is this the right place???

I dont know if this is the right place or not for this question, but I will ask anyway. I am wanting to put a jockey shift? on my 81 kz650 with the clutch handle attached to it. Does anyone know of an easy way to do this, and what to make it of, and how to do it? I have ridden a couple bikes like this, and really enjoyed it. Just can't figure out how to do it on mine...Thanks

personally i wouldn't do it .it has nothing to do with wether it is right or not it has to do with the size if the shift shaft it is quite small and the splines are quite fine for the extra amount of weight you will be requiring it to carry. on a big shift shaft that is well supported like those on h-d's for example it still can cause fits

Thanks for the input, and I will definately keep that in mind. If I dont do that, what about forward controls? Or would that basically be the same scenario at a different angle? I just didn't know if this was the right place to post the question or not...Thanks again

gibson_david28 wrote:

I dont know if this is the right place or not for this question, but I will ask anyway. I am wanting to put a jockey shift? on my 81 kz650 with the clutch handle attached to it. Does anyone know of an easy way to do this, and what to make it of, and how to do it? I have ridden a couple bikes like this, and really enjoyed it. Just can't figure out how to do it on mine...Thanks

Those are usually called suicide shifters.... guess why. I would never do it either.

You couldn't hang that much weight onto the shifter shaft without some kind of external mechanical hardware to support all the stuff.

Actually yes they are (called) suicide shifters, but in all actuallity, there never was a suicide shift. It was a suicide clutch that went with the jockey or tank shift. Was called this due to the way you had to keep your foot pressed in on the clutch at a stop. So if you lost balance to the left with only your right foot down, you would have to move your left foot off the clutch to the ground, while rolling into crossing traffic. But anyway, as far as I can see, it is not gonna happen on this bike. Maybe the next. Thanks for the help.

gibson_david28 wrote:

I dont know if this is the right place or not for this question, but I will ask anyway. I am wanting to put a jockey shift? on my 81 kz650 with the clutch handle attached to it. Does anyone know of an easy way to do this, and what to make it of, and how to do it? I have ridden a couple bikes like this, and really enjoyed it. Just can't figure out how to do it on mine...Thanks

Ah heck man, throw caution to the wind.
Your bike's clutch cable goes inside the left trans cover. There is no good way to get a shift rod in there but if you really want to you can make up a short cable to a foot shifter. Like timebomb says, not recommended. You know the story, HD got away from these because……

There was a company making forward controls for these bikes back in the day that looked and worked pretty good. They bolted to the engine mounting bolts up front.

I built some forward controls out of a pipe with brackets welded on that bolted up the same way. Shifter linkage was easy, brake linkage had to go through a pivot to reverse direction and pull the rear the rear drum brake.

I honestly am just brainstorming to see what kind of different setups I can do right now. I don't want to do the same thing everyone else is doing.. Gotta be different you know. If we all did the same stuff, then we might as well all be riding the Harley knockoffs that are all over the road.

I remember one guy put a shifter just as you described. He posted lots of pictures of the bike but too many members gave him a hard time because he was different, so he doesn't post any more. Look in the Projects forum for any chop or bobber threads. You can do it but it goes against the grain around here so don't expect any support. I'll cheer you on though. I built a chopper in the 70's with my Dad. Harley pan, suicide clutch, and a WWI bayonet welded to the tranny as a jockey shift. What a ride!

Well then I guess I am going to come up on alot of grief around here. I am anything but normal when it comes to anything I can try and mod. I don't mind though. I kinda like it. As far as the other guy, he shoulda just kept right on posting!!! If nothing else there had to be a couple of people who supported him. And if not..o well it wasn't there bike. Anyway I could keep going on like this all day. Thanks for the support, and info...

i myself don't have anything against custom stuff everything i own except one bike is custom or will played with in one way or another. it's just a matter of how good your fabrication skills are not wether anybody else likes it in fact i rode a ridgid framed xs650 chopper for years way before the big chopper craze hit. the only reason i don't still have it is because i found the love of going fast. and it was getting in the way i changed that bike every year i owned it.there are a few purist types on this site for sure it takes all kinds there are also a few guy's like me that don't care what a bike looks like as long as it's safe and does what we want it to do.

Thats what I like to hear, many different types of people all putting in there 2 cents. My fab skills, I don't know about yet, but will find out about soon enough. I myself don't care if anyone likes my bike when I am done. So long as I like it. All I ask is for a little respect for doing what I like, not what everyone else does...If that made any sense at all. Anyway, I like all the input, and don't care if you like choppers, bobbers, or complete original bikes. Any and all info, input, and help is greatly appreciated. There are alot more people on here who have built more than one bike, so knowledge is what I am seeking more than approval. Thanks again to everyone.

there are certain rules that you need to remeber you will never get an engine to carburate cleanly with sawed off shorty drag pipes they need some type of restriction to work properly also use as good quality air filters as you can get i've been hearing good things about the ape ones.and don't do anything that might be unsafe just because it looks cool think things thru before testing the idea. also don't cheap out on tires or brakes.they are all that is keeping your ass from flying down the road also ask questions, it might take awhile but you will eventually get the help you need oh and one other thing buy a decent manual and learn how to read it.that is enough for now from me. enjoy and have fun with these great fun and forgiving bikes.