I will never have this setup on my bike, I love watching a tutorial like yours that is top notch. That ride along camera at the clutch/shifter is outstanding. Well done and thanks!
I really appreciate the feedback man! Love to know that it’s coming across the way I hoped it would. If you know someone it could help please share it with them, there are so few videos on this topic and I’m trying to let people see it’s much easier than they think! 🙏🏼
Great video! So in 1978 when I was 18 years old I bought a 41 Knucklehead with a rocker clutch and tank shifter. The shop I bought it from was at the bottom of a hill with a gravel driveway. I can't remember how many trys it took to get to the top of the hill, but the old timers told me it's the only way to learn. Years later I had a shovel with a jockey shift. Now I'm 64 and I'm building a rigid frame shovelhead chopper with a jockey shift. But I'm cheating a little and running a front brake. Can't wait to get it finished and have some fun on it.
That’s awesome! You’ve got something none of us younger guys will ever have. To have grown up at a time when those bikes were around and available to an 18 year old. What a beautiful memory to have. I’m jealous! No worries on the front brake though, it’s still every bit as cool as running without one. Glad to hear you’re still jockey shifting that’s inspiring. The comments section here is very divided on it but for guys like you and me, there’s no other way. God bless you, ride safe
That's a damn cool experience for you as a young guy wow that's awesome, especially how you said the old-timers told you. Like to have a chopper shop at the bottom of a hill is destiny for their customers.
I personally try to never put my foot down when making a tight left. I don’t find the need. Just practice super slow riding and your bike will follow. It’s a lesson I learned years ago from a seasoned biker. Stuck with me. Jockey shifts are awesome. You feel one with the bike. It’s the way it should be. Cheers. Great video 👍
Riders who need to put their foot down in turns gotta go back to riding school IMO. It's just a shit habit for people without the proper skill to ride a bike.
I have been riding bikes for over half a century and rode a '76 90" stroker for many years with a jockey shift and suicide clutch. What you describe is true in certain circumstances but not all situations are the same. I didn't see you try to ride the mountains packed up with your ol' lady on the back. Riding a bike with no mirror, no kill button, and no front brake is stupid. Life is way too short to not take safety into the equation. Indian Larry used to stand on the seat while riding hundreds of times until the one time he didn't. The scenario you describe with the bike stalling at an intersection when you lose your balance can happen but another scenario is with your hand on the throttle and your twisting the throttle as you are trying to catch your balance and if you have a big inch motor it will not stall. Loved the video and the way you ride is only for the very talented. Later.
Thank you for checking out the videos and the channel I appreciate the feedback. I do ride it packed up and with a passenger, but as always I never tell others what THEY should do as it’s a choice we all have to make for ourselves. We all have our own line 🙏🏼
@@greasesgarage Thank you for an adult response. I have a situation that I deal with every time I ride. I leave my driveway and go up to the stop sign on my dead end road where it angles to the left and is a 10% grade uphill. It is all I can do to negotiate that stop on my dresser two up with a hand clutch and front brake. What makes it even more treacherous is the highway has a lot of traffic on it and you almost have to be out in traffic to see if it's clear to pull out. What you can do in your 20's is not what you can do in your 70's. Just sayin'. Later.
I ride with my old lady all the time loaded up and haven't had a problem and a lot of panic stops. I still wouldn't go back to hand clutch but I do still have a front brake. Just my two cents keep the videos coming.
Well, to be fair, I ride as well, but riding all together is as stupid as it is amazing if we want to talk about it from a safety and protect your life point of view
What an outstanding tutorial on one of the most mystified set ups out there. I have one after riding many years the regular way. This was so well filmed, explained and put together. You're the only one out there that did something different well done sir!
You deserve it. You spend a lot of time on close up videos, script layout, b roll, editing, setting up shots, and researching data. Its really very well done work and sets you apart from the others@@greasesgarage
Fantastic video! As a certifiable old codger (mid sixties) who has been riding for awhile (since 1976) and has owned my fair share of foot clutch, hand shift bikes, I have to say this brings me back. I love seeing younger guys exploring "the old ways" and learning your impressions of them. I find it hilarious, but satisfying in some odd sort of way, to see the renewed interest in all of this. Back when I was young and poor, me and my buddies rode setups like this because we couldn't afford anything else (read: newer) so we just learned to adapt and live with it. The original heel-toe setups were often in disrepair, so we cobbled them into what you show here. The tank shifter linkages would wear and get sloppy, so we would tear them off and put a handle under our asses, like you show here. All out of necessity, because we couldn't afford to repair them to original condition. We just wanted to ride. Now, some fifty years later, the whole thing has taken on some "retro cool" aura, with you young guys actually SPENDING MONEY to do this to otherwise perfectly good motorcycles. 😉 I think that's funnier than hell. In a good way - you guys are having fun! Keep up the good work!
Thank you for sharing this! I’m lucky enough to have had an old timer in our area tell me the same story about how parts used to be harder to get and so out of necessity the shifter right off the trans was born. Now that I’ve ridden like this for 6 years I’ll never ride a regular shift bike again. It’s just too much fun this way. Thanks for checking out the channel I’m proud to have made a video that can be enjoyed by my generation and yours. Ride safe 🙏🏼
Wow, that was fast! Ah, speaking of when "parts used to be harder to get"... When I think of the value today of parts we just threw away because they were "worthless" back then, or today's value of the bikes that suffered our ham-fisted, bone-headed "modifications" if they were still in original condition... yikes... I would like to add just one thing, hoping like hell that I don't come off as all "preachy" or anything: Front brakes. Big, capable front brakes. I know, I know, front ends look so much better without them, handlebars look so much better without any levers. I get it, I really do. But they have saved my life more than once. I learned to really use them in my road racing days (Ducatis, not Harleys, and I still ride my last race bike today). When that deer jumps out in front of you, when that distracted teenager on her cell phone in mommy's Prius makes the left turn from the oncoming lane in front of you... Anyway, enough of that. You really did an excellent job showing how these things work, and dispelling the myths. Especially the "suicide" thing. About the only danger to us was the guy behind us that got pissed off if we ever killed it at an intersection. Because, you see, all of our bikes only had kickers, and if we killed 'em, everybody behind us got to watch us TRY to restart them... good times... @@greasesgarage
I've ran a handshaker,ever since my Brother made me ride his panhead.....my first two motorcycles had hand clutches,and I thought jockey shift was the most irresponsible and dangerous crazy crap ever! That was 1994......about an hour later,I changed my hardtail panhead,with no front brake( cause it looks stupid on a springer) to a handshaker......Lived it ever since! Thanks dude,your videos kick total ass........~E
I love it! A full conversion. That’s so awesome man thank you for sharing this story. Now I’m trying to remember what made me try it. I think it was reading cycle source and the horse after getting my first bike and seeing them across the pages of features and wondering what that would be like. That and I loved the clean bars I saw in every bike in the mags.
Read all the way to the end. Watched this vid a dozen times. Probably going to watch it a dozen more. One of the best vids I've seen on any topic. Well organized, lucid narration, concise. Excellent Job! Thank you. I've been riding most of my adult life. I'm 61. I have a custom rigid bobber (look for me here on TH-cam - shameless, I know). I also have a '32 VL I just finished rebuilding. Time to ride it. Oh no! Foot clutch. Whatever will I do? And yes the mechanism that holds the clutch disengaged does weaken over time. In fact the mechanism on the VL is NOT a detent, as I've heard some misinformed people call it, it's a clutch, complete with a friction disc and pressure plate. And not a very well designed one at that. You tighten the nut to make the rocker pedal more difficult to move, or stay where you put it. Even in the disengaged position. And with aid of the helper spring (not a sissy spring, it's actually necessary to get the thing to work, well, work better). Then MAYBE the clutch will stay disengaged. The mechanism is so poorly designed I decided I'm not going to use it. I'll just ride it like a jockey shift. And so this brings me to this most excellent vid. And the reason why I am, after a lifetime of riding, converting my bobber to a jockey shift, foot clutch. If both bikes are jockey shift foot clutch. Well, I'll pick it up faster and get past this annoying, having to think about, now how am I going to stop. So suicide clutch - True story. This would NOT happen on a modern machine with a modern set up. When riding my VL I pulled into the driveway, thought I had the machine in neutral, took my foot off the brake. Thought I was coasting to a stop. BUT! For the life of me I could not figure out why the thing was still moving! And not a short distance either. In the time it took me to figure out the thing was still in gear I had plowed through three trash bins, slammed into the gutter drain of the garage and ripped the corner molding from the corner. Then I fell to the right. With the engine still running, and rear tire spinning, I finally realized what had happened. I reached up and turned it off. The old machines DID NOT have dual wire throttles that would automatically close the butterfly valve when you took your hand off the grip. They will stay open. Or in my case, the butterfly was cracked open just enough. And just a little fuel is all it takes in first gear to keep the machine moving. So given the right machine, and set up.The idea of the suicide CLUTCH is a real. But it has nothing to do with stop signs/lights and slipping one's foot off of the clutch with the throttle closed. Someone has more correctly defined it as a machine with a jockey shift, foot clutch and no front brake. And stopping on hill. The riders of the 60s and 70s would rather than have to stop on a hill, just run the light or stop sign. I don't know if there's any truth to this. But I have experiential knowledge now of the potential danger of running this set up on an old machine that was built with it from the factory. They can be dangerous in the hands of the unskilled. Imagine if I had been coming up to a stop light, intersection, or trying to make a sharp turn.
Love to read these types of well informed responses. Thank you for watching the video and I appreciate the kind words. I have no doubt you’ll pick it up quickly and enjoy many more years of trouble free riding 🙏🏼 stay safe brother
Thanks for showing us how it's done. I ran a jockey shifter for a long time but I never took the front brake off just because it made it so much easier on an incline. Like, I know it can be done but I just didn't want to commit. Also, it's nice to have that extra braking force in an emergency situation. Mad respect to the guys running the full setup though.
Just having the jockey shifter and foot clutch is enough man, it’s all about that feeling of slamming through the gears by hand! Front brake or not that hand shifting action is just so addicting. I can never go back
I'm a bit puzzled as to why it's so popular to get rid of a front brake. Just to strike a better pose? Seems like it's more of a "look at me" thing, then having a more capable bike for real riding. ? I realize the whole "chopper" thing has gone into heavy fad-mode, as far as form and function. I don't know, no offense to anyone, just puzzled. :)@@greasesgarage
@@kneyork9930 it’s ok to wonder about this, there isn’t a great answer beyond simplicity. I’m sure back in the day when parts were harder to come by if your brake broke you’d remove it because you couldn’t find another. Maybe that look became a thing. Nowadays they make “spool” wheels that have no rotor mounts and they look very clean. Lighter maybe, less wires and cleaner bars. It’s not for everyone and I never tell people that they have to get rid of theirs, but I do love when I’m switching out my bars and all I do is swap a throttle house onto a new set and job done.
