HD---Suicide Shifter?

Question

If I am not mistaking it is not a suicide shift at all, but a jockey shift and a suicide clutch. Is this anything like the mouse trap? Any clarification out there HD dudes? Stock? if so what generation?

Answer 1

The Baron and Mike above me are correct. The Foot Clutch ( a heel/toe Rocker Clutch ) were in deed stock on some early model Harleys dating back as far as 1915, but the actual "suicide" clutch was a spring controlled pedal type clutch that was a custom made unit.....while stopped, and if not in neutral, if your foot slipped off the clutch, the spring return would quickly slam the pedal back and engage the clutch, causing the bike the lunge forward....hence the "suicide" name. Some of the Knuckleheads and early Panheads came stock with a hand operated shift lever on the left side of the tank, it was not possible to use a left hand operated clutch lever and shift with your left hand simultaneously, so the foot clutch was used....naturally, your right hand contorlled the throttle.



"Jockey" shifters were levers mounted directly to the shifter mechanism on the transmission below and behind the rider, shifting the bike resembled a a Horse Jockey smacking the horse with his Riding Crop.



The Mousetrap was a hand clutch, spring assisted over-center clutch release mechanism on Knuckleheads and early Panheads.



EDIT: For Baron....jockey shifter as stock???......that's a good question....I HAVE heard some people say SOME early model HD's did have a stock jockey shifter and others have said they were never stock. I have honestly never seen any stock HD with a jockey shifter. I have been to ALOT of bike shows, expos, auctions and museums, if I ever did see one, I just don't remember it. There is a very good antique HD shop near me, they have been restoring them for nearly 40 years, if anyone would know, they will....I will try to remember to call them next week and ask.

Answer 2

What V-Twin said. BTW A Jockey shift was never stock. Foot clutch , Tank shift. Indians had the shifter on the opposite side. On some HDs you could lock the clutch in place and then remove your foot. Mouse trap was the clutch linkage.

Answer 3

It properly is called a Suicide Clutch. The shifter with a Suicide Clutch is properly called a Tank Shifter, but often the shifter is also called "Suicide" because of the Suicide Clutch.

A Jockey Shifter can be used with either a handlebar clutch

or a Suicide Clutch, makes no difference. If you have a Jockey Shifter you can't have a Tank Shifter.

Answer 4

properly, all and sundry yet tronary have been given this one incorrect. there is not any such factor as a "suicide shifter" there's a suicide snatch, a foot snatch that works basically like a vehicles. This set up got here approximately interior the 50's while adult adult males might remover the counter springs type a rocker style foot snatch to get off the line swifter while highway racing. The word suicide refers completely to the snatch and has not something to do with taking your hand off the bars. A suicide snatch is in many situations run alongside with a jockey shifter. A shift manage fastened directly to the transmission precise. called a jockey shifter because of the fact while the rider reaches down and to the rear to shift he resembles a jockey whipping a horse.

Answer 5

Jockey shift, suicide shift, suicide clutch all proper terms?... Mousetrap is a type of clutch release device with a spring and adjustments for end play, lever tension. The mousetrap is typically on older bikes (panheads).

Answer 6

Proper is "Jockey Shift(er)" and "Suicide Clutch.



A "MouseTrap was an over-center device when they went from foot (rocker) clutch to hand clutch, as the hand (squeeze) couldn't generate as much power as the foot pressing a pedal. This was a heel/toe pedal. The Suicide Clutch pedal was never a stock Harley item, but rather a custom pedal.

MOUSETRAP:

http://www.jpcycles.com/search/productdetail?sku=432-508&N=0&Ntt=mousetrap&Ntk=All&Ne=&Nao=0&fitment=1&brand=0&results=100



ROCKER CLUTCH PEDAL:

http://www.jpcycles.com/search/productdetail?sku=430-791&N=0&Ntt=rocker+clutch&Ntk=All&Ne=&Nao=0&fitment=1&brand=0&results=100



JOCKEY SHIFT/SUICIDE CLUTCH:

http://www.jpcycles.com/search/productdetail?sku=600-687&N=0&Ntt=JOCKEY+SHIFT&Ntk=All&Ne=&Nao=20&fitment=1&brand=0&results=100

Answer 7

Fool !