Marty! Just think about the possibilities! Bikes with a foot clutch and a tank shift everywhere!

 

WHY?: because a jockey shift is wicked cool all day long

WHY NOT?: no matter how you do it, you have made your MC more difficult to ride

Suicide clutch (foot must be on it to disengage) vs. a Rocker Clutch (can stay disengaged without your foot on it) is another consideration before doing the work. When HD still had tank shifters, they had rocker assemblies on them. The early chopper guys came up with the cleaner suicide clutch setup. Suicide shifter is not an option on your year bike (tank shift bikes were gated on the tank, put the handle on the tranny and good luck figuring out what gear you are in).

Your call, looks or function

 

Was the over center clutch spring assembly called the 'moustrap'. I know it was still a component on the later pans.

 

No, the "mousetrap" was invented by Harley for use on early foot shift bikes. They work great when adjusted correctly. I think that trying to differentiate between what is or is not a suicide clutch isn't black and white. the phrase goes way back and I have heard both clutch pedal types called suicide. Just the way modern bike magazines incorrectly call Sportster tants peanut tanks.

 

It was to make the clutch lever easier to squeeze. If adjusted according to shop manual they work well.

 

A mate has a floot clutch on his shovel, cant seem to find any good photos of his setup atm, will have a look when I get home.

 

this was mine on my last bike, loved it. Most likely will be doing to my current bike next year.

 

I was always under the impression that a "Jockey Shift" was when the shift lever is under the seat and straight off the shift linkage, like the one in oldmisfits pic above. It is called a jockey shift because the motion is much like that of a jockey on a horse. A "Tank Shift" is when the shift lever is on the side of the tank, like the old HD's and it didn't matter if the clutch lever was on the shift lever like on the widow maker or if it was a foot clutch. The "Suicide Shift" meant that you had either a Tank shifter (without the clutch lever) or a Jockey shifter and a foot clutch and no front brake and it was suicide because you had to push down the clutch and the rear brake with both feet making coming to a complete stop quickly or starting off on a hill extremely hard because people don't have three legs or feet, one for the clutch, one for the brake and one to hold the bike up.

I have been thinking about a foot clutch and tank shift for a long time, just not my top priority.

 

Mates is similar, 22" Apes and foot clutch, he's mad lol.

 

Until you have tried it don't knock it. for me it was like crack, I loved it. One hand on the shifter one on the wick and twist wick shift and warface. Nothing like it.

ltr Pat