Truth, it is a cleaner look. My first Harley, the front brake hardly worked. It would gently-kind of slow me down a little by pulling it as hard as I could. !!! I understand the cleaner look, but for me I'll sacrifice that for a front brake. !@@greasesgarage
I learned to ride a little bit about 12 years ago on a small cc bike that my nephew had. And I haven't gotten around to get in a motorcycle for myself yet. After seeing the way this mechanism works, it seems like it works better for the way my brain multitasks, the Jockey shifter seems like a better setup for me. Thank you for this video and explanation great job you're a good teacher.
I owned a jockey shift pan for a number of years, but I always enjoyed riding my super glide more. Right shift,left shift, tank shift,front brake,no brake,it certainly pays to know how to ride them all.
Awesome vid. I’ve only been running a jockey shift for this season. It’s fun once you learn! Thought about ditching the front brake and opting for a springer… good tips here to help with that decision!!
45 years of experience and two bouts in icu and a permanent limp i reccomend you keep front brake....especially on jockey shift really helps on steep incline starts...ya i been riding jockey since i was 17...got my joockey shift shovel sittin in garage right now...
Great video I ran my 54 Pan for 18 years with a jockey shift and suicide clutch no front brake, steep hill with a stop light at times were an experience to say the least, and that was when sober. Best video great memories.
I’ve had a jockey shift conversion kit sitting on the shelf for years because some mates talked me out of it with all the usual myths. Don’t know why it took watching this video to dispel them for myself, but glad I watched it. Might have to get the tools out this weekend
I've been riding Japanese bikes for 35 years. My son moved to the Pacific Northwest several years ago and is into the chopper scene up there riding a foot clutch/jockey shifter set up. At 55 years of age I bought my first HD 2 weeks ago a 1971 FLH with a wide glide front end. Of course the guy I bought it from was a lying piece of shit and I'm ironing out some issues. I stumbled across your channel and love it. You helped me sort out and re-wire my ignition switch after the bike left me on the side of the road. Thanks for the great videos that are concise and instructions that are easy to follow!
That’s awesome! Congrats on the FLH that’s a great bike to start with Harley on. Infinite possibilities. Glad to hear about the ignition wiring too, wiring is no fun but it’s a necessary evil haha. If you ever get stuck on something feel free to reach out with a video request and I’ll work it into the list 👍🏼
This bike has the shift lever modded to become the clutch pedal. This setup is a lot easier to live with than an aftermarket suicide pedal. Ive had both. My first jockey/ suicide bike had the modified shifter. I'm glad it did.
I put jockey shift on my 1988 softail 15 years ago and love it. It takes some time to get your brain trained but I love it. I have the 5 speed transmission so had to run the clutch cable around the front and made a plate for the back of the shifter and the shifter rod in front of the starter solenoid.
The internet wouldn’t be able to believe someone could ride one of these that long and still be alive 😂 that’s awesome tho man it’s the BEST way to ride
ive been riding foot clutch for over 45 years..got my pan shovel in wishbone frame with foot clutch sittin in the shop....good video and it does my heart good to see this old school riding get passed on
Great video man! Working on a custom foot clutch setup for my iron barrel Royal Enfield 500. Wish I had a trans like that to work with but the tips in this video are spot on. Thanks again for all you do for the community!
My first foot clutch was a Yamaha road star so I know how it goes with the whole “working with what’s there” side, it does suck when it’s not in as convenient a location. Is it at least on the correct side? I’m not too familiar with the royal enfields
Yeah I have linkage converting my shifter to the left hand side luckily. Thanks previous owner! Going to fab up a bracket for the shifter arm tonight and use the existing foot peg mounting location to mount my clutch ⛓️next is to make some floorboards! Scraping those turns!
Been running my setup for a while now and am loving it! Thanks to you I made my own videos. Too bad my go pro mount sheared off last ride trying to film my hand shifting! Damn potholes! Keep it up buddy!
That brings back memories, even a smile , thats difficult. In my 20s i had same set up on my 47 knuckle, long gone. I consider another foot clutch from time to time. Im old and worn out, carry an oxygen tank. Ill stick with hand clutch . Miss dragging the floor boards. Starting to like you, haven't decided yet.
Fantastic explanation and camera work. Been driving big trucks since 1979 with twin stick transmissions so hepls me relate to this. Also grew up in the 70's when choppers were very prevalant and seeing this type of setup. Always wantef to know about it. Thanks for the video. Stay safe!!
Thanks for the kind words man! Happy to hear it came through clear and easy to understand. What a time to grow up too, an era we all look back at as the good ol' days, who would have thought back then that those factory bikes would later become some of the most coveted machines the company ever made.
@@greasesgarage Yup I agree. On my 4th harley a 22 road king. Always wanted a custom ( old school chopper) like a lot of the ones David Mann use to put in Easy Rider Magazine. However I'm 68 now so running out of time. Wish you the best on your future builds.
My only commentary on an otherwise stellar video is this; "suicide shifter/ clutch" is a colloquially accepted way of talking about a foot or shifter mounted clutch. It is in the same train of thought as calling reverse hinged doors on a car "suicide doors". Due much in part to the modding community, scissor doors (doors that open verticle on standard placed hinges) are known as "Lambo doors". These differ from gullwing (doloren), and butterfly (mclaren), and koenigsegg (yeah not typing that door name). Say suicide doors and more than just people in the know picture the same thing say jockey shift and perhaps not. IMO, those that would shy away from foot clutch for that reason are probably slightly inexperienced and given time may switch over. Or there is a physical aspect but Noone is questioning that. If you can't, you can't. No judgments.
Man all I can say is thank you! Never understood how you guys ride those bikes! I do see it as more of an advanced riding style. I do think one day I’d like to try it out! Awesome job!
Decent video, and I've been riding a foot clutch forever. Like 40 years at least. I do think a front brake is kind of a good thing with a foot-clutch, on steep hills, but I guess if one does not have one, not gonna put one on. ! I brake with my front 98% of the time, so I've got two reasons. Yes, at one time I rode with rear brake only. Been there done that. I've always used the "jockey top" on the tranny, and not the ratchet shifter. So I've always thought of the ratchet top shifter as "something else". Don't know what, but maybe just where I live. But at one time the old-style shifter-top was the "jockey top" . Not that it matters and of course terminology changes. I especially like that you pointed out that if you do get off balance, just stall the bike. I've seen a few drop their bikes while learning, because they are frantically trying to find neutral and get it out of gear. Anyhow, good job. :)
Thanks brotha, really appreciate the feedback. Yes I do think terminology has changed. As it’s been described to me there are “cowpie” or “rotary top” transmissions which is what I’ve got. These are late model model Shovelhead transmissions. Second is the “ratchet top” transmission, the early Shovelhead transmissions. These have the circular plate on the trans that accepts the 3 screws for the shifter. This is the most common transmission for jockey shift because it’s easier to fabricate a shifter mount. Lastly there’s the jockey lid you’re describing. The older knucklehead version where you manually engage each gear as opposed to just going forward or back. I’d love to try one of these but they’re so expensive nowadays
What I like about the older style, which I have/always had is that I don't have to click back through the gears, just one motion to go back to neutral or first, you can "skip" third, second, N. However, I've never had the ratchet top...so don't really know which is best. I think, or would guess the old style is easier on the tranny, but don't actually know that either. Thank you for your replies. @@greasesgarage
Used to dream about my ideal build while my dad worked as a machinist in a motorcycle shop, open primary jocky/suic!de clutch. Always loved the unfinished look
This clip randomly showed up in my feed; before today, I had never seen this channel before. Great stuff, and maybe the best tutorial on this I’ve ever seen. I’m not building a chopper right now, and probably never will. But I’m subscribing because I like learning about things I can’t and may never learn to do.
I really appreciate this comment man, thank you for the kind words and for checking out the channel. I’m glad to hear the delivery is working and making it simple 🙏🏼🙏🏼
I never used this setup and probably never will, hell I don't even have a bike rn (waiting for a full knee replacement) but this video was so good, so well explained and a pleasure to watch that I've subscribed just for this video alone. Well done bro. Ride safe y'all.
Wow I really appreciate this message man 🙏🏼thank you for giving the video a chance even in your situation I’m glad to hear it came across as clear as I had hoped 🤘🏼
I've been riding with a jockey shift for about 18yrs and recently bought a new bike with a hand clutch........needles to say that handclutch is coming off 😂 Love the vid ! Keep it up !
Love to hear it man! Maybe you can help some of the people in the comments here wondering why we would do such a crazy thing 😂 It’s funny you say that about the new bike, I been looking at evo road kings for something more comfortable to carry a passenger but I always get hung up on it because the five speed is a little tougher to set up for jockey shift . Hand clutch is not an option
@@greasesgarage my new bike is a Roadstar xv1600 Yamaha so I'm gonna have to build it from scratch. Shouldn't be that hard though Why is it hard swap it on the five speed ?
@Dirksdungeon man I wish I had taken some! But it’s sooo easy on that bike. You just bend the shifter shaft about 15 degrees and connect it to the clutch arm instead with a bolt (they’re right next to each other) then for the shifter I found that a cheap shift peg for an xs650 has the same spline side so I put that onto the shifter spline and welded a rod and handle to it. Job done! Keep your stock floorboard and shifter peg and it’s now a foot clutch
@Dirksdungeon lucky you! It’s gonna be the easiest foot clutch conversion ever. Find me on instagram and send me a pic of your shifter section on the bike and I’ll draw it out for you
Wow,thank you for your help setting the video and info about the jockey shift setup. It was a idea that I was struggling with, I now will be doing a jockey setup for my 1999 dyna super custom and will follow the directions you have made available in video to move forward in learning how to operate the ("GREASE SHIFT ")... ELZO RHODES
Thank u for this channel..got my brother's 48 Panhead with jockey/suicide clutch I'm restoring in his honor and want it to see the wind for him one last ride😎🙏
G'day buddy, on my 78 shovelhead I have my pedal connected to a mousetrap with a 13 inch lever bolted to the mousetrap that comes up next to the gas tank which is handy if I want to put the left foot down while in gear ( great for hill starts) also it takes the weight of the pedal off the push rod and I made the whole shebang with stainless steel. I also built a suicide clutch and jockey shift for my ironhead sportster which is another story. Cheers buddy and thanks for the veelogs, I'm watching from the deep south of New Zealand.
That’s awesome man, what a rad setup! Would love to see that mousetrap shoot me some pics if you’re on instagram. New Zealand looks awesome, I have a few swannys I got from back when they were still made in NZ, incredible stuff.
