Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes Q about '60's bikes.

Okay this may sound like a dumb question, but is anyone familiar with '60's Husquavarnas or BMW's? I'm curious how the basic controls were laid out - brakes, clutch, shifter.

The reason I'm asking is I read about an older bike that had a left foot clutch with a shifter on the tank (suicide shifter?)..made me start wondering how some other bikes were configured.

My dad rode a Husky and a Brotchen Mit Wurst in the '60's, and his left leg was artificial. Didn't seem to stop him from racing cars since he perfected the art of clutchless shifting - hard to do in the pre-synchromesh days!
Can't help but wonder how he managed the bike...maybe those brands didn't have any left foot controls, or maybe he just did the same clutchless shifting thing?
He was a fan of both Brando and McQueen...not sure why he didn't get a Triumph unless it was too hard for him to ride. Though McQueen did ride Huskys too.

Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts?

because in that year or years alot of bike maker's... the brake was on the left and the shifter was on the right...

in 1975 the epa i belive made all bike maker's do everything the same with the brake on the right and the shifter on the left

but if wrong i sure some will say so




Ed

That is correct, either 75 or 76 can't remember for sure. Any bike imported into the US had to be configured that way.

HD and Indian in the 50s had the left foot clutch and tank shift. I had an Allstate from the 40s at one time that had a cable operated shift.You pulled the clutch lever in and twisted the grip to shift. I have a 64 BMW and it has the std arrangement like today.

I have been thinking of making a foot clutch and jockey shift for my Speedmaster,the foot clutch would be an easy mod since the clutch cable runs right there.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminstration not the EPA, put forth the changes starting in 1972 and ammended on a regular basis: Regulation 571.123 Standard No. 123 ; Motorcycle controls and displays.

as a kid when "gettin a ride" on a friends bike...you always checked them out first...i.e. where was the clutch and shifter and what was the shift pattern....today, it is so easy !

Most European bikes had foot shift and hand clutch setups starting in the late 30's. US made bikes had foot clutches and hand shifts until the K model and small 2 stroke import HD's in the late 40's - early 50's. Some Euro bikes, like the shaft drive Sunbeams had foot clutches. The sunbeam even had a car style H pattern shift on some bikes. Triumph was one of the pioneers of foot shifters in the early 30's.

Appreciate the input...so dad may have been able to shift but not brake. Well he wasn't so big on slowing down anyway :P

I have a habit of shifting cars without clutching - pretty easy when you're used to it - but I imagine it would be an interesting challenge to ride with a wooden leg, whichever side the controls were on. But again, that was him, not letting petty details like a missing leg stop him from doing anything.
Wish he was still around to ask stuff like this...

I have seen bikes that have started out as foot shift or clutch converted to both clutch and shifting done by hand. They used either a modified tank shift or long jockey shift with a hand clutch attached to the shifter.

Then, there was the trick my uncle used. He really wanted to go to a dance over in the next town, but decided the road was too icy to drive his car. So, he fired up his '28 Harley, planted both feet firmly on the ground and used a stick to flop the clutch rocker over. He then power skated all the way to the dancehall. I guess people were tough back then.

It's a matter of necessity, when I was a kid I rode my scoot year round and in all weather since I couldn't afford the ins. on a car.Went sliding into more than 1 snow bank!