SuzukiSavage.com - Suicide shifter

Lucaisrussell

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Suicide shifter
01/08/13 at 20:54:59

Hey everyone! I'm new to the fourm and decided to join because there is some very good information floating around here. My 95 savage is pretty "bobbed" out and I'd like to go a few steps futher if plausible. I'd really like to do a write up on a DIY suicide shifter but I'm looking for some ideas on how to run the clutch cable. The clutch lever I could do easy but I'm stumped on a praticle, DIY way to run this cable. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Also on a side note, anybody ever heard of converting this bike over to kickstart and rerunning wires for AC?

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Cavi Mike Serious Thumper Offline Thumper n00b Posts: 1005 Rochester, NY Gender:	Re: Suicide shifter Reply #1 - 01/08/13 at 21:41:22 I'd run the cable backwards, underneath the bike.
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Lucaisrussell Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 55 Southern ca	Re: Suicide shifter Reply #2 - 01/09/13 at 10:20:20 I still need to be able to move that lever upwards to push in the clutch.
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Cavi Mike Serious Thumper Offline Thumper n00b Posts: 1005 Rochester, NY Gender:	Re: Suicide shifter Reply #3 - 01/09/13 at 10:22:57 The liner moves instead of the cable. It doesn't matter which side is fixed as long as the other side moves.
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Demin Serious Thumper Offline We need more chlorine in the gene pool Posts: 2435 Warren,Ohio Gender:	Re: Suicide shifter Reply #4 - 01/09/13 at 10:24:29 No.Mount the cable between the pivot and the pedal/peg.When you push on it,it releases the clutch.
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Dave

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Re: Suicide shifter
Reply #5 - 01/09/13 at 11:08:08

So....is this an attempt to keep anyone from wanting to borrow or ride your bike?

It has been a while since I have ridden a motorcycle with a foot clutch. I rode an Indian Chief and the foot clutch was a rocker affair and it would stay wherever it was when you pulled your foot off - it was rideable but definetly not convenient. I also rode an Indian 4 cylinder that had a spring loaded clutch like a car......it was definetly scary as the clutch was engaged whenever you took your foot off the pedal. If you are starting to move and lose your balance and need to use your left foot to gain balance.......you cannot release the clutch?

For a bike that is ridden - the hand clutch and foot shifter is far more convenient and safe..............even if it doesn't look as vintage or cool!

Back to the Indian......Talk about screwing up my riding routine. The right foot operated the brake, and that was the only thing that was normal for me on that bike. The right hand controlled the shifter and the right handlebar grip operated spark advance, the left hand operated the throttle grip, and the left foot operated the clutch. Talk about messing around with my head? Shocked

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Someday I will be old......But not today!

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gone fishing Full Member Offline Posts: 152 Gender:	Re: Suicide shifter Reply #6 - 01/09/13 at 11:32:46 gone fishing
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Suicide shifter Reply #7 - 01/09/13 at 13:42:35 Im sure theres a real good reason to make a bike harder to ride & less safe, but Ill be danged if I can figure it out.. OHH,, Yea,, theres the casual observer saying stuff like "Ohh, thats COOL!" & "Wow,, looka that,, " Those "appreciations" will do you a world of good in a tight spot in traffic.
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Charon

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Re: Suicide shifter
Reply #8 - 01/09/13 at 14:59:46

Only machine I ever rode with a foot clutch and tank-mounted hand shifter was a Cushman Eagle (and another Cushman scooter whose model number I never did know). At least on the Cushmans the clutch was centrifugal, and dropped out by itself at idle. The foot pedal would release the clutch when the engine was at speed, so the two-speed transmission could be shifted. I learned how to double-clutch on the Cushman, so as to get it back into Low.

When the controls on a motorcycle are altered so as to be in non-standard configuration, whatever resale value the machine may have is destroyed because it is very unlikely anyone else would want it, other than maybe for some of its parts.

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Eschew obfuscation.

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MShipley

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Re: Suicide shifter
Reply #9 - 01/09/13 at 15:24:58

I got to side with j-o-g. I have a bobber, love the look and all that...I get a lot of atention with it....it is one thing to compromise a little comfort for cool....it is another to compromise safety for cool. Think hard on this change before you do it. If you decide to move forward then OK I wish you the best of luck.

I have never riddin a suicide shift or foot clutch bike. I have seen some where the clutch release is on the shifter. when I do (ushually in custom Harley mags.) I often wonder. What if the throttle locks. How do you let go of the throttle, disengage the clutch and steer at the same time? Undecided

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Cavi Mike Serious Thumper Offline Thumper n00b Posts: 1005 Rochester, NY Gender:	Re: Suicide shifter Reply #10 - 01/09/13 at 16:49:12 I'm not positive but I got the impression he is putting the clutch lever on the shifter handle. Single hand operation. Then simply run the cable down the handle, under the bottom of the bike and back up to the actuator arm.
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MShipley

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Re: Suicide shifter
Reply #11 - 01/09/13 at 16:57:10

Exactly.....so if your sitting on a hill and your left hand is operating the shifter wwhich is also the clutch so your left hand is not on the handle bar. Your right hand is feathering the throttle along with the brake unless you are holding position with the foot brake. No real control there on the handle bars. Seems awfuly dangerous and uncomfortable.

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Face

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Re: Suicide shifter
Reply #12 - 01/09/13 at 18:34:57

Obviously, safety first. But don't let anyone discourage you. If you're comfortable with your abilities, and it's what you really want to do, do it. And post pics!

One thought. Exile Cycles offers a twist clutch. Same idea as the throttle, but actuates the clutch cable. This way the cable itself would run inside the shift lever. Clean looks, and everybody would be trying to figure out how the hell you clutch!

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Cavi Mike

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Re: Suicide shifter
Reply #13 - 01/09/13 at 19:18:55

MShipley wrote on 01/09/13 at 16:57:10:

Exactly.....so if your sitting on a hill and your left hand is operating the shifter wwhich is also the clutch so your left hand is not on the handle bar. Your right hand is feathering the throttle along with the brake unless you are holding position with the foot brake. No real control there on the handle bars. Seems awfuly dangerous and uncomfortable.

You shouldn't be in gear when you're stopped. You should already be in neutral before you even come to a stop.

I'm actually in agreement about the safety of it all but it just more seems like too much of a hassle to bother with a separate lever. It's clearly nothing more than aesthetics and not something I feel like dealing with when I'm riding.

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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Suicide shifter
Reply #14 - 01/10/13 at 05:16:52

Cavi Mike wrote on 01/09/13 at 16:49:12:

I'm not positive but I got the impression he is putting the clutch lever on the shifter handle. Single hand operation.

Thats less treacherous,, yea, but, what is quicker & safer than a clutch lever on the handlebars ( which is typically where I want my hands) & a lever for the foot to move up or down?

Im always doing what I call Mental Exercises. Lets try one,,

Lets say that bikes havent yet become common. People are just building what they can,,Once a few had been on the roads, someone said
"Hey! Im gonna take a piece of metal & build something to keep that tire from slingin crap on me!"
& that would have been called Progress.

& back before they had figured out how to build a good shifter they
had slow & cumbersome shifters.

Ill keep hands on the bars. There JUST may be a reason they call those slow, cumbersome shifting mechanisms "suicide shifters"..

If cars didnt come with seat belts, how many would complain?

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The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

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