@@greasesgarage G,day buddy, no Instagram or any of the others I don't even possess a cellphone (cellphones are a spy) but look on flickr home page and put in - Oamaru airport drags - and it should be the first bike on the page, black with 18inch bars and 3inch belt tap on the pic. and expand it. Yes the old Swannies are great I've got a 100 percent wool black zip up made in NZ jacket that's quite heavy along with a couple of the more traditional ones. Cheers buddy and I hope you find it.
I drove a 1948 Panhead with the foot clutch and hand shift for 20 years. The hard tail frame, ape hangers and 6 in risers made it one of a kind. I had the open primary, 1.2 in. belt and chain drive. I had a front brake (mandatory in my province) and I found it the best and looked the best. The broads loved it, the look of the bike and my outlaw looks, just belonged together. God bless us all
I have a jockey shift (my old-timer biker older brother just always called it a "tag shifter" - not sure why) and foot clutch on my shovel that I'm currently rebuilding. Only trouble I ever had was stopped on a really steep incline with someone on the back. I have been considering a "line lock" for the rear break - which is an electrically operated valve in the brake line. Come to a stop, hit the switch, foot off the brake. When ready to go, put it in first, ease out the clutch, about when it would start to grab, hit the switch and off you go.
Yo my man! Your videos have been alotta help! I dont think people understand how hard it is to ride suicide and no front brake! Just got my choppa done. Learning day by day! Thanks for the content
Love Jockey shifters.. only thing about no front brake though is if you have to stop on a hill for whatever reason (at a light or something). Kinda sketchy. You di cover that though.. just gotta be quick with it! Awesome video as always!
Happy to hear it brotha. The rocker clutch is very cool, it operates the reverse of what you’re seeing here. You toe down to release the clutch and heel down to engage it. I’ve always wanted to try one but never had an opportunity
That’s awesome! I hear the police are tough over there when it comes to machines being road legal, do they give you any grief about that or is it just like here where we take our chances and hope for the best haha
@@greasesgarage i have no probs with the police here at all, i just wish to say your videos are really good ,you explain things very clearly ,ride safe brother
No way! That was the first motorcycle I ever rode a jockey shift on! I put over 40k miles on that bike before I sold it. I will always love the road star. Plus it’s so easy to convert that setup to foot clutch, if you’re on Insta send me some pics of your setup
@greasesgarage It was so simple. Just mounted the shifter rod to the clutch arm. Had to hack about an inch off the shift rod and tapped and mounted a small L bracket. Then mounted a small tube to the shift arm/lever. 8 ball for a shift knob. Cost me zero to do the conversion. Took some getting used to but I got it down. Several close calls but haven't dropped her yet.
I've done both, no front brake and front brake. If one really rides, the front brake is best. Up and down main street, or sticking to the freeway to pose for people, for the "look at me" effect, that's the only reason to "ditch" the front brake. Or to follow the fads. I'd not go with no front brake just to look a little more "cool". However, different strokes for different folks.
Cool setup, but I don't think I'd be willing to go sans front brake and lose 70% of my stopping power. That's me. But you do you! Good content. Keep it up. Cheers. 😎
Dude, This was a very well done video. Guys need to master the 3 speed. 4 speed and a 5 Speed shifter by staying calm and just practicing until they become comfortable and proficient. My 37’ ULH is a very easy bike to shift and ride if you stay calm and practice. My only problem is when I jump on my conventional 2003 Harley or on my 66’Triumph with the shifter on the right.
Thanks brotha! I agree, I get a lot of negative comments about this shifting setup from people saying it’s stupid and dangerous etc but it really isn’t any different than any other setup if you take the time to learn it. We shift a car exactly the same way by removing a hand from the wheel. Like you said just stay calm, practice and it will become second nature. Really appreciate you checking out the video and leaving a comment
Owned a '48 EL back in the '60's(No front brake) had the original hand shift tranny lid. Didn't have the money to get a ratchet top. Stopping at a traffic light on a hill was a hoot. If you were packing a passenger she would invariably shift that ass to the right while you were stopped, generating a whole new problem. Since I was running a short rear fender sometimes if you timed it right you could ease back and rest against the bumper of the car behind you, cram it into gear and be gone before the driver realized what was happening. Still riding but disc brakes and tubeless tires were the best thing to happen to motorcycles.
That’s rad man! What a time to be alive. Such cool vehicles back then. I hear you on the disc brakes tho, if I’m running only a rear brake it better be a disc! Tubeless tires are awesome cause they’re easily patched but I just never cared for the mag wheel look.
To be blunt, if you're not comfortable with low-speed maneuvers like u-turns, you probably shouldn't even be considering making the switch to jockey shift. Great video man!
That’s true. It’s one of those things that most people don’t ever practice because in the real world there’s no instructor telling you not to cheat and put your foot down. If you have a hand clutch it’s easy to get in the habit of always using a foot. Foot clutch will force you to do it the right way
@@greasesgarage Three weeks ago I watched this video. Last night I finished my own Evo jockey shift conversion! Definitely a learning curve there, and with a BDL open belt and clutch kit, the foot clutch is pretty stiff, but man, what a blast!
@@greasesgarage (Record scratch, Narrator voice) He did, in fact, go back to a foot shift. Pro tip guys, the later model EVO 5-speed, cable-actuated transmissions _do not_ play well with foot clutching. Way too much leverage on the clutch operating mechanism, meaning your friction zone is minimal. One day I'll grab a ratchet top or cowpie transmission and try this again, but not with a cable actuated clutch.
I had a 1942 "45" Flat head with a broken front brake cable when I was 14 back in 1955. Stopping for a stop light on a hill was always exciting. But the thing was, those clutches stayed where you put them. All I had to do when I stopped, was shift to low and rock the clutch. Then put my left foot down, and hold the rear break with my right foot. When the light changed, I simultaneously, took my right foot off the brake, and put it down while I operated the clutch with my left foot and tried not to kill it. When you are 14 you can do anything. My 99 Softail Custom is much easier. Maybe not as much fun, but for an old 83 year old works quite well. I still think I could ride a jockey shift no problem. Or maybe not.
That’s awesome! I’ve always wanted to try out one of those setups, especially the positional shifter. Seems so different. Really appreciate the story though, I bet you could still do it too, it’s like riding a bike! A dangerous but fun bike
I have also ridden Brit bikes, Triumphs, with the right side shift. The first Sportsters and K models had right side shift. I started riding when I was 8 years old on a friends Whizzer Motor bike. I was hooked the first time I let the clutch out and it carried me away. I rode an 84 Iron head Sportster for 23 years. Had a lot of different bikes over the years. My oldest Son built His bike from the ground up. He is a CNC machinist, and made many of his own parts. He put an S@S 113 in it. He started with a Deuce frame.
I've tried my friend's old police shovelhead with the stock rocker clutch and hand shift, and I think the toe-to-go clutch action is harder to modulate and a lot less intuitive than the car-type quick clutch that you're using. You can plant your heel on the board and have a pivot point. With the rocker clutch, you're whole foot is in the air. But with practice I'm sure you can get used to anything.
Suicidal Clutch The reason the term ‘suicide clutch’ came about is that with such a set up, one can't stop on an steep (upward) incline at a street light, stop sign or for any other reasons unless he has a buddy riding along behind who would put his front tire against his rear wheel to hold the motorcycle from rolling back. Back in the late 50s and 60s, the older boys in my neighbourhood were chopping down Harley trikes and side cars bought at police auctions. *(I remember my first summer riding with a three speed forward one reverse tranny, badass & sweet.) In those days, every custom parts we had to fabricate ourselves, all home made. When we ‘crazed out’ about raking & extending the stock springer forks (especially with girder links) and tube forks (P.F. Easy Rider), for cosmetic & stylistic reasons, the front brake assembly was removed altogether. It made for a clean looking front end and lightened the bike by few pounds. It didn’t take us too long to realize how impossible it was to stop on a steep upward hill, for a street light, a stop sign or any other reasons (few got killed for not stopping & running the red light) unless a buddy riding along behind would put his front tire against the rear wheel and hold the motorcycle from rolling back. Riding alone was potentially ‘suicidal’ hence the term ‘suicide clutch’. I agree with you, dumping the clutch intentionally or accidentally never came close to kill someone, laughable. But never was the reason or motive for the term “suicide clutch”. I’ve heard that idiotic argument (you call a ‘myth’) too many times from the younger ‘biker’ crowd. Another harmless but foolish illusion from the same age group, is to label such setting a ‘suicide shifter’. There’s nothing suicidal about a hand shifter.(see Note 1) My own ride is a custom built (2008), (Rolling Thunder) softail chopper frame, 4 speed tranny, kick starter, an S & S shovelhead (93ci) with foot clutch and jockey shift and yes front disc brakes. I just love it. But having a ‘foot clutch’ & an ‘hand shifter’, like mine doesn’t make it a ‘suicide clutch’. There is nothing suicidal about a hand shift and/or a foot clutch combination. To use the term ‘suicide clutch’ rightly, you have to have these 4 things on a bike: 1) 2 wheels (no side car or trike) 2) A ‘foot clutch’ 3) A ‘hand shift stick’ 4) *NO FRONT BRAKES* (just like yours) Hand shifting a motorcycle is not that dangerous (or difficult) and it’s ‘cool’. But without the front brakes, it could be ‘tricky’ to say the least. I rarely see anyone today riding without front brakes like you do. You are obviously very good at it, still try to avoid the “seven hills” of San Francisco if riding alone. Stay safe… ps: I lived through this and that is my story. People can say or call it ‘suicide’ clutch or shifter’ or whatever, no harm done. Just keep on riding... Note 1: There are many different types of hand shifter types in the after market world. One is called a ‘suicide shifter’. The clutch lever is on the shifter (stick). Very awkward, and dangerous in first gear at low speed. Not for everyone. Note 2: The ‘rocker foot clutch’ is something else again. Note 3: Riding a custom motorcycle without front brakes with a hand shifter/foot clutch and rigid frame may be illegal in some jurisdictions and/or against insurance policies. Note 4: The hand shift stick usually on/by the left side of the gas tank and the ‘jockey’ type shifter which is linked directly to the tranny on most HD motorcycles. It’s named or called a ‘jockey shift’ because the rider to change gears must reached behind his left leg similar to a race jockey whipping his horse.
An incredibly detailed and well put together response. Blessed to have you here watching this channel to share these stories with the younger generation. I appreciate you taking the time to pass this info on! The community needs more people like you who want to share what they know. Thank you 🙏🏼
I forgot about your backwards shifting. Never crossed my mind doing such a thing. Food for thought. Like couple more little things I learned from watching your video, appreciated. Your life will never be boring, trust me…
Great video. You teased at the beginning that you were going to talk about not only stopping on inclines but also on declines. But never showed that. Is anything different?
