Foot clutch

[jolo9534]

hi guys, does anyone know if there is a kit i can buy for a foot clutch. maybe even point me in the right direction on how to make one. ive looked through the forums but most of the threads are pretty old. was wondering if anyone was trying to make one now. thanks

 

[Bob Kelly III]

well, there is a simple method of using the original setup and just putting the cable down to the foot lever.... simple enough
and no modifying of parts so you can go back to the hand operated version later if you desire !
.... other than that I've not done it on the xs650 you could weld a lever to the worm so when it's pushed back the clutch actuates normially
hook that lever to the bottom of the pivot of your foot clutch so when the foot clutch lever is pressed it pushes the lever on the clutch worm gear...... that's really is about all there is to it.... you must keep in mind clutch adjustment settings though.
good luck and welcome to the forum !
....
Bob........

 

[650Skull]

These 2 pic are from 1975XS650's thread. Post him he may be able to help out..........
http://www.xs650.com/threads/1975-xs650.50508/


I'm sure there are different ways, recent thread came to mind

Youst to love it when people, (acquaintances), found out i was a carpenter........ would get the .......could you do this little job for me i't's simple and will only take 5 min. Yea right, f it was so simple and took so little time why couldn't they do it.........lol

 

[jolo9534]

well, there is a simple method of using the original setup and just putting the cable down to the foot lever.... simple enough
and no modifying of parts so you can go back to the hand operated version later if you desire !
.... other than that I've not done it on the xs650 you could weld a lever to the worm so when it's pushed back the clutch actuates normially
hook that lever to the bottom of the pivot of your foot clutch so when the foot clutch lever is pressed it pushes the lever on the clutch worm gear...... that's really is about all there is to it.... you must keep in mind clutch adjustment settings though.
good luck and welcome to the forum !
....
Bob........

didnt even think of that. i'll probably do that first and see how it works. that way i can still adjust the clutch as needed. thanks

 

[Bob Kelly III]

Not a Problem ! but I will throw out this warning to ya, and you may or may not have heard it before.....
although a foot clutch and hand shift is COOL, and looks neat.... it is dangerous, because it takes your hand off the bars....
although in normal riding that is no big deal, but it's emergencies is where it counts ! it also shifts weight in a strange way on the bike
and not too much is known about that but from what I can gather, it is a possibility of a low speed wobble could be induced quite easily from that situation.... Not to mention that your Hand is far more precise on the clutch than your foot !
but you probably already know this and want to try it anyway... and I can understand why !
...it is darn cool ! hehehehehe !
build your bike for safety and comfort and you'll be around allot longer than the rest, and still riding when your my age ( 65 )
build it for good looks only and that probably will not happen. and the statistics support that notion.
Do yourself a favor and Make sure BOTH brakes work extremely well....
if you cannot lock up each wheel independently their not working good enough !
Years ago I never adjusted my front brake to lock up on pavement I always adjusted them to NOT lock up in a panic stop
that came back to haunt me one time when a Car pulled out right in front of me and slammed on the brakes.... my front wheel bumped his
bumper is all.... but with that little extra I would have stopped 20 feet further away.... so it's something to consider !
Your bike doesn't have a front brake right now.... YOU NEED ONE just to stay alive ! well over 75% of your stopping power is from the front wheel... take that away and you have the braking power of a fully loaded ford f-150 with a ton of weight in the back ..... you will slide into the guy in front of you !!!!!!
However to each their own ! do what you want 'cuz it's your bike,.... but just remember it's also your hide and Life your playing with !!!!!!
......
hang in there... it's a long process getting a bike just the way you want it !
keep after it and before long you'll be riding your pride and joy all over !
......
Bob........

 

[650Skull]

Funny you should mention this bob, Just last week this issue of body position and the relation to speed wobble and safety came up in a discussion in lownuff's thread,

 

[Bob Kelly III]

Indeed, You were the one that alerted me to the issue and it makes very good sense ! thanks !
.....
Bob.......

