I just got a bike that has a "suicide shifter" (don't know the true name) and I was wondering what you guys think of them. the thing about this one is the clutch lever is on the shifter instead of it being a foot clutch. is this a normal placement for the clutch or is it odd? looks like it will take some getting used to for sure. I have no problem with riding with one hand all the time. I do it anyway.

thanks for you thoughts.

 

Novel idea for the suicide shifter to incclude the clutch lever but, how does that work in the twisties or slow maneuvers in the parking lot? Surely there was a reason modern day bikes around the world standardized on the foot shift and hand clutch.

 

There is a reason why they call it a 'suicide' shifter...

But, in my mind, that setup you have would require less co-ordination than if it was a foot clutch. Either way, I've seen them for many years, so I believe it could be considered 'normal'. Never ridden with one personally, so take my words with a grain of salt...

 

I like the jockey/suicide shift set up. However when the clutch in on the shifter itself that gives me the *******.. Granted it doesn't happen often, but when you need to make that emergency stop. These two things always happen:

1)Your ******* puckers up so tight you couldn't get a pin in there with a jack hammer
2) both hands grab the bars to control the bike.

99% of the time the clutch comes in at the same time. How are you gonna handle the bike with the shifter set up in that situation... Just my opinion...

 

I rode a bike with one back in the 70s and while I think it looks cool, it sucked for me. There's no way I'd have one on my bike. I guess my fingers work better than my feet on that stuff.

 

Only riding friends's that had foot clutch...not much problem as long as they got front brakes. Never riding your kind so don't know.

 

This. That bike would be good for show, maybe some light cruising around town at low speeds or a totally empty highway. In a panic stop you'd definitely want to keep both hands on the bars and just let the engine die. Which is far from ideal because if there's a car behind you and he can't stop in time, and you can't get out of the way because you're bike isn't running, then you and your bike will be the meat in a car sandwich.

Some stuff looks cool but it's not practical for people who want to keep their chances of death low.

 

I dig the shifter but you need foot clutch set up. IMHO

 

I've never tried one, but I don't understand the attraction. Even just as a novelty item. To each his own I guess. They call them 'suicide' for a reason though...

 

Jockey shifts and foot clutches take enthusiasts back to another era when this was standard equipment on Harley Davidsons. Long before the government/attorneys/product liability "movement" stepped in and declared this stuff as unsafe.
Hand operated shifts/foot clutches are from a time when early motorcyclists were true pioneers and perhaps the last of the real, genuine motorcyclists. No internet, no online catalogs, no cellphones to depend on to repair and fix bikes back in the day. Repairs were done on the side of a muddy road by true men with bailing wire. Reliving those times is why jockeys/suicide are popular.