Ah I know I was so bummed that footage didn’t come out right! As for the technique, you always want to find neutral before stopping on a downhill because if you end up having to sit there a while, you’ll need to keep your foot on the rear brake pedal so being in neutral is the way to go
I’ve never ridden an open primary. I’ve heard that dry clutches sound like ass… and they do. But I love the look of the belt drive primary. All of my manual automobiles have dry clutches, so the technology can’t be that wrong. Good video (and cool scoot)
Thank you 🙏🏼 I love the sound personally and hearing it at chopper shows is what drew me to it in the first place. Had to have one after that haha. Funny how it can push people in totally different directions
@@greasesgarage the sound wouldn’t turn me away. And I might view it as a badge of honor. I have a fairly stock 1998 springer with a solo seat. It’s not a chopper, it’s not a bobber, but it’s mine…. And I think it would make me smile a bit more with an open primary. I’d like to build a rat rod someday, and it will likely involve a rocker foot clutch. Or maybe the spring return style like on your video. Either way, the video production was top notch.
Just my two cents on the subject. I’ve never known anyone personally who has died or came close from a Jockey setup. I would agree that most people who parrot those danger warnings probably haven’t either. You are correct that at a stop if you dump the clutch you aren’t going anywhere. When I was tying to teach my son to ride he was slowing down to make a turn and because of his inexperience and nervousness he forgot to downshift. When slowing down from 4th gear, regardless of clutch type if your clutch isn’t engaged the motorcycle will eventually start lunging back and forth. I’ve seen it cause my son to inadvertently give the throttle a twist which caused him to miss the turn and hit a ditch. All as a result of inexperience. I’m sure accidents happened that caused someone somewhere to be injured or maybe even killed. It wasn’t in my opinion the jockey shift to blame but inexperience. But for someone who heard the story passed on by a couple dozen people blamed the shifter setup and it just keeps getting worse the more the story is told.
This is a great video...I have a full height stick shift on the left side AND use the standard clutch lever... seems very difficult to use but it's not. Speed shifting- match the engine rpms with the clutch and shift away. Down shifting ya still should use the clutch but it's not too bad once ya get the hang of it. Uphill, downhill, stop signs/lights...in traffic..all the same.
When my 4 speed was getting worn I would use the clutch for getting going from a stop. After that it was all slam shifting - up and down ... er ... I mean speed shifter. Man that was fun.
@@greasesgarage Rode two wheels all my life until disability occurred. Currently building a Trike and the Jockey shift was a no brainier with dual brake foot control. Your post confirmed that I made the right choice. Ride safe and stay frosty.
Wow what a great video I have never rode one of those mine is a conventional bike with hand clutch and break but I have to yell you I am so stoked to learn this stuff
The way I see it with the sudden releasing of the ratchet clutch is someone, somewhere had it happen and just panicked because they were chilling at a light or something hands completely off the bars. They didn't set the clutch friction point right or set it super high and it didn't fully release just started pulling the bike a little bit and they panic grabbed a handful of throttle. Just my 2 cents regarding the myth. Awesome video though! Maybe because an old crusty biker taught me how to ride, the whole turn your head when making a u-turn is second nature to me at this point. Dabbing a foot always feels to me like I'm going to get my foot trapped under the bike or something.
I can’t say for certain that it would wear out the clutch beyond having been told that it would for as long as I’ve been riding. Particularly with the dry clutch I probably wouldn’t risk it because I could see the friction doing a number on the plates. The quick shift method has been working for me so I’ll stick with this but if you do have good luck with the clutch hold method I’d like to know about it and how long it’s been working. Maybe there is something to it
I bought a 75 with a " tank shifter " last year offered. Still own and ride it. I have a "rocker clutch pedal ". This is completely different from this set up. My self I like people getting the two systems confused,no one, and I mean no one has tried to steal my bike. They fear the shifter. Keep the shiney side up.
Got my first 56 pan with this set up 36 years ago ,only difference? Is i had a 18" over front springer,with 40 degree rake with rear drum break ,you got stock wheel base big difference! I don't use a rod for clutch I use a chain & don't use neutral lol
So after learning where the term “suicide shifter” came from I now see that it doesn’t make any sense. Like you showed in the video and how I had imagined, the bike just stalls. Very informative and detailed video. Watched the whole thing and I don’t even own a motorcycle lmao.
My bike is still setup for foot shift and hand clutch but I still like to keep my left foot on the peg The jokey shift setup always reminds me of my friend Frodo who got his name through the use of a jokey shift an open primary and building the shifter too short. Built everything way to short and lost his ring finger in the primary the second time he had the chopper out. And yes we called the bike Gollum after that.
Gotta admit. When I clicked on this video I was ready to comment “Yeah, I’ll keep my hands on my bars thanks” but im only 9:30 in and I actually think this would be sick as hell for like a project bike. Although I think I’d want a front brake anyways. Maybe have the right lever the front brake, and have a left lever hooked up to the rear. I just really like my front brakes lol
I really appreciate you sticking around beyond that initial comment. And absolutely man, I always tell people who are interested in this setup to keep their front brake. If you decide you like it and one day you want to take the brake off that's fine, but some people never do and that's fine too. It's all up to the owner and their risk level. You don't have to do both but I HIGHLY recommend trying hand shift at least once, it might change the way you ride for the rest of your life.
I'm planning to do this with my 81 kz650 hardtail build I just did but I'm definitely not taking that front brake off so all this will be much easier for me. Emergency braking is going to be scary enough without being able to quick downshift for engine braking. No way I'm going to make that even less possible by removing the front brake.
That’s a sick bike man. But I can’t help but wonder how the whole jockey shift thing was ever popular. It just adds so many steps to something so simple 😂
It’s not something you think about. Like I say in the video, I have to explain it that way because it’s an instructional video. Day to day you do all of it on autopilot
Great video! But it's not a silly myth, I just did some digging around and discovered that the term "suicide clutch" comes from San Francisco because the city has alot of hills and apparently chopper guys back then didn't wanna stop at hilly traffic lights(because they didn't have front brakes and it is cumbersome) so they would just cross through and often got hit by traffic from the crossing road
I would like to leave my testimony. I've been driving my Harley for 25 years with hand shift, clutch in my right hand with the throttle, and both brakes on my right foot. I've never had any problems and I drive without any stress. When I brake I lean to the left. I wish you all good motorcycle rides
I hade a clutch on my throttle hand once I liked it it was different but I figured it out easy
how do you stop and start on a hill when both brakes are controlled by your right foot and the clutch by the left?
@@marting.4505 I have the clutch on my right hand
@marting.4505 i think his clutch is in his right hand.
Thanks for debunking some of the myths and mystery perpetrated by nay-sayers with a super-clear and concise explanation. Keep up the great work 👍
I appreciate the kind words man! Happy to hear it came across clear too, you never really know until someone says so haha
Hands down one of the best videos I’ve ever watched. Although I will never have this setup on my bike, I love watching a tutorial like yours that is top notch. That ride along camera at the clutch/shifter is outstanding. Well done and thanks!
I really appreciate the feedback man! Love to know that it’s coming across the way I hoped it would.
If you know someone it could help please share it with them, there are so few videos on this topic and I’m trying to let people see it’s much easier than they think! 🙏🏼
Great video! So in 1978 when I was 18 years old I bought a 41 Knucklehead with a rocker clutch and tank shifter. The shop I bought it from was at the bottom of a hill with a gravel driveway. I can't remember how many trys it took to get to the top of the hill, but the old timers told me it's the only way to learn. Years later I had a shovel with a jockey shift. Now I'm 64 and I'm building a rigid frame shovelhead chopper with a jockey shift. But I'm cheating a little and running a front brake. Can't wait to get it finished and have some fun on it.
That’s awesome! You’ve got something none of us younger guys will ever have. To have grown up at a time when those bikes were around and available to an 18 year old. What a beautiful memory to have. I’m jealous!
No worries on the front brake though, it’s still every bit as cool as running without one. Glad to hear you’re still jockey shifting that’s inspiring. The comments section here is very divided on it but for guys like you and me, there’s no other way.
God bless you, ride safe
That's a damn cool experience for you as a young guy wow that's awesome, especially how you said the old-timers told you.
Like to have a chopper shop at the bottom of a hill is destiny for their customers.
I personally try to never put my foot down when making a tight left. I don’t find the need. Just practice super slow riding and your bike will follow. It’s a lesson I learned years ago from a seasoned biker. Stuck with me. Jockey shifts are awesome. You feel one with the bike. It’s the way it should be. Cheers. Great video 👍
Riders who need to put their foot down in turns gotta go back to riding school IMO. It's just a shit habit for people without the proper skill to ride a bike.
@mx5701 I understand what you’re saying. I’m just trying to explain the process for people at all skills levels
I have been riding bikes for over half a century and rode a '76 90" stroker for many years with a jockey shift and suicide clutch. What you describe is true in certain circumstances but not all situations are the same. I didn't see you try to ride the mountains packed up with your ol' lady on the back. Riding a bike with no mirror, no kill button, and no front brake is stupid. Life is way too short to not take safety into the equation. Indian Larry used to stand on the seat while riding hundreds of times until the one time he didn't. The scenario you describe with the bike stalling at an intersection when you lose your balance can happen but another scenario is with your hand on the throttle and your twisting the throttle as you are trying to catch your balance and if you have a big inch motor it will not stall. Loved the video and the way you ride is only for the very talented. Later.
Thank you for checking out the videos and the channel I appreciate the feedback. I do ride it packed up and with a passenger, but as always I never tell others what THEY should do as it’s a choice we all have to make for ourselves. We all have our own line 🙏🏼
@@greasesgarage Thank you for an adult response. I have a situation that I deal with every time I ride. I leave my driveway and go up to the stop sign on my dead end road where it angles to the left and is a 10% grade uphill. It is all I can do to negotiate that stop on my dresser two up with a hand clutch and front brake. What makes it even more treacherous is the highway has a lot of traffic on it and you almost have to be out in traffic to see if it's clear to pull out. What you can do in your 20's is not what you can do in your 70's. Just sayin'. Later.
@@everettcalhoun8197 I pray to still be riding at 70, good on you brotha!
I ride with my old lady all the time loaded up and haven't had a problem and a lot of panic stops. I still wouldn't go back to hand clutch but I do still have a front brake. Just my two cents keep the videos coming.
Well, to be fair, I ride as well, but riding all together is as stupid as it is amazing if we want to talk about it from a safety and protect your life point of view
What an outstanding tutorial on one of the most mystified set ups out there. I have one after riding many years the regular way. This was so well filmed, explained and put together. You're the only one out there that did something different well done sir!
