gear shifter for clutch lever

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Jonda500

Member
May 10, 2014
86
8
8
Canberra, Australia
I have just had a failed experiment with using a twist grip gear shifter as a clutch release. After success using thumb shifters I thought I'd try a L.H. twist grip to match the R.H. twist grip shifter I used as the throttle. I hacksawed of all the ratchet teeth except the last one and refitted the little spring. It worked and I could choose to pull it in till it clicked and stayed pulled in or just up the stop but not clicked in, but it was rather too hard to pull the clutch in and the was no way to limit the travel of the grip so if I let the clutch all the way out and then continued turning the grip further the cable end was prone to fall out of the clutch arm(should have left the first ratchet tooth uncut too!).
So I have gone back to my favourite which is an old right side friction thumb shifter mounted on the left. This gives greater control than a L.H. shifter as I use my thumb pushing away from me when easing out the clutch to take off. I have the friction screw just tight enough to hold the clutch in when I yank the gear lever toward me for neutral.
I have cut the gear shifter part off the original shimano left brake lever and plan to remove the brake splitter/dual brake cable that I fitted and go back to independant front and rear brakes for greater safety.
I considered the neat option of using the original 3 speed trigger shifter as a clutch release so that it would match the R.H. 7 speed trigger shifter, but I don't like the way it releases- way too sudden for clutch take offs!(I use shift kits on all my bikes by the way)
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
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Moosylvania
Really interesting, Jonda.

Never liked the second handle thing on the left with standard set-ups.
 

MadMaxed

New Member
Feb 15, 2015
117
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Florida
Sorry to bump an old thread would u happen to have pictures of that. The case on my old clutch lever shattered and im looking for an alternative. I have plenty of thumb shifters at my disposal.
 

Jonda500

Member
May 10, 2014
86
8
8
Canberra, Australia
This bike has left side mounted twist grip rear derailleur gear shifting with the original left side front derailleur friction shifter hooked up to the clutch release arm (I removed and discarded the front derailleur when I fitted the shift kit).



In the picture the clutch is pulled in, to engage the clutch I pull the lever back toward me. This setup is better than using a left side mounted rear derailleur friction shifter as a clutch in situations where you need to suddenly hastily pull in the clutch whilst braking.
 
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Jonda500

Member
May 10, 2014
86
8
8
Canberra, Australia
I think thumb shifters are a viable option - I just pop in the clutch ahead of time when I can see I might have to stop (like when approaching a give way sign). I plan to eventually buy for all my bikes -that I haven't already- a dual brake lever and matching clutch lever to make them safe for anyone to ride and easier for me to remember how to pull the clutch in as I ride motorcycles too.
 

bluegoatwoods

Active Member
Jul 29, 2012
1,581
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Central Illinois
I also once used a right hand twist shifter as a throttle. I thought it worked well except that I couldn't get full throttle out of it. The shifter didn't have enough travel.

Did you find a way around that?
 

Jonda500

Member
May 10, 2014
86
8
8
Canberra, Australia
I also once used a right hand twist shifter as a throttle. I thought it worked well except that I couldn't get full throttle out of it. The shifter didn't have enough travel.

Did you find a way around that?
The falcon shifter (with the detent spring removed) that I used already had enough travel - I just found some single stand copper wire and crimped a little bit around the gear cable with pliers and then soldered it on. (Then had to cut a plastic cable end ferrule in halve lenghwise and feed the two halves in to the top of the carby as I forgot to put it on before I soldered the end!)