The Five All-Time Most Important Harleys
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,341
Likes: 9
From: Woodinville, WA
ok - I'll bite - let's see the pictures of your 3 bikes . . .
Obviously, yes. But the OHV 61" was not the first Big Twin.
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
In #3 he waxes about "suicide shifter". It's a tank shifter, nothing more. Dead giveaway that he doesn't know what he's talking about. Another neo-biker. "Suicide" never applied to the shifter, until recently, I think, because it sort of rhymes, both letters starting with "s", and it makes you think you're a bad boy.
"Suicide", to those that care, or know, or remember, applied to the early biker mod (50-60's) of the mousetrap clutch. Lose the mousetrap, and link the clutch arm directly to the pedal with a chain or a rod. You know, losing parts--chopping your bike--ie. a chopper, decades before the pimps started chroming plastic.
We called it "suicide" because, unlike the mousetrap, where the clutch engagement was controllable, ie. clutch and pedal would stay in position if you remove your boot, the "suicide" clutch would just let go when you removed your boot, and could put you in a dangerous position, maybe having to bail out by braking hard and throttling down to lug the engine dead, or even having to lay the bike down, before the truck rolled over you.
The real combo, was a suicide clutch and a jockey shifter--that was for real men. Half of those bikes didn't even need an ignition key--just a starter button, since very few guys could handle them. Look for one of those if you want to see a real old school chopper. None of the frauds today would dare put one of those on the road.
"Suicide shift", what a joke.
Here's a historical revival--a link to a new (evo) bike set up with the suicide clutch and jockey shifter. Won't see many of these--might not see another one.
http://www.panchogun.com/FVWebPhotos...ed-For-Now.jpg
"Suicide", to those that care, or know, or remember, applied to the early biker mod (50-60's) of the mousetrap clutch. Lose the mousetrap, and link the clutch arm directly to the pedal with a chain or a rod. You know, losing parts--chopping your bike--ie. a chopper, decades before the pimps started chroming plastic.
We called it "suicide" because, unlike the mousetrap, where the clutch engagement was controllable, ie. clutch and pedal would stay in position if you remove your boot, the "suicide" clutch would just let go when you removed your boot, and could put you in a dangerous position, maybe having to bail out by braking hard and throttling down to lug the engine dead, or even having to lay the bike down, before the truck rolled over you.
The real combo, was a suicide clutch and a jockey shifter--that was for real men. Half of those bikes didn't even need an ignition key--just a starter button, since very few guys could handle them. Look for one of those if you want to see a real old school chopper. None of the frauds today would dare put one of those on the road.
"Suicide shift", what a joke.
Here's a historical revival--a link to a new (evo) bike set up with the suicide clutch and jockey shifter. Won't see many of these--might not see another one.
http://www.panchogun.com/FVWebPhotos...ed-For-Now.jpg
Stage II
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: ny
suicide shift
On the k model you reference the suicide shifters of bygone days. There is no such thing. The hand shifters back then had a foot clutch with a spring that would hold it in neutral. A suicide clutch is a foot clutch with no hold spring only a return, thus if you started to drop the bike at a stop and pulled your foot off the clutch you would launch yourself into the intersection, thus suicide clutch. I would assume this was pretty basic knowledge for a hdforum editor.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,919
Likes: 3,724
From: Hill Country, TX
4 speed, chain drive, electric and kick starter, no rubber mounted or counterbalanced engine, vibrated like a MF'er, and braked/handled like a school bus but it was the coolest looking bike out there.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,570
Likes: 45
Brings back memories. The first brand new motorcycle that I ever owned was a black 1985 FXST. Cost me $8000 back them
quite a lump of cabbage for a motorcycle back in '85.
4 speed, chain drive, electric and kick starter, no rubber mounted or counterbalanced engine, vibrated like a MF'er, and braked/handled like a school bus but it was the coolest looking bike out there.
4 speed, chain drive, electric and kick starter, no rubber mounted or counterbalanced engine, vibrated like a MF'er, and braked/handled like a school bus but it was the coolest looking bike out there.
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Banned
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,790
Likes: 3,003
From: NJ Shore and IRB Fla
The FXS Low Rider was born in 1977.
Harley Davidson's Low Rider was introduced at Daytona Bike Week in Florida. Dubbed the FXS, it was the first of Harley's "factory customs", many of which proved so popular with buyers that they are highly coveted among Harley aficionados. In addition to the FXS's low seat height, that first model Low Rider included raised white lettered tires, drag bars, mag wheels, and an often copied two-into-one slash-cut exhaust. Coupled with shorter rear shocks and 1" longer forks, the bike was an instant hit and inspired Willie G. and his staff to create even more custom models - a trend that continues to this day and one of the main reasons for the motor company's continued popularity with the public.
I'm a little biased.
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