Suicide or Jockey shift
Suicide or Jockey shift
I am wanting to put a suicide or jockey shift on my bobber. They look like pretty much the same thing to me. Does anyone have any experience with them? Good or bad. I would also like to build and set it up myself if at all possible.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 479
Likes: 1
From: Oregon
the "suicide" refers to a foot clutch and the "jockey" refers to the shifter style, so I'm not sure what you are asking about. There are quite a few members on here that have the Labriola jockey shift kit and quite a few that have fabbed their own setups, I ordered mine from Labriola yesterday so I don't have much input yet but toastman just put one on his in this thread:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-...-promised.html
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-...-promised.html
Former Sponsor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,968
Likes: 54
The terminology for "suicide shift" comes from older bikes that did not have a front brake or rocker clutch, but just a normal clutch that you use for your foot which has to be held in if you are stopped in gear. So in essence it will not abe a true "suicide shift" unless you remove your front brake which no rational human being would ever do.
A Jockey shifter is behind your left leg and is referred to as a Jockey shifter as it is where a jockey (horse) would reach to whip their horse in order to get it to run faster.
There are a plenty of people with the La Briola version which consists of a cable, a bracket, and a jockey shift lever. Some people who have run the jockey have found way to brace the transmission lever to keep if from vibration back and forth so much as a few people have had issues with that.
I don't think making one would be all that difficult given the proper skills and tools.
A Jockey shifter is behind your left leg and is referred to as a Jockey shifter as it is where a jockey (horse) would reach to whip their horse in order to get it to run faster.
There are a plenty of people with the La Briola version which consists of a cable, a bracket, and a jockey shift lever. Some people who have run the jockey have found way to brace the transmission lever to keep if from vibration back and forth so much as a few people have had issues with that.
I don't think making one would be all that difficult given the proper skills and tools.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,718
Likes: 11
From: Back in the Good Ole USA. South Carolina to be exact.
A SUICIDE CLUTCH, was a modification to the Heel Toe Rocker clutch control. Engaging/disengaging the clutch was done with a rocking motion of the foot, having the ball/toe portion of the foot on the toe of the pedal and the heel portion of the foot on the heel portion of the pedal. The rocking motion gives more control over the engagement/disengagement of the clutch. The Suicide Clutch was engaged/disengaged with direct pressure like the clutch pedal in a car or truck and took a little more getting used too.
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 564
Likes: 3
From: Orange County, CA
While not a Dyna, I've been running a foot clutch/hand shift on my bike (both solo and 2-up, see sig) for years now due to various injuries. It's a bit more of a challenge in heavy traffic, but you get used to it. After surgery on my right hand last year (Quick Safety Tip: don't accidentally sever tendons in your dominant hand) I moved the throttle to the left handgrip so I shift and throttle on the left. One side benefit of a foot clutch/hand shift setup is that, unless someone physically picks up your bike to make off with it, your ride will have a tendency to stay where you parked it last. 
Last edited by TRacer; Mar 29, 2012 at 11:03 PM.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,949
Likes: 150
From: South of Mordor
Suicide Shifter = No front brake and rear brake only with a foot pressed clutch! The term comes from the fact that when coming to a stop you have to use your left foot to press in the clutch and your right foot to press on the brake.....which one do you release so you don't fall over when completing a stop on an incline or you are trying to take off from that incline? You need to learn to ride the clutch with you foot much like in a car so you don't roll backwards when going up hill (not to bad) and you need to learn how to use the brake to avoid rolling into traffic while trying to take off when going down hill (the suicide part). All-in-all, you can't have both feet on the bike and on the ground at the same time!
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