Widow maker shifter
There's vids all over youttube of Bradd puttin his bobbers, unfortunately none of puttin Angelina. Gotta give the guy some props, he could do anything he wants pretty much, and rides HD bobbers and has a a smokin ol' lady. And riding a hardtail bobber with suicide shifter doesn't equate to a bagger or comfort bike. Why did you stick suicide shift in definition? Doesn't belong.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,515
Likes: 1
From: malibu
Can't wait to see what you do with the Blackline, Joe!!
All great points guys. It's been a fun discussion the last couple of days.
It's going to be 75 degrees and sunny in Phoenix today, so I'm heading out to throw about another 200 miles on my Springer and have some beers. Have a great Super Bowl weekend everybody!
It's going to be 75 degrees and sunny in Phoenix today, so I'm heading out to throw about another 200 miles on my Springer and have some beers. Have a great Super Bowl weekend everybody!
75!! I wish Pal, -6C here (18F I think?) & 1 foot of snow! Still thawing out myself after being out on the crosser this morn! Have a great ride!
Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,566
Likes: 2
From: Detroit
well... here is my input.. I rode the crap out my Sporty until recently (homemade mid-controls foot clutch / homemade jockey shifter)... until I traded it in for a Blackline, here is the Sporty I rode:
So, the big question is, why ride it with foot clutch / suicide clutch / jockey - hand - tank shifter ?? .... because it is a BLAST TO RIDE this way!!! .. as simple as that.. lots of fun... sure... many people do not get the idea of riding this way (backwards.. dangerous, pointless, etc)... but hey, electric bikes with automatic transmissions are coming, and after We are long gone electric bikes are going to be the ones ruling the road.. and ours are going to become museum pieces, now, picture a young rider in the future visiting a museum, looking at a fine Softail Deluxe and thinking "man, those guys rode with a tank full of explosive fuel between their legs, a hot and loud engine, and look, they had to shift gears with their foot or hand and use a hand operated clutch, clutch??? what??, wait, look at that, a tank shifter, what the hell is that??... damn. how backward, dangerous and pointless those HD machines were!!!" ... but they were a hell of a lot of fun to ride.. weren't they? weren't they????
PS: of course I am going to build my own foot clutch / jockey shifter for my Blackline... the stock foot gear shifter / hand clutch lever thing is to me a little bit.. uhm.. what is the word... ohh.. yeah.. POINTLESS!!!!! :-)
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So, the big question is, why ride it with foot clutch / suicide clutch / jockey - hand - tank shifter ?? .... because it is a BLAST TO RIDE this way!!! .. as simple as that.. lots of fun... sure... many people do not get the idea of riding this way (backwards.. dangerous, pointless, etc)... but hey, electric bikes with automatic transmissions are coming, and after We are long gone electric bikes are going to be the ones ruling the road.. and ours are going to become museum pieces, now, picture a young rider in the future visiting a museum, looking at a fine Softail Deluxe and thinking "man, those guys rode with a tank full of explosive fuel between their legs, a hot and loud engine, and look, they had to shift gears with their foot or hand and use a hand operated clutch, clutch??? what??, wait, look at that, a tank shifter, what the hell is that??... damn. how backward, dangerous and pointless those HD machines were!!!" ... but they were a hell of a lot of fun to ride.. weren't they? weren't they????
PS: of course I am going to build my own foot clutch / jockey shifter for my Blackline... the stock foot gear shifter / hand clutch lever thing is to me a little bit.. uhm.. what is the word... ohh.. yeah.. POINTLESS!!!!! :-)
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Awesome bike and a great post. This is what I was originally looking for, someone who could share some experiance with us without feeling threatened and lash out just because we dont get it.
I thought it looks dangerous, some people who run then as well as the sponsor agree and that its what makes it fun. Ok I totaly understand that and I also dont knock it. I thought it makes the bike harder to ride, everyone confirmed that also.
That being said I would love to try one for kicks but I dont think I could make a daily ride out of it.
Dont blame Chap if it sounds like he is getting pissy, he is a stand up guy around here but when people come in and just want to push buttons people get bunched up and then its degrades to a pissing match.
We all have different tastes, one no better than the next and we all ride bikes so no need to tussle over this.
Yeah suppose there's nothing to do in a garden under all that snow! Hope things pick up for you, if I'd of thought, could have got you to trim my trees instead of someone else. That way I'd of known the money would have still ended up on bikes! LOL!
Easy Pal
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,492
Likes: 19
From: Illinois
This thing is not a toy or for the faint of heart. It is not for biginners and like the other guy said, it's got it's name for a reason. Try working that and stopping when someone pulls out in front of you, hit a turn a little to hard, stop and go traffic, ride a passanger and so on. I rode a bike years ago with a suicide shift but I had the clutch down below and that made it somewhat barable but still, it's a step backwards. Maybe I am getting old but riddin is for enjoymant, a time to have fun and relax. Those things require 100% attention. I am always up for "what ever turns you on", do your own thing but if you go for it, be careful, take it slow. If not it's going to eat you alive.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,269
Likes: 7
From: Liverpool UK
I've got the Labriola setup, and as I've said before its still in the garage, it'll go on when the weather gets a little better, I've spoken to lots of people who have these fitted and everyone of them has said how much it enhances the riding experience, they've also said that most people overthink the whole thing, they say that they're really not that difficult to ride.
I'm under no illusions when I fit it, if I dont like it, it'll come off simple.
I said the same when I got rid of the Speed Triple and bought the Harley, I had loads of fellow riders telling me it wouldnt be in the garage long before I'd be back to the faster things, although I miss the speed buzz and the wheelies everywhere, I wouldnt go back, gettin my kicks different ways these days
I'm under no illusions when I fit it, if I dont like it, it'll come off simple.
I said the same when I got rid of the Speed Triple and bought the Harley, I had loads of fellow riders telling me it wouldnt be in the garage long before I'd be back to the faster things, although I miss the speed buzz and the wheelies everywhere, I wouldnt go back, gettin my kicks different ways these days