 

[jolo9534]

Not a Problem ! but I will throw out this warning to ya, and you may or may not have heard it before.....
although a foot clutch and hand shift is COOL, and looks neat.... it is dangerous, because it takes your hand off the bars....
although in normal riding that is no big deal, but it's emergencies is where it counts ! it also shifts weight in a strange way on the bike
and not too much is known about that but from what I can gather, it is a possibility of a low speed wobble could be induced quite easily from that situation.... Not to mention that your Hand is far more precise on the clutch than your foot !
but you probably already know this and want to try it anyway... and I can understand why !
...it is darn cool ! hehehehehe !
build your bike for safety and comfort and you'll be around allot longer than the rest, and still riding when your my age ( 65 )
build it for good looks only and that probably will not happen. and the statistics support that notion.
Do yourself a favor and Make sure BOTH brakes work extremely well....
if you cannot lock up each wheel independently their not working good enough !
Years ago I never adjusted my front brake to lock up on pavement I always adjusted them to NOT lock up in a panic stop
that came back to haunt me one time when a Car pulled out right in front of me and slammed on the brakes.... my front wheel bumped his
bumper is all.... but with that little extra I would have stopped 20 feet further away.... so it's something to consider !
Your bike doesn't have a front brake right now.... YOU NEED ONE just to stay alive ! well over 75% of your stopping power is from the front wheel... take that away and you have the braking power of a fully loaded ford f-150 with a ton of weight in the back ..... you will slide into the guy in front of you !!!!!!
However to each their own ! do what you want 'cuz it's your bike,.... but just remember it's also your hide and Life your playing with !!!!!!
......
hang in there... it's a long process getting a bike just the way you want it !
keep after it and before long you'll be riding your pride and joy all over !
......
Bob........

thanks for the warning bob, and i will be cautious. the bike will be mainly for show. not planning on putting to many miles on her. especially in heavy traffic.

 

[650Skull]

I learned to ride a push bike and all i knew about steering it was, it worked the more i tried and i got better at it...........there was no dissecting the mathematics and applying those principles to understand and become better........Riding a motorcycle is no different to riding a push bike, the dynamics are the same, more traction when leaning back, less traction leaning forward, (good for wheel-spins on the push bike), more and less is the same for the steering, lean forward over the bars, and the steering becomes quicker and harder to control. 2 reasons, more weight on the front end giving the Tyre better grip and body position over the bars give less control of the arms........general descriptions, and holes can be found in the analogies in some of the positions outlined

This so called "little known issue" is something we all do, or we wouldn't be riding bikes...........It is Counter-steering..................(gggGary posted a good thread on this subject some time ago), we all learn it and we don't usually Analise it. Just a thing we do without thinking............ Positioning of the body and the aesthetics of a build will make the normal action we do, something to be re-Alineed, especially with the different positions of the body, seating, bars, and feet.

Having a jockey shift makes this harder again...........not because it is unsafe as such, it's because we didn't learn on it in the first place, so we have to relearn a different technique. Kinda like trying to do something with the hand you don't normally use..........difficult at first but with a little practice it becomes second nature...........Back in the 30's, 40's, 50's, jockey shifts were the norm more than the exception, so safety is relevant to how we learn........Is it dangerous? can be because we didn't learn that way but once it becomes second nature not so much. ............ ...i would give my right hand to be ambidextrous.............

An example is if in a situation of carrying a carton of beer on the tank, (im sure a lot of us can relate to this in our youth....Doesn't have to be beer, could be a number of things), and when it slides a little you grab it with one hand, because of the weight shift of the body, having to balance some of that weight with the hand on the bars, a wobble is a likely scenario. This is likely to happen because the normal counter-steering operation is interfered with.

 

[650Skull]

Bob I'm pleased to see you think my information was worthy of a re-post, kinda makes me chuffed to know my input is a value to the site...........shame about the way i was abused when i did originally post that information. Especially when the op didn't make an issue of it and we had a good discussion around the points bought up.

 

[Bob Kelly III]

Indeed ! well, I explained why I did that Abuse as you call it. on that thread it seamed to me at the time that it was the same BS.....
but I was probably just Keyed to strike from your previous posts to me..... that happens when you jump on people you know !
was it warranted ? Probably not.... it was one of those your action justifies my action type things.... I will try in the future to not read hostility into your posts ..... for that I am TRULY sorry ..... I am not perfect and don't claim to be ...i am after all only Human !
but your post on the subject did indeed have really good information in it.... the shifting of weight when removing the hand from the handle bar to shift gears is something I am sure nobody ever thinks about but it can become a real issue !
and adding to that weight shift by pushing the foot clutch would add even more to the weight shift and more than likely changing the line of travel which will have to be corrected for.
Ages ago when Hand shift was the norm and speeds were much slower than they are today the weight shift really didn't matter all that much
but at today's speeds changing your Line of travel can be really a bad thing !
.....
Bob.....

 

[mrtwowheel]

...............

