SuzukiSavage.com - Suicide Shifter on Savage

Hutch Serious Thumper Offline till death do us part Posts: 1035 Birch Run, MI. U.S.A. Gender:	Suicide Shifter on Savage 01/14/07 at 12:00:45 This is the shifter I made up from spare parts for about $150.00. I just built off the horn mounting holes and reflector mounting hole.
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Rogue_Cheddar Serious Thumper Offline Hang up the phone and drive! Posts: 725 Haverhill, Massachusetts Gender:	Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage Reply #1 - 01/14/07 at 12:03:38 Very nice. I like the pearl handle. How do you activate the clutch and shift at the same time?
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Hutch

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Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage
Reply #2 - 01/14/07 at 12:25:16

I knew that would be the first ???. I learned how to drive a stick shift from an old truck driver about 45 years ago. The only time that a truck driver uses a clutch is to stop and start. You shift withe rpms and let the rpms suck it into the next gear. To go up thru the gears you just acell the same, put SLIGHT pressure on the shifter, back off and back on the gas real fast and it suck into the next gear with no grinds. To down shift put SLIGHT pressure on shifter and do the same. I have never tore up a tranny in 42 years. Just use clutch when you stop and take off in first.As the truck driver told me" do you know what my leg would look like if I used the cluch for all the gears?" They even teach you this in tractor trailer driver school.

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TVR_FSO Serious Thumper Offline I'm Ya Huckleberry.... Posts: 870 Frisco, Texas Gender:	Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage Reply #3 - 01/14/07 at 14:17:02 Very nice job!
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steelwolf Serious Thumper Offline "I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride." Posts: 847 Trinity, NC Gender:	Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage Reply #4 - 01/14/07 at 14:22:41 Intriguing. I assumed it would have been done mounted at the shaft coming out of the tranny. I never envisioned doing it from the anchor point at the peg. Why did you choose that location?
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Hutch

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Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage
Reply #5 - 01/14/07 at 16:50:37

The shorter the lever the shorter the throw to shift. Also there is a lot less flex in the linkage. I have been doing suicides for years and on all kinds of bikes. The signature at the bottom of my posts tells it all. I made this one out of an old Triumph rear brake lever with an old hunting knife. The only thing I bought was two heim joints($50) and the linkage rod($100). I already had the toe peg($10). just cut of end of shifter replace with 1" diameter round stock, drill and tap for toe peg. You no longer have to look for shifter peg cause it sticks out farther and you can match it to your hand grips as an added plus.

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steelwolf

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Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage
Reply #6 - 01/14/07 at 19:31:26

Oh no don't get me wrong I think it's great. I was just wondering about the design. I was NOT questioning your judgment. I was just curious. I have never made one and had considered it but had no idea where to start. Thanks for posting it and giving some insight as to the design. I personally would prefer a foot actuated clutch though. I shift without it most of the time but I would just want the clutch where it was accessible while shifting. Ya never know.

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sparkett Full Member Offline never ride faster than your guardian angel flys! Posts: 168 central florida Gender:	Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage Reply #7 - 01/14/07 at 19:35:46 Looks awsome love the handle too!
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Hutch

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Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage
Reply #8 - 01/14/07 at 19:59:43

Steelwolf,
The reason I don't use a foot clutch(except on side car) is that I hate holding a bike up with one foot at a corner. It's real fun when you're on a hill with no front brake. One way to solve that is weld a clutch bracket on your suicide lever so they are both right there together in one place. Just another way I have done it.

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steelwolf Serious Thumper Offline "I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride." Posts: 847 Trinity, NC Gender:	Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage Reply #9 - 01/14/07 at 20:11:00 Hutch wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:01: One way to solve that is weld a clutch bracket on your suicide lever so they are both right there together in one place. Just another way I have done it. Now see that I did think of but for some reason (it escapes me now) I figured I would have problems with the cable linkage.
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Hutch

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Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage
Reply #10 - 01/14/07 at 20:30:54

steelwolf wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:01:

Now see that I did think of but for some reason (it escapes me now) I figured I would have problems with the cable linkage.

The only problem is since the clutch arm is on the right side of the bike, is routing the cable over the motor to the clutch housing, but it can be done. Thank you for the help with the quotes.

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steelwolf Serious Thumper Offline "I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride." Posts: 847 Trinity, NC Gender:	Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage Reply #11 - 01/14/07 at 20:34:02 Give and get. That philosophy works great on this site. Thanks for the info on the shifter. Might just have to go ahead and try it on "Thing".
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Five_Points Full Member Offline Posts: 141 Columbus, OH	Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage Reply #12 - 01/15/07 at 05:42:07 WOW! That looks great. Like the buck knife handle! good job.
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Hutch

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Birch Run, MI. U.S.A.
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Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage
Reply #13 - 02/17/07 at 10:46:50

I have had a few people ask "why a hand shift??" Two reasons. First is NOSTALGIA. Second is that it great for someone with a physical problem of the foot. I have had 10 blood clot operations on my left leg and one of the affter affects is nerve damage to the left foot. Wouldn't you know the TOP of my left foot is really sensitive,it makes shifting fun. Most of my bikes are old British iron with right shift, so thats cool. I still have to come up with asuicide on my new Royal Enfield cause they moved it to the left a year before my '05. Another project. Like I was saying, the hand shift can be a way for someone with limitations to still enjoy riding.

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Trippah

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Re: Suicide Shifter on Savage
Reply #14 - 02/17/07 at 11:08:32

Hutch, your work looks great. Not using a clutch does keep you more in tune with the bike as well, usually a bonus. Just out of curiosity, I wonder if you could put a clutch lever on the shifter (No, I Doubt if you'll ever find a pearl one)so you could engage clutch and shift all with one hand?? Anyhow, your savage looks great. Do you have a side car rig with the Enfield?

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