It means a lot to me to hear this man, thank you so much for the kind words 🙏🏼 glad to hear you’re already on team jockey shift 💪🏼
You deserve it. You spend a lot of time on close up videos, script layout, b roll, editing, setting up shots, and researching data. Its really very well done work and sets you apart from the others@@greasesgarage
best ive ever seen i rode stick for 20 plus years this is the best how too i seen
@@samjones-ou3bn thank you Sam 🙏🏼
Fantastic video! As a certifiable old codger (mid sixties) who has been riding for awhile (since 1976) and has owned my fair share of foot clutch, hand shift bikes, I have to say this brings me back. I love seeing younger guys exploring "the old ways" and learning your impressions of them. I find it hilarious, but satisfying in some odd sort of way, to see the renewed interest in all of this. Back when I was young and poor, me and my buddies rode setups like this because we couldn't afford anything else (read: newer) so we just learned to adapt and live with it. The original heel-toe setups were often in disrepair, so we cobbled them into what you show here. The tank shifter linkages would wear and get sloppy, so we would tear them off and put a handle under our asses, like you show here. All out of necessity, because we couldn't afford to repair them to original condition. We just wanted to ride. Now, some fifty years later, the whole thing has taken on some "retro cool" aura, with you young guys actually SPENDING MONEY to do this to otherwise perfectly good motorcycles. 😉 I think that's funnier than hell. In a good way - you guys are having fun! Keep up the good work!
Thank you for sharing this! I’m lucky enough to have had an old timer in our area tell me the same story about how parts used to be harder to get and so out of necessity the shifter right off the trans was born.
Now that I’ve ridden like this for 6 years I’ll never ride a regular shift bike again. It’s just too much fun this way.
Thanks for checking out the channel I’m proud to have made a video that can be enjoyed by my generation and yours. Ride safe 🙏🏼
Wow, that was fast! Ah, speaking of when "parts used to be harder to get"... When I think of the value today of parts we just threw away because they were "worthless" back then, or today's value of the bikes that suffered our ham-fisted, bone-headed "modifications" if they were still in original condition... yikes...
I would like to add just one thing, hoping like hell that I don't come off as all "preachy" or anything: Front brakes. Big, capable front brakes. I know, I know, front ends look so much better without them, handlebars look so much better without any levers. I get it, I really do. But they have saved my life more than once. I learned to really use them in my road racing days (Ducatis, not Harleys, and I still ride my last race bike today). When that deer jumps out in front of you, when that distracted teenager on her cell phone in mommy's Prius makes the left turn from the oncoming lane in front of you...
Anyway, enough of that. You really did an excellent job showing how these things work, and dispelling the myths. Especially the "suicide" thing. About the only danger to us was the guy behind us that got pissed off if we ever killed it at an intersection. Because, you see, all of our bikes only had kickers, and if we killed 'em, everybody behind us got to watch us TRY to restart them... good times... @@greasesgarage
I've ran a handshaker,ever since my Brother made me ride his panhead.....my first two motorcycles had hand clutches,and I thought jockey shift was the most irresponsible and dangerous crazy crap ever! That was 1994......about an hour later,I changed my hardtail panhead,with no front brake( cause it looks stupid on a springer) to a handshaker......Lived it ever since! Thanks dude,your videos kick total ass........~E
I love it! A full conversion. That’s so awesome man thank you for sharing this story. Now I’m trying to remember what made me try it.
I think it was reading cycle source and the horse after getting my first bike and seeing them across the pages of features and wondering what that would be like. That and I loved the clean bars I saw in every bike in the mags.
Read all the way to the end. Watched this vid a dozen times. Probably going to watch it a dozen more. One of the best vids I've seen on any topic. Well organized, lucid narration, concise. Excellent Job! Thank you. I've been riding most of my adult life. I'm 61. I have a custom rigid bobber (look for me here on TH-cam - shameless, I know). I also have a '32 VL I just finished rebuilding. Time to ride it. Oh no! Foot clutch. Whatever will I do? And yes the mechanism that holds the clutch disengaged does weaken over time. In fact the mechanism on the VL is NOT a detent, as I've heard some misinformed people call it, it's a clutch, complete with a friction disc and pressure plate. And not a very well designed one at that. You tighten the nut to make the rocker pedal more difficult to move, or stay where you put it. Even in the disengaged position. And with aid of the helper spring (not a sissy spring, it's actually necessary to get the thing to work, well, work better). Then MAYBE the clutch will stay disengaged. The mechanism is so poorly designed I decided I'm not going to use it. I'll just ride it like a jockey shift. And so this brings me to this most excellent vid. And the reason why I am, after a lifetime of riding, converting my bobber to a jockey shift, foot clutch. If both bikes are jockey shift foot clutch. Well, I'll pick it up faster and get past this annoying, having to think about, now how am I going to stop. So suicide clutch - True story. This would NOT happen on a modern machine with a modern set up. When riding my VL I pulled into the driveway, thought I had the machine in neutral, took my foot off the brake. Thought I was coasting to a stop. BUT! For the life of me I could not figure out why the thing was still moving! And not a short distance either. In the time it took me to figure out the thing was still in gear I had plowed through three trash bins, slammed into the gutter drain of the garage and ripped the corner molding from the corner. Then I fell to the right. With the engine still running, and rear tire spinning, I finally realized what had happened. I reached up and turned it off. The old machines DID NOT have dual wire throttles that would automatically close the butterfly valve when you took your hand off the grip. They will stay open. Or in my case, the butterfly was cracked open just enough. And just a little fuel is all it takes in first gear to keep the machine moving. So given the right machine, and set up.The idea of the suicide CLUTCH is a real. But it has nothing to do with stop signs/lights and slipping one's foot off of the clutch with the throttle closed. Someone has more correctly defined it as a machine with a jockey shift, foot clutch and no front brake. And stopping on hill. The riders of the 60s and 70s would rather than have to stop on a hill, just run the light or stop sign. I don't know if there's any truth to this. But I have experiential knowledge now of the potential danger of running this set up on an old machine that was built with it from the factory. They can be dangerous in the hands of the unskilled. Imagine if I had been coming up to a stop light, intersection, or trying to make a sharp turn.
Love to read these types of well informed responses. Thank you for watching the video and I appreciate the kind words. I have no doubt you’ll pick it up quickly and enjoy many more years of trouble free riding 🙏🏼 stay safe brother
Thanks for showing us how it's done. I ran a jockey shifter for a long time but I never took the front brake off just because it made it so much easier on an incline. Like, I know it can be done but I just didn't want to commit. Also, it's nice to have that extra braking force in an emergency situation. Mad respect to the guys running the full setup though.
Just having the jockey shifter and foot clutch is enough man, it’s all about that feeling of slamming through the gears by hand! Front brake or not that hand shifting action is just so addicting. I can never go back
I'm a bit puzzled as to why it's so popular to get rid of a front brake. Just to strike a better pose? Seems like it's more of a "look at me" thing, then having a more capable bike for real riding. ? I realize the whole "chopper" thing has gone into heavy fad-mode, as far as form and function. I don't know, no offense to anyone, just puzzled. :)@@greasesgarage
@@kneyork9930 it’s ok to wonder about this, there isn’t a great answer beyond simplicity. I’m sure back in the day when parts were harder to come by if your brake broke you’d remove it because you couldn’t find another. Maybe that look became a thing. Nowadays they make “spool” wheels that have no rotor mounts and they look very clean. Lighter maybe, less wires and cleaner bars. It’s not for everyone and I never tell people that they have to get rid of theirs, but I do love when I’m switching out my bars and all I do is swap a throttle house onto a new set and job done.
Truth, it is a cleaner look. My first Harley, the front brake hardly worked. It would gently-kind of slow me down a little by pulling it as hard as I could. !!! I understand the cleaner look, but for me I'll sacrifice that for a front brake. !@@greasesgarage
simple, looks cleaner
This video is very handy with the new Prism Supply foot clutches for sportsters. Thanks!
Great explanation.ive been riding a jockey shift panhead for over 30 years and love it.
Thanks Scott I appreciate that man
I learned to ride a little bit about 12 years ago on a small cc bike that my nephew had.
And I haven't gotten around to get in a motorcycle for myself yet.
After seeing the way this mechanism works, it seems like it works better for the way my brain multitasks, the Jockey shifter seems like a better setup for me.
Thank you for this video and explanation great job you're a good teacher.
Thanks for watching
I owned a jockey shift pan for a number of years, but I always enjoyed riding my super glide more. Right shift,left shift, tank shift,front brake,no brake,it certainly pays to know how to ride them all.
Awesome vid. I’ve only been running a jockey shift for this season. It’s fun once you learn! Thought about ditching the front brake and opting for a springer… good tips here to help with that decision!!
Might be worth dropping the brake before the springer, one change at a time to see if you like it
45 years of experience and two bouts in icu and a permanent limp i reccomend you keep front brake....especially on jockey shift really helps on steep incline starts...ya i been riding jockey since i was 17...got my joockey shift shovel sittin in garage right now...
I never.... ever.... considered this a way anyone would chose to ride a motorcycle.
I learned much from this video.
Thanks for checking it out!
Great video I ran my 54 Pan for 18 years with a jockey shift and suicide clutch no front brake, steep hill with a stop light at times were an experience to say the least, and that was when sober. Best video great memories.
Glad to hear it! It’s such a fun setup I don’t think I could ever go back
I’ve had a jockey shift conversion kit sitting on the shelf for years because some mates talked me out of it with all the usual myths. Don’t know why it took watching this video to dispel them for myself, but glad I watched it. Might have to get the tools out this weekend
Go for it brotha! You’ll never go back
I've been riding Japanese bikes for 35 years. My son moved to the Pacific Northwest several years ago and is into the chopper scene up there riding a foot clutch/jockey shifter set up. At 55 years of age I bought my first HD 2 weeks ago a 1971 FLH with a wide glide front end. Of course the guy I bought it from was a lying piece of shit and I'm ironing out some issues. I stumbled across your channel and love it. You helped me sort out and re-wire my ignition switch after the bike left me on the side of the road. Thanks for the great videos that are concise and instructions that are easy to follow!
That’s awesome! Congrats on the FLH that’s a great bike to start with Harley on. Infinite possibilities. Glad to hear about the ignition wiring too, wiring is no fun but it’s a necessary evil haha. If you ever get stuck on something feel free to reach out with a video request and I’ll work it into the list 👍🏼
This bike has the shift lever modded to become the clutch pedal. This setup is a lot easier to live with than an aftermarket suicide pedal. Ive had both. My first jockey/ suicide bike had the modified shifter. I'm glad it did.
