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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Suicide shift?
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Message started by ezornes239 on 11/04/14 at 11:51:09

Title: Suicide shift?
Post by ezornes239 on 11/04/14 at 11:51:09

So I'm planning on getting a new bike in the next month or 2. Had my eyes on the new 2014 Yamaha FZ-09 since it came out. Quite a big step up from the Savage performance wise. But once I have it, I'll be able to start doing all the things I've wanted to do on the Savage. Solo seat, no rear fender and now I'm thinking suicide shift. Not the crazy foot clutch kind, I'd want the clutch lever on the shifter. I don't know if that's still technically suicide/jockey shift. Once I have something new, I don't plan on getting rid of the Savage, but it'll probably only get used for quick trips around town once a week or so. There are jockey shift kits available for Harleys that bolt on in 30 minutes.

http://s4.postimg.org/rp0humcod/IMAG0524.jpg

I bet I could have my buddy that owns a motorcycle repair shop fab something up fairly easily. Silly idea? Yes, probably. But it's also kinda badass.

Title: Re: Suicide shift?
Post by Dave on 11/04/14 at 12:07:46

Do a search....every couple of months someone brings this issue up. If you mean that is is "bad ass" because it is less convenient....and less safe....and more primitive.......then yes, I suppose it is........."bad ass".

This hand shift thingy was on motorcycles as standard issue in the 20's and 30's, and the bikes have improved since then, the roads became more crowded, and you might benefit from being able to have both hands on the handlebars when you need to clutch and shift in a hurry. It most likely gets pretty hard to make a fast stop and apply the front and rear brake and pull in the clutch.....when you have to put one hand on the shift lever to pull in the clutch! :o

This method sure looks cumbersome and scary to me.......Not sure why you want to make your bike harder to ride?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmEw-5gSvEI
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmEw-5gSvEI[/media]

Title: Re: Suicide shift?
Post by stewmills on 11/04/14 at 14:35:26

At initial ride off and at the first stop you can see him walking/hobbling with the bike until he gets it under control. Sure, he's probably learning to use it and all, but it's a clear indication to me of how cumbersome and unsafe it is. Unless you're completely new to being on two wheels, you'd never have this kind of uneasiness with two hands on the handlebars.

Title: Re: Suicide shift?
Post by Dave on 11/04/14 at 14:46:51

Some other times it has been discussed:

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1357707301/9

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1311312943

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1305249391

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1297486246

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1395608005/6

Title: Re: Suicide shift?
Post by gizzo on 11/04/14 at 17:04:30

Yeah man, go for it! Get all WD on it too: get a rigid rear end, fit a front drum brake and why not mount the fuel tap in the headlight shell and put the indicator switch under the seat? It'll be the safest bike there is, 'cause you won't be able to ride it. ;D

I'm just funnin' ya.
Seriously though, what do you think will happen when you've trained yourself to use the jockey shift, then comes the time for an emergency stop or evasion. Your muscle memory expects the clutch and gears to be where they should be, confusion reigns and whoops, down you go.
Vintage bikes get away with it because they only have 1 or 2 gears usually, you hardly ever have to use them and they only travel slowly. But to each their own...
Good luck.

Title: Re: Suicide shift?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/04/14 at 18:47:16

If bikes came with no fenders,would you want one?
I wonder why they stopped building suicide shifter type bikes?"

Title: Re: Suicide shift?
Post by Steve H on 11/04/14 at 19:54:17

I would certainly want fenders. I hate crap flying up all over me all the time.

There's a reason it's called 'suicide shift'.

Title: Re: Suicide shift?
Post by WD on 11/05/14 at 00:45:20

7C666260615F6E7D7B7D666B686A0F0 wrote:

>:(

Fuel tap on the 98 was on the gas tank.

Savages are already the safest bike to ride by your reckoning, my 98 fragged it's mostly stock electrical system at 25K miles and change, the 2003 at a touch over 21K (odometer takes 17 miles to show one mile, so, way off). Yesterday on the way to work.

Suicide clutch, not suicide shift. And it actually refers specifically to a foot clutch which the detent removed, the one that holds the clutch pedal down so you can safely rest both feet on the ground.

The tank mounted shifter was available into the late 1950s, stock. Works great, as does the left hand throttle on a real Indian, the manual spark advance on real HD and Indian bikes, the right side foot shift and left side brake on 1974 and older Sportsters and British bikes...

Pulled the 98 off the firing line since I still hadn't got around to using it for target practice. Maybe, between the 98 and the 03, I can cobble one working bike together. Still haven't had the rigid framed, springer equipped spool front wheel (no brake, and no way to add one) wearing 57 Panhead sent down here from storage in WA.

Title: Re: Suicide shift?
Post by stinger on 11/05/14 at 00:55:40

I have been in two crashes on bikes since I began riding long ago. The first one was on a 41 Knucklehead with a suicide shift. Way to dangerous! I took my hand of the bar to shift and drifted just far enough into the other lane that a car it my handlebar and sent flying. They do not call it a suicide shift for no reason.

Title: Re: Suicide shift?
Post by Rembrandt on 11/10/14 at 21:46:21

I agree with the safety issues of the suicide shifter and I particularly agree with the idea regarding muscle memory in a needed quick response situation. For many years now I've almost exclusively driven standard shift cars and trucks. A few years ago while visiting my wife's relatives in British Columbia, I was driving my in-laws' Pontiac Montana through some glorious mountain roads in a snow-storm back from Kelowna. They were in the back, my wife up front. I scared everyone briefly when, going downhill through one particularly hazardous spot, I reflexively hit the brake a bit hard with my left foot while reaching for a non-existant clutch to down-shift. Other than that blooper, everyone felt safe with me behind the wheel and I got everyone home safe.