 

[jamesgs4]

ill pipe in since my bike as been foot clutch/jockey shift for many years and many miles. Never once had a speed wobble, and even in a panic stop, both my hands are on the bars. you dont need to shift right away, manuever first with the clutch depressed, then shift later. it is all muscle memory, just like a hand clutch.

 

[Bob Kelly III]

In all the Thousands of miles of bike riding I have done in my life I have never had a high speed wobble
I have had the low speed shimmy a few times when taking both hands off the bars but that is about the max of it.
I am fairly certain that if the bike goes into a high speed wobble something is drastically wrong ! and I've ridden some purty thrashed bikes in my time.... I have watched some you tube videos on high speed wobbles and they give the impression that it can happen any time
for any reason..... but My experience says otherwise..... so I dunno what to believe here .... I guess if you maintain your bike it won't happen
I really don't know ! LOL
..... thanks for your input James ! Experience is always better than theory in my book ! LOL
Bob........

 

[member3480]

Sorry not on as much but couldn't pass this up. I have built 10 xs650 with foot clutch per the customer and it does take some time to get use to. Now the no no 's ..... When you do it like the top picture you have no built in stop and what that means is you can push the pedal pass the worm stop and the lever goes loose . The only way to fix it is to take cover off and reset worm. You can learn how to not go that far but the first time your buddy gets on for test ride he pushes too far. I switched up to hydraulic slave and hydraulic pedal. Just like a brake pedal. I have used Harley master for brake on TCBrothers foot controls and you can buy different type of slaves . There are many threads on here with the slaves. I have also made them with rods off worm in inside like Fong Bros use to do. Make it safe because it does take some time to learn it. BUT!!!! its one hell of a fun ride. I think one of my bikes is on youtube with the jockey shift
If you need more info or help contact me at DADDYGCYCLES@YAHOO.COM
KEEP CHOPPIN
RICH

 

[XSLeo]

I have never ridden a foot clutch/hand shift bike. I have read that at certain times they can be tricky, especially with no front brake. Stopping and taking off is one. Even more so when on a hill.
With one foot on rear brake, one on clutch, none to put down on the ground.
There is the cool factor though, so do as you want.
Leo

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Add to all that a left twistgrip spark advance, another foot pedal for the siren, and a heavy Motorola 2-way radio with hand microphone, and you've got a busy time.

Yup, all us young'uns are pretty spoilt with all our clever, automatic stuff...

 

[Bob Kelly III]

yah the old manual spark advance did Work but only barely and under duress ! I played with a tractor like that for a bit and YOU really had to set it just right to get the beastie to start..... even then chances were it would kick back.... once running you moved it up to about half way and raised the throttle at the same time and away ya went..... they were designed to be Workhorses and they did that very well once running....
we really have gotten soft over the generations.... I am still amazed that a single large cylinder could plow fields quite well !
but My secret love is the old steam tractors ! they were a work of art and function.... I saw a modern tractor pull with one one time
and it was no contest the guy in the steam tractor said ok go ... and the dirt started flying ..... he walked over and eased the throttle open and took off the brake and started moving forward and drug the other tractor still throwing dirt, all the way to the other end,... at a walking pace
.....it was amazing to watch...all those tons of weight and low gearing could move just about anything ! it wouldn't do it FAST by any means but it did get the job done ! LOL
.....
Bob......

 

[650Skull]

Indeed ! well, I explained why I did that Abuse as you call it. on that thread it seamed to me at the time that it was the same BS.....
but I was probably just Keyed to strike from your previous posts to me..... that happens when you jump on people you know !
was it warranted ? Probably not.... it was one of those your action justifies my action type things.... I will try in the future to not read hostility into your posts ..... for that I am TRULY sorry ..... I am not perfect and don't claim to be ...i am after all only Human !
but your post on the subject did indeed have really good information in it.... the shifting of weight when removing the hand from the handle bar to shift gears is something I am sure nobody ever thinks about but it can become a real issue !
and adding to that weight shift by pushing the foot clutch would add even more to the weight shift and more than likely changing the line of travel which will have to be corrected for.
Ages ago when Hand shift was the norm and speeds were much slower than they are today the weight shift really didn't matter all that much
but at today's speeds changing your Line of travel can be really a bad thing !
.....
Bob.....

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-dance-connection/201409/the-9-rules-true-apologies

 

[Bob Kelly III]

.... OK hows this..."i am sorry for my part in this"
.....
Bob.....