Great video, thoroughly enjoyed it! I always wondered what a foot clutch setup would be like to ride. Will have to try it one day!
Thank you! Happy to be spreading the word about how much fun it is to ride a jockey shift bike
I put jockey shift on my 1988 softail 15 years ago and love it. It takes some time to get your brain trained but I love it. I have the 5 speed transmission so had to run the clutch cable around the front and made a plate for the back of the shifter and the shifter rod in front of the starter solenoid.
That’s awesome! I agree once you get the brain trained it’s easy
I ride 1996 evo foot clutch tank shift i built so you can use hand clutch at stops a nd front brake on hills
That’s awesome 👏🏼
They are fun to drive , I've been driving like that for 45 years !
The internet wouldn’t be able to believe someone could ride one of these that long and still be alive 😂 that’s awesome tho man it’s the BEST way to ride
I’m from VN, on my view foot clutch is just like drive a car with Manual Transmission. Love it, will try it someday soon. Thanks for your video❤❤❤❤
Nice video and descriptions.
I am reminded of a friend I rode with some who ran a rocker pedal setup. … good memories… thanks.
ive been riding foot clutch for over 45 years..got my pan shovel in wishbone frame with foot clutch sittin in the shop....good video and it does my heart good to see this old school riding get passed on
Glad to hear that man!
Great video man! Working on a custom foot clutch setup for my iron barrel Royal Enfield 500. Wish I had a trans like that to work with but the tips in this video are spot on. Thanks again for all you do for the community!
My first foot clutch was a Yamaha road star so I know how it goes with the whole “working with what’s there” side, it does suck when it’s not in as convenient a location. Is it at least on the correct side? I’m not too familiar with the royal enfields
Yeah I have linkage converting my shifter to the left hand side luckily. Thanks previous owner! Going to fab up a bracket for the shifter arm tonight and use the existing foot peg mounting location to mount my clutch ⛓️next is to make some floorboards! Scraping those turns!
@@zachegelhoff4783 gotta scrape them boards man!! 😂 heavy lean
Road Star 👍@@greasesgarage A
Been running my setup for a while now and am loving it! Thanks to you I made my own videos. Too bad my go pro mount sheared off last ride trying to film my hand shifting! Damn potholes! Keep it up buddy!
That brings back memories, even a smile , thats difficult. In my 20s i had same set up on my 47 knuckle, long gone. I consider another foot clutch from time to time. Im old and worn out, carry an oxygen tank. Ill stick with hand clutch . Miss dragging the floor boards. Starting to like you, haven't decided yet.
Glad you’re watching, hope you stick around 🙏🏼
Fantastic explanation and camera work. Been driving big trucks since 1979 with twin stick transmissions so hepls me relate to this. Also grew up in the 70's when choppers were very prevalant and seeing this type of setup. Always wantef to know about it. Thanks for the video. Stay safe!!
Thanks for the kind words man! Happy to hear it came through clear and easy to understand. What a time to grow up too, an era we all look back at as the good ol' days, who would have thought back then that those factory bikes would later become some of the most coveted machines the company ever made.
@@greasesgarage Yup I agree. On my 4th harley a 22 road king. Always wanted a custom ( old school chopper) like a lot of the ones David Mann use to put in Easy Rider
Magazine. However I'm 68 now so running out of time. Wish you the best on your future builds.
My only commentary on an otherwise stellar video is this; "suicide shifter/ clutch" is a colloquially accepted way of talking about a foot or shifter mounted clutch. It is in the same train of thought as calling reverse hinged doors on a car "suicide doors". Due much in part to the modding community, scissor doors (doors that open verticle on standard placed hinges) are known as "Lambo doors". These differ from gullwing (doloren), and butterfly (mclaren), and koenigsegg (yeah not typing that door name). Say suicide doors and more than just people in the know picture the same thing say jockey shift and perhaps not. IMO, those that would shy away from foot clutch for that reason are probably slightly inexperienced and given time may switch over. Or there is a physical aspect but Noone is questioning that. If you can't, you can't. No judgments.
Man all I can say is thank you! Never understood how you guys ride those bikes! I do see it as more of an advanced riding style. I do think one day I’d like to try it out! Awesome job!
Thank you, it’s a ton of fun and easier than you think
Decent video, and I've been riding a foot clutch forever. Like 40 years at least. I do think a front brake is kind of a good thing with a foot-clutch, on steep hills, but I guess if one does not have one, not gonna put one on. ! I brake with my front 98% of the time, so I've got two reasons. Yes, at one time I rode with rear brake only. Been there done that. I've always used the "jockey top" on the tranny, and not the ratchet shifter. So I've always thought of the ratchet top shifter as "something else". Don't know what, but maybe just where I live. But at one time the old-style shifter-top was the "jockey top" . Not that it matters and of course terminology changes. I especially like that you pointed out that if you do get off balance, just stall the bike. I've seen a few drop their bikes while learning, because they are frantically trying to find neutral and get it out of gear. Anyhow, good job. :)
Thanks brotha, really appreciate the feedback. Yes I do think terminology has changed.
As it’s been described to me there are “cowpie” or “rotary top” transmissions which is what I’ve got. These are late model model Shovelhead transmissions.
Second is the “ratchet top” transmission, the early Shovelhead transmissions. These have the circular plate on the trans that accepts the 3 screws for the shifter. This is the most common transmission for jockey shift because it’s easier to fabricate a shifter mount.
Lastly there’s the jockey lid you’re describing. The older knucklehead version where you manually engage each gear as opposed to just going forward or back. I’d love to try one of these but they’re so expensive nowadays
What I like about the older style, which I have/always had is that I don't have to click back through the gears, just one motion to go back to neutral or first, you can "skip" third, second, N. However, I've never had the ratchet top...so don't really know which is best. I think, or would guess the old style is easier on the tranny, but don't actually know that either. Thank you for your replies. @@greasesgarage
Used to dream about my ideal build while my dad worked as a machinist in a motorcycle shop, open primary jocky/suic!de clutch. Always loved the unfinished look
I've been jocking for about 10 years and I recently put a front brake lever for my rear brake you got some good Technics
Thanks brotha! 10 years at it and I bet it’s still just as fun as it ever was
This clip randomly showed up in my feed; before today, I had never seen this channel before. Great stuff, and maybe the best tutorial on this I’ve ever seen. I’m not building a chopper right now, and probably never will. But I’m subscribing because I like learning about things I can’t and may never learn to do.
I really appreciate this comment man, thank you for the kind words and for checking out the channel. I’m glad to hear the delivery is working and making it simple 🙏🏼🙏🏼
I never used this setup and probably never will, hell I don't even have a bike rn (waiting for a full knee replacement) but this video was so good, so well explained and a pleasure to watch that I've subscribed just for this video alone. Well done bro. Ride safe y'all.
Wow I really appreciate this message man 🙏🏼thank you for giving the video a chance even in your situation I’m glad to hear it came across as clear as I had hoped 🤘🏼
I've been riding with a jockey shift for about 18yrs and recently bought a new bike with a hand clutch........needles to say that handclutch is coming off 😂
Love the vid ! Keep it up !
Love to hear it man! Maybe you can help some of the people in the comments here wondering why we would do such a crazy thing 😂
It’s funny you say that about the new bike, I been looking at evo road kings for something more comfortable to carry a passenger but I always get hung up on it because the five speed is a little tougher to set up for jockey shift . Hand clutch is not an option
@@greasesgarage my new bike is a Roadstar xv1600 Yamaha so I'm gonna have to build it from scratch.
Shouldn't be that hard though
Why is it hard swap it on the five speed ?
Just noticed in the comments your first jockey was a Roadstar ....any pics or vids on that for inspiration on here?😁
@Dirksdungeon man I wish I had taken some! But it’s sooo easy on that bike. You just bend the shifter shaft about 15 degrees and connect it to the clutch arm instead with a bolt (they’re right next to each other) then for the shifter I found that a cheap shift peg for an xs650 has the same spline side so I put that onto the shifter spline and welded a rod and handle to it. Job done! Keep your stock floorboard and shifter peg and it’s now a foot clutch
@Dirksdungeon lucky you! It’s gonna be the easiest foot clutch conversion ever. Find me on instagram and send me a pic of your shifter section on the bike and I’ll draw it out for you
Excellent tutorial. Thanks. I've been looking into foot clutch for my breakout due to left hand issues. You've made it a better option.
It’s so smooth and so much easier than a hand clutch, you’ll never go back
Wow,thank you for your help setting the video and info about the jockey shift setup. It was a idea that I was struggling with, I now will be doing a jockey setup for my 1999 dyna super custom and will follow the directions you have made available in video to move forward in learning how to operate the ("GREASE SHIFT ")... ELZO RHODES
Thanks for watching brotha glad to hear it helped! Once you go hand shift you never go back 🤘🏼
Thank u for this channel..got my brother's 48 Panhead with jockey/suicide clutch I'm restoring in his honor and want it to see the wind for him one last ride😎🙏
That’s fantastic
Great explanation. I can tell you put a lot of thought and time into it.
Thanks Joe 🙏🏼
G'day buddy, on my 78 shovelhead I have my pedal connected to a mousetrap with a 13 inch lever bolted to the mousetrap that comes up next to the gas tank which is handy if I want to put the left foot down while in gear ( great for hill starts) also it takes the weight of the pedal off the push rod and I made the whole shebang with stainless steel. I also built a suicide clutch and jockey shift for my ironhead sportster which is another story. Cheers buddy and thanks for the veelogs, I'm watching from the deep south of New Zealand.
That’s awesome man, what a rad setup! Would love to see that mousetrap shoot me some pics if you’re on instagram. New Zealand looks awesome, I have a few swannys I got from back when they were still made in NZ, incredible stuff.
@@greasesgarage G,day buddy, no Instagram or any of the others I don't even possess a cellphone (cellphones are a spy) but look on flickr home page and put in - Oamaru airport drags - and it should be the first bike on the page, black with 18inch bars and 3inch belt tap on the pic. and expand it. Yes the old Swannies are great I've got a 100 percent wool black zip up made in NZ jacket that's quite heavy along with a couple of the more traditional ones. Cheers buddy and I hope you find it.
exactly like a manual car. In Brasil we can nail it. Great tutorial. Cheers!
