| Author | Message | ||
     M2l_ben |
I have a 2001 M2 Cyclone Low and I was considering making a suicide shifter for the bike. I don't know a whole lot about suicide shifters but my idea was to keep the clutch on the left handle bar and run the suicide shifter to the right side of the bike so I can release the throttle and shift. My intention is to attach the suicide shifter to my aftermarket billet aluminum shifters so that either the foot shifters or the suicide shifter can be used. More than anything I just want the Old School look. I have access to a mill and lathe so building the setup is not a problem. I just wanted to know if anyone with experience has any suggestions or doesn't think that it will work at all. | ||
| Tom_b |
suicide shifters are a P.I.A..Hence the term. I wouldn't do it after having rode a few equipped as such. | ||
| Fasted |
go to a sportster forum for info if you strike out here | ||
| 4dwuds |
OK, a little education first. It's "Suicide clutch and Jockey shift". Suicide clutch was a clutch pedal that had the spring removed and the friction plates loosened or removed, if you were at a light with it in gear and had to put down your left foot quickly to regain balance, the clutch pedal would engage and you would be sent out into traffic, Hence "Suicide" Jockey shift was the removal of the tank shift and relocate the lever to the top of the tranny. Class dismissed. If you want a Jockey shift buy my 1946 WL, don't ruin your Cyclone. | ||
| Limitedx1 |
how the heck would you shift while banking around a bend????? leave the suicides to the mutants | ||
| Mudshuvel319 |
My dad has a 1947 Knucklehead that he built and has owned for 35 years. He loves it and still rides it, but the suicide shift, kick start and complete lack of rear suspension does not make for very enjoyable long rides and it is anything but a performance bike. The suicide shift may look cool on an older bike, but it would completely kill the performance aspect of your Buell. You won't be able to shift while in a turn, your acceleration will suffer because of the additional time required to shift, and you would have a lot of difficulty matching engine speeds when down shifting by blipping the throttle. Like 4dwubs said, this kind of mod really isn't for a performance bike like the Buell. If you kept the foot shifter in tact, I suppose you wouldn't sacrifice as much of the performance, but this mod would be much more at home on an old Harley Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead, et al. | ||
| 4dwuds |
Not to mention how awkward it would be with the shift handle on the right (throttle)side. You would be in for a wild and jerky ride as engine rpm drops as you change gears and let out the clutch all at once. Sell the Buell and buy my Flathead. One week riding that and you will wonder "What the hell was I thinking" when I wanted to do this to my Buell.  | ||
| Buellistic |
On the OLD REAL "INDIAN's" when the shift(GROCERY STORE) was on the right side the throttle was on the left !!! | ||
| 4dwuds |
Yep, had a 48 Chief with a sidecar setup with the gas on the left, tank shift on the right. What a learning curve that was. Glad I didn't hit any other curves before I figured it out.  | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
This thread is either an April Fools joke, four days late, or a serious case of misplaced aspiration. If it a spoof, it is a really good one. If it is real, oh...., never mind. | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
If you have the ability to make machined parts and want an "old school" chop, it might be best to sell your Buell and buy an old Harley Davidson Panhead. I had a 1948 for a while when I was in high school and, although it was slow and handled poorly, had lousy brakes, used oil, and had other problems, it was cool. Start with a 1948 Panhead, the last year of the springer fork, and it came with a rigid frame that had the right look. That would be the real deal and it would not be "out of period" to install the "suicide" clutch and shift directly on the transmission with a "jockey shift". | ||
| Akbuell |
Actually, there is a guy here in town with a 'jockey style' shift on his Yamaha IL4 sport bike. A 600, I believe. A 4-wheeler accident left him w/limited mobility on his left side. Rides a lot, and well, too. Still clutches with the left hand, reaches across the tank and shifts with the right. | ||
| Big_koch |
Check out my 2000 M2 in my profile. It's not all that hard to do. Not better either (whatever that word means...?) Just different. Maybe even ridiculous. But on a Cyclone, it's never really going to look "old school" if that's your only intention. PM me if you're serious and I'll help you out. | ||
| Fasted |
a bike with personality!!!!! got more pics we could see?????? | ||
| Big_koch |
Personality is one thing she's definitely not lacking. Anything in particular you want to see? The link to my build thread is posted in my profile... ChopperWeb.net. Might have to register to view everything. | ||
| Fasted |
i want to see it ready to roll thanks for the link....i'll check it out |
