heel shifter
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 791
Likes: 2
From: Canada
Riding a few years with toe shift only, and new bike has heel shifter, convinced by some Glide riders I know to try it, one month later and one incident of my hooking my pant leg on it and trying to get kickstand out and now it is in my garage tool box, as some say here it supposedly helps with neutral, I just ran out of patience and did not adapt, guess to many years without.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,846
Likes: 171
From: Simi Valley, CA
I tried mine for a while and then finally removed it. It seemed counter-intuitive to me to step down on it for an upshift. I had to think to shift whereas the front shifter is completely natural. And then the worst part is with all that thinking, "down, down", I would then inadvertently hit the front shifter and downshift when I meant to upshift. After a couple of those I decided it had to go.
On my 3rd bike with a heel shifter. First two it was the first thing to come off and I put on a nice chrome cover to cover up the exposed splines. Now with a month on my 3rd bike with a heel shifter, I'm giving it a chance, and I'm really liking it. Guess I'm over my ingrained habits of sport/race bikes. The problem I have is that being a shorty I actually want to slide my feet BACK on the floorboard, and that damn heel shifter gets in the damn way! Kuryakayn makes a heel shifter, but IMO it looks like crap. HD has one, but it seems to only fold back at about a 45 degree angle. Really? What good does that do anyone? My dealer doesn't have one so I can't what/how it actually works. I'd be tempted to grind it down so I can fold it back a full 90 degrees if I could. Not gonna pay the money to buy one just to see 'if' that would work without seeing one.
Bottom line, after years I've lost my sport bike tendencies and am actually enjoying the heel shifter other than the remaining comfort issue.
Bottom line, after years I've lost my sport bike tendencies and am actually enjoying the heel shifter other than the remaining comfort issue.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
From: Motorcity
It did take some getting use to, me coming from sport bikes/MX .
I did have an episode or two of actually up shifting, while thinking that I was down shifting.
Im only 2 months into ownership of the Harley, but the required thought process is diminishing. It's beginning to become second nature using the heel shifter.
Besides it is nice to be able to keep the toes of my boots nicer. Shifters are hell on tan Timberland's
I did have an episode or two of actually up shifting, while thinking that I was down shifting.
Im only 2 months into ownership of the Harley, but the required thought process is diminishing. It's beginning to become second nature using the heel shifter.
Besides it is nice to be able to keep the toes of my boots nicer. Shifters are hell on tan Timberland's
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 180
Likes: 3
From: Jasper, GA
Took mine off within a week. First bike I ever waited that long. Bought one of the new chrome plastic spline covers. looked awful tacky sticking out there. Took it to the grinder and ground it down to the width of shifter finished the hole all the way through. Now the shifter is outside with the cover is now a spacer.
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 513
Likes: 3
From: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
It's all about personal preference - I too have had many bikes and never had a heel shifter until 4 or 5 years ago. Personally, I can't stand them!! I DON'T LIKE CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!! LOL