Thank you!
rode flat head rocker when i was a kid . jockey on shovel head , till my knee left, now mouse trap . thank you good vidio
That’s rad! Thanks for watching brotha
I drove a 1948 Panhead with the foot clutch and hand shift for 20 years. The hard tail frame, ape hangers and 6 in risers made it one of a kind. I had the open primary, 1.2 in. belt and chain drive. I had a front brake (mandatory in my province) and I found it the best and looked the best. The broads loved it, the look of the bike and my outlaw looks, just belonged together. God bless us all
This is a great story to remember forever. Thanks for sharing and God bless you
I have a jockey shift (my old-timer biker older brother just always called it a "tag shifter" - not sure why) and foot clutch on my shovel that I'm currently rebuilding. Only trouble I ever had was stopped on a really steep incline with someone on the back. I have been considering a "line lock" for the rear break - which is an electrically operated valve in the brake line. Come to a stop, hit the switch, foot off the brake. When ready to go, put it in first, ease out the clutch, about when it would start to grab, hit the switch and off you go.
I’ve heard of those, very cool concept, I want to say it was marketed as a “Hilda holder” if I remember correctly. Best of both worlds with that setup
Jockey shift and no front break on my 49 Pan is absolutely awesome!! 🏍🤙🍻
Living life on the edge man, that’s awesome!
LOVE THIS!! flying down that backroad is beautiful madness...bike's got a real mean sound too. psyched to tear down my shovel and join the fun!
🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
I ride foot clutch tank shit evo but made it so hand clutch canbe used at stops
Yo my man! Your videos have been alotta help! I dont think people understand how hard it is to ride suicide and no front brake! Just got my choppa done. Learning day by day! Thanks for the content
Happy to help brotha it gets much easier 🤘🏼
Love Jockey shifters.. only thing about no front brake though is if you have to stop on a hill for whatever reason (at a light or something). Kinda sketchy. You di cover that though.. just gotta be quick with it! Awesome video as always!
Thanks Noah 🙏🏼
This is good stuff! I have been wanting an old pan head with a rocker clutch for a long time. You taught me a lot about what I need to know.
Happy to hear it brotha. The rocker clutch is very cool, it operates the reverse of what you’re seeing here. You toe down to release the clutch and heel down to engage it. I’ve always wanted to try one but never had an opportunity
Rocker clutch makes things much easier. You can take your foot off and the clutch will stay disengaged.
I ride rocker clutch and jockey lever on my shovel chop and 57 pan here in England and i bloody love it
That’s awesome! I hear the police are tough over there when it comes to machines being road legal, do they give you any grief about that or is it just like here where we take our chances and hope for the best haha
@@greasesgarage i have no probs with the police here at all, i just wish to say your videos are really good ,you explain things very clearly ,ride safe brother
@@johnpettitt3189 thank you brotha I really appreciate that!
I have a jockey shift/foot clutch set up on my Roadstar, couldn't imagine riding it without a front brake. Kudos to you brother !
No way! That was the first motorcycle I ever rode a jockey shift on! I put over 40k miles on that bike before I sold it. I will always love the road star. Plus it’s so easy to convert that setup to foot clutch, if you’re on Insta send me some pics of your setup
@greasesgarage It was so simple. Just mounted the shifter rod to the clutch arm. Had to hack about an inch off the shift rod and tapped and mounted a small L bracket. Then mounted a small tube to the shift arm/lever. 8 ball for a shift knob. Cost me zero to do the conversion. Took some getting used to but I got it down. Several close calls but haven't dropped her yet.
@@greasesgarage I have a video of the bike on my channel.
I've done both, no front brake and front brake. If one really rides, the front brake is best. Up and down main street, or sticking to the freeway to pose for people, for the "look at me" effect, that's the only reason to "ditch" the front brake. Or to follow the fads. I'd not go with no front brake just to look a little more "cool". However, different strokes for different folks.
Cool setup, but I don't think I'd be willing to go sans front brake and lose 70% of my stopping power. That's me. But you do you! Good content. Keep it up. Cheers. 😎
Thanks brotha!
Dude, This was a very well done video. Guys need to master the 3 speed. 4 speed and a 5 Speed shifter by staying calm and just practicing until they become comfortable and proficient. My 37’ ULH is a very easy bike to shift and ride if you stay calm and practice. My only problem is when I jump on my conventional 2003 Harley or on my 66’Triumph with the shifter on the right.
Thanks brotha!
I agree, I get a lot of negative comments about this shifting setup from people saying it’s stupid and dangerous etc but it really isn’t any different than any other setup if you take the time to learn it.
We shift a car exactly the same way by removing a hand from the wheel. Like you said just stay calm, practice and it will become second nature.
Really appreciate you checking out the video and leaving a comment
Owned a '48 EL back in the '60's(No front brake) had the original hand shift tranny lid. Didn't have the money to get a ratchet top.
Stopping at a traffic light on a hill was a hoot. If you were packing a passenger she would invariably shift that ass to the right while you were stopped, generating a whole new problem.
Since I was running a short rear fender sometimes if you timed it right you could ease back and rest against the bumper of the car behind you, cram it into gear and be gone before the driver realized what was happening.
Still riding but disc brakes and tubeless tires were the best thing to happen to motorcycles.
That’s rad man! What a time to be alive. Such cool vehicles back then. I hear you on the disc brakes tho, if I’m running only a rear brake it better be a disc! Tubeless tires are awesome cause they’re easily patched but I just never cared for the mag wheel look.
i truly enjoyed this video...and can't wait to get a motorcycle again...
Don't worry dude! We can hear that clutch engage. Geez!
Good info here. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for watching 🙏🏼
I did a foit clutch jockeyshift setup to my fortyeightsporty. Its so much fun. Once you get used to the friction point
Very very short friction point on mine. Its on the list to change
Back the tension nuts off on the clutch hub and it’ll lengthen the friction zone
To be blunt, if you're not comfortable with low-speed maneuvers like u-turns, you probably shouldn't even be considering making the switch to jockey shift.
Great video man!
That’s true. It’s one of those things that most people don’t ever practice because in the real world there’s no instructor telling you not to cheat and put your foot down. If you have a hand clutch it’s easy to get in the habit of always using a foot.
Foot clutch will force you to do it the right way
@@greasesgarage Three weeks ago I watched this video. Last night I finished my own Evo jockey shift conversion! Definitely a learning curve there, and with a BDL open belt and clutch kit, the foot clutch is pretty stiff, but man, what a blast!
@@Lochlann13 this is so awesome to hear man! Congrats on the conversion, you’ll never go back to boring old foot shift 🤘🏼🤘🏼
@@greasesgarage (Record scratch, Narrator voice) He did, in fact, go back to a foot shift.
Pro tip guys, the later model EVO 5-speed, cable-actuated transmissions _do not_ play well with foot clutching. Way too much leverage on the clutch operating mechanism, meaning your friction zone is minimal. One day I'll grab a ratchet top or cowpie transmission and try this again, but not with a cable actuated clutch.
I had a 1942 "45" Flat head with a broken front brake cable when I was 14 back in 1955. Stopping for a stop light on a hill was always exciting. But the thing was, those clutches stayed where you put them.
All I had to do when I stopped, was shift to low and rock the clutch. Then put my left foot down, and hold the rear break with my right foot. When the light changed, I simultaneously, took my right foot off the brake, and put it down while I operated the clutch with my left foot and tried not to kill it.
When you are 14 you can do anything. My 99 Softail Custom is much easier. Maybe not as much fun, but for an old 83 year old works quite well. I still think I could ride a jockey shift no problem. Or maybe not.
That’s awesome! I’ve always wanted to try out one of those setups, especially the positional shifter. Seems so different.
Really appreciate the story though, I bet you could still do it too, it’s like riding a bike! A dangerous but fun bike
I have also ridden Brit bikes, Triumphs, with the right side shift. The first Sportsters and K models had right side shift. I started riding when I was 8 years old on a friends Whizzer Motor bike. I was hooked the first time I let the clutch out and it carried me away. I rode an 84 Iron head Sportster for 23 years. Had a lot of different bikes over the years. My oldest Son built His bike from the ground up. He is a CNC machinist, and made many of his own parts. He put an S@S 113 in it. He started with a Deuce frame.
What you need is the shift top 4 speed trany is same into the 70s hope you get a chance to try it someday its pretty cool
That's what I run, the real "jockey top". The ratchet top is another animal. (we used to call it the "Rat-Shit Top". :)
this is the greatest motorcycle channel on the youtubes
Thank you! 🙏🏼
I've tried my friend's old police shovelhead with the stock rocker clutch and hand shift, and I think the toe-to-go clutch action is harder to modulate and a lot less intuitive than the car-type quick clutch that you're using. You can plant your heel on the board and have a pivot point. With the rocker clutch, you're whole foot is in the air. But with practice I'm sure you can get used to anything.
Very well said. I agree completely
I like the way it cleans up the bars.
The cleanest bar setup in all of motorcycles man! If you want the ultimate minimalist bars this is the only way to go 🤘🏼
sooooo exactly like how a manual car works, that’s very helpful!
@@crysisbai that’s right, if you’ve driven a manual car it’s even easier than that 🤘🏼
Suicidal Clutch
The reason the term ‘suicide clutch’ came about is that with such a set up, one can't stop on an steep (upward) incline at a street light, stop sign or for any other reasons unless he has a buddy riding along behind who would put his front tire against his rear wheel to hold the motorcycle from rolling back.
Back in the late 50s and 60s, the older boys in my neighbourhood were chopping down Harley trikes and side cars bought at police auctions. *(I remember my first summer riding with a three speed forward one reverse tranny, badass & sweet.)
In those days, every custom parts we had to fabricate ourselves, all home made. When we ‘crazed out’ about raking & extending the stock springer forks (especially with girder links) and tube forks (P.F. Easy Rider), for cosmetic & stylistic reasons, the front brake assembly was removed altogether. It made for a clean looking front end and lightened the bike by few pounds.
It didn’t take us too long to realize how impossible it was to stop on a steep upward hill, for a street light, a stop sign or any other reasons (few got killed for not stopping & running the red light) unless a buddy riding along behind would put his front tire against the rear wheel and hold the motorcycle from rolling back. Riding alone was potentially ‘suicidal’ hence the term ‘suicide clutch’.
I agree with you, dumping the clutch intentionally or accidentally never came close to kill someone, laughable. But never was the reason or motive for the term “suicide clutch”. I’ve heard that idiotic argument (you call a ‘myth’) too many times from the younger ‘biker’ crowd. Another harmless but foolish illusion from the same age group, is to label such setting a ‘suicide shifter’. There’s nothing suicidal about a hand shifter.(see Note 1)
My own ride is a custom built (2008), (Rolling Thunder) softail chopper frame, 4 speed tranny, kick starter, an S & S shovelhead (93ci) with foot clutch and jockey shift and yes front disc brakes. I just love it.
But having a ‘foot clutch’ & an ‘hand shifter’, like mine doesn’t make it a ‘suicide clutch’. There is nothing suicidal about a hand shift and/or a foot clutch combination.
