experienced jockey shift riders....
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Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Washington D.C.
experienced jockey shift riders....
I've read some threads on here about the jockey shift and looked into adding one on to my Slim. I'm hesitating because my bike is my primary mode of transportation. 12 months a year. For those of you that have a jockey shift ....
is it difficult to use in traffic (stop and go)? Or is it just a matter of getting accustomed to the changes in shifting and after a while you don't notice the difference. I keep picturing myself falling over in bumber to bumper traffic while trying to shift and brake, etc. with a jockey.
and yes...i know on a bike you can get around the traffic...but the D.C. streets can be crowded on all sides.
is it difficult to use in traffic (stop and go)? Or is it just a matter of getting accustomed to the changes in shifting and after a while you don't notice the difference. I keep picturing myself falling over in bumber to bumper traffic while trying to shift and brake, etc. with a jockey.
and yes...i know on a bike you can get around the traffic...but the D.C. streets can be crowded on all sides.
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 632
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From: Virginia raised, stationed in Alaska
I dont have a jockey shifter... but im in ur area In this traffic a jockey shift will be a pain. D.C. in general would be a pain. But honestly if you get used to it i cant see it being a problem. Just wanted to chime in cuz im from the area and know how crappy the traffic is... and how crappy it is riding through d.c.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,700
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From: Buffalo
I've got a jockey, here's my two cents...
In traffic it can be a pain in the ***, but so can a hand clutch. Traffic itself is a pain in the ***! I'd take a weekend to get used to it, but I think you'd be fine. The fun you'll have will outweigh any mistakes you make.
In traffic it can be a pain in the ***, but so can a hand clutch. Traffic itself is a pain in the ***! I'd take a weekend to get used to it, but I think you'd be fine. The fun you'll have will outweigh any mistakes you make.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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I have a tank shift and foot clutch. I split lanes on it all the time. No problem. It is really second nature after a bit. Slide it into neutral as you are coming to a stop and then you don't have to worry about keeping your left foot on the clutch.
It's really not bad in traffic, though it does make it a bit more difficult to just "creep" along with your feet down like ya did with the hand clutch. Takes some riding style adjustments, like letting the traffic get a bit ahead of you so you have space to accelerate enough to balance without feet, which isn't really all that fast, but when ya do it you'll know what I mean.
The biggest PITA that I've found is creeping along on unpaved surfaces, i.e. at a bike rally parked in a field and trying to leave in the traffic afterward. Lots of things combine against you in this situation. Trying to creep along, knowing you can only put one foot down in unsure footing, with one hand on the bars while the bumps and grooves are pushing the front all over, and the one hand on the bars is also on the throttle so the inadvertent blip is going to occur when you hit that unseen bump under the grass, and if you need to drop 2 feet to balance, grabbing the front brake won't stall it out, the rear wheel will just spin while you're gathering your footing and doing a super slow burnout on grass while everyone stares at you.
All that said, still wouldn't trade it back to a hand clutch. It's just too much fun, and I'm sure after I've done the grass traffic thing a few more times it won't be as bad. So, don't be deterred, go for it! You can always switch back if you absolutely hate it.
The biggest PITA that I've found is creeping along on unpaved surfaces, i.e. at a bike rally parked in a field and trying to leave in the traffic afterward. Lots of things combine against you in this situation. Trying to creep along, knowing you can only put one foot down in unsure footing, with one hand on the bars while the bumps and grooves are pushing the front all over, and the one hand on the bars is also on the throttle so the inadvertent blip is going to occur when you hit that unseen bump under the grass, and if you need to drop 2 feet to balance, grabbing the front brake won't stall it out, the rear wheel will just spin while you're gathering your footing and doing a super slow burnout on grass while everyone stares at you.
All that said, still wouldn't trade it back to a hand clutch. It's just too much fun, and I'm sure after I've done the grass traffic thing a few more times it won't be as bad. So, don't be deterred, go for it! You can always switch back if you absolutely hate it.
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Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2008
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From: Orange County, CA
Injuries pushed me to switch to a jockey shift back in '07. I have both a jockey (behind the leg) and a tank shift setup so I can alternate between the two every few months, but I am biased toward the tank shift. I also throttle on the opposite (left) side, a change I made in 2010 after my freaking hand surgery. At any rate, I ride in So Cal traffic daily to work same as Hogpro outlined above, split lanes in stop & go (not all the time, just when it's really bad.), etc. I've ridden in downtown San Francisco (a real litmus test) and I agree on your traffic in your area, as I rode through it when I took my son to DC and the National Mall on our trip in 2011 (see my sig below). Using a hand shift & foot clutch has become so second nature now I have to stop and think what to do when I get on a regular bike, like I did last weekend when my buddy asked me to ride his stock '06 Sporty to get my opinion on a handling problem; I found myself looking down to make sure I was toeing up on upshifts, and twice I hit the shifter thinking it was the clutch pedal...oops. 
Give it some time; it will all work out.
Give it some time; it will all work out.
Last edited by TRacer; Apr 4, 2013 at 11:34 PM.
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