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anyone making a foot cluch mechanism
- Thread starter branco
- Start date
out their making foot cluch mechanismsweazil
XS650 Member
I'm actually taking mine off tomorrow! Foot clutch, no front break, forward controls just wasn't working for me
blacksmithbilly over at www.thechopperunderground.com makes an external worm gear mod that is makes it easy to convert to a foot clutch.
http://www.chopperweb.info/forum/showthread.php?threadid=14931
http://www.chopperweb.info/forum/showthread.php?threadid=14931
blackbetty
XS650 Junkie
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Mikes xs sells the worm gear for the inside of the cover.
You'll need to go to the drawing board with your controls and linkages; there's no kits or anything out there for the XS.
I use blacksmithbillys mod that james mentioned above. It is a very solid and elegant solution that uses a machined shaft support with a bronze bushing to support the modified worm gear.
I was using a 7 pack early style clutch and struggled getting out of first; when I swapped in a 6 pack from an '81 with Barnett guts the clutch works 1000% better. I even venture to say that the foot clutch mechanism from blacksmithbilly is more robust than the factory cable in that it's a direct push on the worm gear and adjustments are pretty exact and easy to get. But to get this perfect took me a lot of trial and error.
You could go the cheap way and mod it like the fong bros using a cable. Fong posted a thread on that mod not long ago.
You'll need to go to the drawing board with your controls and linkages; there's no kits or anything out there for the XS.
I use blacksmithbillys mod that james mentioned above. It is a very solid and elegant solution that uses a machined shaft support with a bronze bushing to support the modified worm gear.
I was using a 7 pack early style clutch and struggled getting out of first; when I swapped in a 6 pack from an '81 with Barnett guts the clutch works 1000% better. I even venture to say that the foot clutch mechanism from blacksmithbilly is more robust than the factory cable in that it's a direct push on the worm gear and adjustments are pretty exact and easy to get. But to get this perfect took me a lot of trial and error.
You could go the cheap way and mod it like the fong bros using a cable. Fong posted a thread on that mod not long ago.
blackbetty
XS650 Junkie
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You gotta hit him up, ship your side cover, and pay like $100.
He's on chopperunderground, occasionally posts here, but he's a TCU regular.
stuntdouble
Contract Killer
Second that! Pics of the whole bike?
weazil
XS650 Member
weazil
XS650 Member
Works just like a regular clutch lever on the bars. On the second picture you can sorta see how it works. There's a bracket on my foot rest that holds the cable in place and on the clutch foot lever there's a spot for the metal knarp to sit on. Its the same setup as the handle bar setup
weazil
XS650 Member
foot clutching on a budget not the cleanest from what i see here but still just as functional.
Now you know why it's called a suicide shifter.
weazil
XS650 Member
It'd be a whole mess easier if there were front brakes or even if it were mid controls. Just wasn't feeling it anymore for rides that stop on hills there was a lot of jumping around. People behind me must have been laughing or wondering what the hell was wrong with me. If he plans on running no front brake I'd venture away from the foot clutchjust saying out of experience
dahondaboy
XS650 Enthusiast
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just finished mine, has a bronze bushing where it runs thru case followed by neoprene seals. the outer lever is keyed so i could eliminate multiple lock nuts. all thats left is prep n paint and hook the rod to forward controls. i did have to re-clock the arm on the actuator to get maximum leverage and travel
the little brass wire will be replaced with cotter pins today its just all i had at the moment.
just need to prep paint and attatch the linkage rod.
the shifter handle is an old railroad spike heated and twisted and polished
the little brass wire will be replaced with cotter pins today its just all i had at the moment.
just need to prep paint and attatch the linkage rod.
the shifter handle is an old railroad spike heated and twisted and polished
Last edited:
Robhall
XS650 Addict
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I did this: http://www.xs650chopper.com/2010/10/back-from-the-dead-suicide-ride/
But I made a few adjustments. I didn't feel right drilling out the original threads so I went to my friendly local fastener store and got an M8 coupling nut and a the longest M8 bolt they had threaded all the way. I ran the bolt through to match up the threads then welded it and cleaned it up until it ran perfectly smooth. Turned out the bolt was a touch too short so I used some all-thread cut to length an then just cut a little notch in the end for adjustment with a flathead screw stick. I use a set of Vortex rearsets for mids so I just used a 3/4x1/8" strap for the link cut to length then shaped for clearance and to make it look better. This attaches to the shifter. The way I went into it I figured worst case scenario it doesn't work, I cut the coupling nut off put the old adjuster screw back in and I'm only out a dollar or two for hardware. But it actually works very well so far.
But I made a few adjustments. I didn't feel right drilling out the original threads so I went to my friendly local fastener store and got an M8 coupling nut and a the longest M8 bolt they had threaded all the way. I ran the bolt through to match up the threads then welded it and cleaned it up until it ran perfectly smooth. Turned out the bolt was a touch too short so I used some all-thread cut to length an then just cut a little notch in the end for adjustment with a flathead screw stick. I use a set of Vortex rearsets for mids so I just used a 3/4x1/8" strap for the link cut to length then shaped for clearance and to make it look better. This attaches to the shifter. The way I went into it I figured worst case scenario it doesn't work, I cut the coupling nut off put the old adjuster screw back in and I'm only out a dollar or two for hardware. But it actually works very well so far.