To use the term ‘suicide clutch’ rightly, you have to have these 4 things on a bike:
1) 2 wheels (no side car or trike)
2) A ‘foot clutch’
3) A ‘hand shift stick’
4) *NO FRONT BRAKES* (just like yours)
Hand shifting a motorcycle is not that dangerous (or difficult) and it’s ‘cool’. But without the front brakes, it could be ‘tricky’ to say the least. I rarely see anyone today riding without front brakes like you do. You are obviously very good at it, still try to avoid the “seven hills” of San Francisco if riding alone. Stay safe…
ps: I lived through this and that is my story. People can say or call it ‘suicide’ clutch or shifter’ or whatever, no harm done. Just keep on riding...
Note 1: There are many different types of hand shifter types in the after market world. One is called a ‘suicide shifter’. The clutch lever is on the shifter (stick). Very awkward, and dangerous in first gear at low speed. Not for everyone.
Note 2: The ‘rocker foot clutch’ is something else again.
Note 3: Riding a custom motorcycle without front brakes with a hand shifter/foot clutch and rigid frame may be illegal in some jurisdictions and/or against insurance policies.
Note 4: The hand shift stick usually on/by the left side of the gas tank and the ‘jockey’ type shifter which is linked directly to the tranny on most HD motorcycles. It’s named or called a ‘jockey shift’ because the rider to change gears must reached behind his left leg similar to a race jockey whipping his horse.
An incredibly detailed and well put together response. Blessed to have you here watching this channel to share these stories with the younger generation.
I appreciate you taking the time to pass this info on! The community needs more people like you who want to share what they know. Thank you 🙏🏼
I forgot about your backwards shifting. Never crossed my mind doing such a thing. Food for thought. Like couple more little things I learned from watching your video, appreciated. Your life will never be boring, trust me…
Yea I wish it shifted the other way but this is how the rotary top was set up and I’ve retrained my brain now so I can’t change again haha
Great video. You teased at the beginning that you were going to talk about not only stopping on inclines but also on declines. But never showed that. Is anything different?
Ah I know I was so bummed that footage didn’t come out right! As for the technique, you always want to find neutral before stopping on a downhill because if you end up having to sit there a while, you’ll need to keep your foot on the rear brake pedal so being in neutral is the way to go
@@greasesgarage Thanks for the reply. Hope your channel gets the attention it deserves.
I appreciate that brotha thank you
Thanks for this video with helpfull tips on riding a bike like this. I'm building one at the moment, so these tips are very much appreciated.
Glad I could help! Good luck with the build you’ll love it
Great vid! *Note* The whole sui clutch/shift term evolved due to non riders as well as inexperienced and unconfident riders fear of one hand riding.
I’ve never ridden an open primary. I’ve heard that dry clutches sound like ass… and they do. But I love the look of the belt drive primary. All of my manual automobiles have dry clutches, so the technology can’t be that wrong. Good video (and cool scoot)
Thank you 🙏🏼 I love the sound personally and hearing it at chopper shows is what drew me to it in the first place. Had to have one after that haha. Funny how it can push people in totally different directions
@@greasesgarage the sound wouldn’t turn me away. And I might view it as a badge of honor. I have a fairly stock 1998 springer with a solo seat. It’s not a chopper, it’s not a bobber, but it’s mine…. And I think it would make me smile a bit more with an open primary. I’d like to build a rat rod someday, and it will likely involve a rocker foot clutch. Or maybe the spring return style like on your video. Either way, the video production was top notch.
@fatboyrowing thank you! Happy you found the channel and glad to have you here
Excellent video - well presented - sweet machine!
Subscribed! 👍
Thank you 🙏🏼
Just my two cents on the subject. I’ve never known anyone personally who has died or came close from a Jockey setup. I would agree that most people who parrot those danger warnings probably haven’t either. You are correct that at a stop if you dump the clutch you aren’t going anywhere. When I was tying to teach my son to ride he was slowing down to make a turn and because of his inexperience and nervousness he forgot to downshift. When slowing down from 4th gear, regardless of clutch type if your clutch isn’t engaged the motorcycle will eventually start lunging back and forth. I’ve seen it cause my son to inadvertently give the throttle a twist which caused him to miss the turn and hit a ditch. All as a result of inexperience. I’m sure accidents happened that caused someone somewhere to be injured or maybe even killed. It wasn’t in my opinion the jockey shift to blame but inexperience. But for someone who heard the story passed on by a couple dozen people blamed the shifter setup and it just keeps getting worse the more the story is told.
Very good point Tony, the story escalates each time it’s told until it takes on a life of its own
This is a great video...I have a full height stick shift on the left side AND use the standard clutch lever... seems very difficult to use but it's not. Speed shifting- match the engine rpms with the clutch and shift away. Down shifting ya still should use the clutch but it's not too bad once ya get the hang of it. Uphill, downhill, stop signs/lights...in traffic..all the same.
Oh wow that’s wild I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone run a setup like that
When my 4 speed was getting worn I would use the clutch for getting going from a stop. After that it was all slam shifting - up and down ... er ... I mean speed shifter. Man that was fun.
Thanks for demystifying the Jockey shift.
A very clear and instructional tutorial.
Thank you for checking it out brotha 🙏🏼
@@greasesgarage Rode two wheels all my life until disability occurred.
Currently building a Trike and the Jockey shift was a no brainier with dual brake foot control.
Your post confirmed that I made the right choice.
Ride safe and stay frosty.
@@stanleydobson382 that’s badass man! Love to hear you’re still keeping the spirit alive and lookin for 5th gear 💪🏼🤘🏼
Wow what a great video I have never rode one of those mine is a conventional bike with hand clutch and break but I have to yell you I am so stoked to learn this stuff
I hope it pushes you to give it a shot! It made motorcycling more fun for me after riding with a normal setup for years
I love your bike, it's beautiful.
Thank you brotha 🙏🏼
im the same as man foot cluych all the way.......... i only know a couple of bods that will run it where i live in the uk. ride safe brother man
Atta boy! Foot clutch forever 🤘🏼 you too brotha
Wish I could show you the foot clutch limit stop I invented out of a gate hinge. - Lefty. good video, god content.
Would love to see it. Those are handy for people without floorboards. Nice thing about boards is the board IS the limit stop
The way I see it with the sudden releasing of the ratchet clutch is someone, somewhere had it happen and just panicked because they were chilling at a light or something hands completely off the bars. They didn't set the clutch friction point right or set it super high and it didn't fully release just started pulling the bike a little bit and they panic grabbed a handful of throttle. Just my 2 cents regarding the myth.
Awesome video though! Maybe because an old crusty biker taught me how to ride, the whole turn your head when making a u-turn is second nature to me at this point. Dabbing a foot always feels to me like I'm going to get my foot trapped under the bike or something.
Totally could be. That’s a good way to see it.
And yes I agree man. With floorboards I never put my foot down cause it’ll take your leg off
What’s your position on holding on the hill with your clutch instead of your quick switch method?
I can’t say for certain that it would wear out the clutch beyond having been told that it would for as long as I’ve been riding. Particularly with the dry clutch I probably wouldn’t risk it because I could see the friction doing a number on the plates. The quick shift method has been working for me so I’ll stick with this but if you do have good luck with the clutch hold method I’d like to know about it and how long it’s been working. Maybe there is something to it
I bought a 75 with a " tank shifter " last year offered. Still own and ride it. I have a "rocker clutch pedal ". This is completely different from this set up. My self I like people getting the two systems confused,no one, and I mean no one has tried to steal my bike. They fear the shifter. Keep the shiney side up.
That’s awesome! You too brotha ride safe have fun
Awesome video I have always wondered how a Jockey shift works and that explains it so simply. I want one now LOL
Trying to convert the world haha. I have a video showing you how to make one as well!
Got my first 56 pan with this set up 36 years ago ,only difference? Is i had a 18" over front springer,with 40 degree rake with rear drum break ,you got stock wheel base big difference! I don't use a rod for clutch I use a chain & don't use neutral lol
Love it
So after learning where the term “suicide shifter” came from I now see that it doesn’t make any sense. Like you showed in the video and how I had imagined, the bike just stalls. Very informative and detailed video. Watched the whole thing and I don’t even own a motorcycle lmao.
Thank you for checking it out! How did you come across the channel if you don’t mind me asking? Curious how this video found its way to you
My bike is still setup for foot shift and hand clutch but I still like to keep my left foot on the peg
The jokey shift setup always reminds me of my friend Frodo who got his name through the use of a jokey shift an open primary and building the shifter too short. Built everything way to short and lost his ring finger in the primary the second time he had the chopper out.
And yes we called the bike Gollum after that.
Dang! That’s terrible but also a hilarious way to get the name for the bike 😂
Outstanding tutorial/video of an age-old myth! Lol! Thanks, man! 👍
Thank you 🙏🏼
Gotta admit. When I clicked on this video I was ready to comment “Yeah, I’ll keep my hands on my bars thanks” but im only 9:30 in and I actually think this would be sick as hell for like a project bike. Although I think I’d want a front brake anyways. Maybe have the right lever the front brake, and have a left lever hooked up to the rear. I just really like my front brakes lol
I really appreciate you sticking around beyond that initial comment. And absolutely man, I always tell people who are interested in this setup to keep their front brake. If you decide you like it and one day you want to take the brake off that's fine, but some people never do and that's fine too. It's all up to the owner and their risk level. You don't have to do both but I HIGHLY recommend trying hand shift at least once, it might change the way you ride for the rest of your life.
Definitely going this way in the future
I'm planning to do this with my 81 kz650 hardtail build I just did but I'm definitely not taking that front brake off so all this will be much easier for me. Emergency braking is going to be scary enough without being able to quick downshift for engine braking. No way I'm going to make that even less possible by removing the front brake.
Brilliant, well done. Best wishes from good old germany
Thanks! How’s the chopper scene out there
These are very interesting bikes! Wow!
Thank you
Super informative, thanks for making it!
Yes I used both kinds back in the day like your bike
Very cool. Always wanted to try that knucklehead style but those transmissions are big💰 these days
Great video I have accidentally stalled my bike at a intersection embarrassing but never flew out into traffic.
Haha we have all been there. Glad to hear another confirmation that the flying into traffic thing is a myth
That’s a sick bike man. But I can’t help but wonder how the whole jockey shift thing was ever popular. It just adds so many steps to something so simple 😂
It’s not something you think about. Like I say in the video, I have to explain it that way because it’s an instructional video. Day to day you do all of it on autopilot
Great video! But it's not a silly myth, I just did some digging around and discovered that the term "suicide clutch" comes from San Francisco because the city has alot of hills and apparently chopper guys back then didn't wanna stop at hilly traffic lights(because they didn't have front brakes and it is cumbersome) so they would just cross through and often got hit by traffic from the crossing road