Foot clutch conversion kit

Josh Norton

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I've been making these aluminum hubs for my dad for awhile and was curious if anyone on here would be interested​
 
Sorry if I'm being a bit thick but it is normally left foot for the gear-change and the right foot for the rear brake.
Your arrangement seems to show that the foot clutch would also be on the left which begs the question as to how you de-clutch and change gear?

Or am I missing the point somewhere?
 
Yep. Point is foot operated clutch, hand operated gear change. The hardest part seems to be working out how to make a foot operated clutch.
 
With respect the hardest part for me is understanding why would you want to?.....
.....other that 'cos I can.
I can appreciate the works and skill involved in such a conversion but I would have thought that riding a bike is fraught with enough hazards without adding to them.
 
I don't know either and I agree with what you say about risks etc. Choppers builders are a world of individuals. A lot of older Indians etc had this as standard. It's the way that person wants to build their bike.
 
Holy shit, if I get kicked off this forum that's ok, but max, sell your motorcycle and get off any sort of "chopper" boards. You're a complete fool
 
Easy does it, Josh.............................
 
....but max, sell your motorcycle and get off any sort of "chopper" boards. You're a complete fool

Oh dear, seems like someone is at the 'wrong time of the month'
....and welcome to the board. I'm sure we all look forward to more of your constructive comments.

PS: I'm not a complete fool, there are still some parts I need to find.
 
The old hand shift bikes had nothing like the foot clutch in a car. It was an over center type where the clutch would stay disengaged until you pushed the pedal forward to engage. Then you rocked the pedal back to shift or stop. It stayed in position without a foot holding it! A car mechanism is just awful on a bike.

Tom, 1942 WLA owner, once apon a time long, long ago.

Ps. Indians had their throttle on the left? For the cops to shoot, I guess.
 
I suppose I should clarify- I mean that some builders think that "alternate" clutch/shifter setups are cool. Personally i'm okay with the usual.

Over the years there have been many setups and many variations of those setups. My dad owns two 1940's Harleys with aftermarket footshifters installed. One is a B&H, for those old farts out there. Anyway, one of these bikes shifts 1 down 4 up like normal, but the other shifts 1 up 4 down! He says you have to pay attention to which bike you are on that day!

I would say that aside from a few of the truly dumb setups, if you have something you're comfortable with and used to, its just as safe as any other.
 
Oh dear, seems like someone is at the 'wrong time of the month'
....and welcome to the board. I'm sure we all look forward to more of your constructive comments.

PS: I'm not a complete fool, there are still some parts I need to find.

This is one of the things I miss most about living in London. That british wit is diabolically hilarious. That last line still has me laughing.
 
Hmmmmm......perhaps you may like to incorporate my latest 'cool' idea - a left hand mounted reverse action throttle?
If you have a death wish you may as well do it properly. :D
Hi Max,
the leftside backwards throttle only takes a few minutes to do and is expense free.
Just swap the twistgrip to the other side of the handlebar and she's done.
Takes a while to get used to it though.
Saw a reversed-steering bicycle on TV. (bars turn opposite to front wheel) Took the average bike rider a week to learn to ride the thing.
Took them a fortnight to switch back.
But gee Max, what about the old days?
Up for down right-side footshifts (Except for Triumphs which shifted up for up), tank mounted hand shifts and the rare 2-speed Scott's left foot rocking pedal shift. And working all these different style shifters while giving hand signals.
We coped. Were we smarter back then?
 
I admit that I've never had the 'pleasure' of a foot clutch/ hand change combo but the thought of it doesn't fill me with any enthusiasm.
Such arrangements need to be put into the context in which they are expected to operate.
Way back then there was far less traffic to contend with; the speed of the traffic around you was lower. On many machines you also had solid rear ends, iffy front ends, brakes that were more ornamental that effective. You may also be presented with an advance lever to play with and if really lucky a lubrication system that you had to pump yourself. The list goes on.

Nowadays things are much different with traffic moving at far greater speeds, higher volumes of vehicles, cyclist and pedestrians.

I have total admiration and awe of anyone who was able to ride those early machines but were we smarter? Not sure about that. I think what it does demonstrate is our ability to adapt. Were they as safe to ride? Someone somewhere may have the statistics to answer that so I'll leave it to them to answer.
It is also shows how, over the intervening years, evolution has weeded out the bad ideas and built on the good.

As for something being 'cool'; one mans cool can be another's inferno. That doesn't make one bad or the other good. We are all different and should celebrate that.
Where I start to have issues is where (IMHO) the safety of individuals and (perhaps) more importantly that of innocent third parties is put at risk.
 
I have built many of bikes with a suicide clutch and its not for everyone and takes time to learn how to use. Your setup works well used that style before but there is no dead stop on that style and you can push past the end of the clutch and then you have no clutch . So if you are selling these please inform people of the fact that you only have about a 1/2 " of clutch and past that it can disengage and the cover would have to be taken off to reset. Great idea works great when used right but I have had some people that don't get it and bike kept coming back because clutch went pass the stop.
 
I have some VERY FAST reflexes, mind you, quick, but thought out reflexes. Just switch my shifting and braking sides and I'm sure I could create a major catastrophe.

Scott
 
Its really a fun ride but not for everyone as I stated. People look at you like you are crazy haha
This was a CB350 with a kit like on here
 

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