Heel/Toe or standard toe shifter?

[Brazbit]

I saw the conversation in another thread about floorboards vs pegs, a related topic is standard toe shifter or heel/toe. My father swears by heel/toe shifters, I can't stand the things myself and the first thing I did was rip them off the bike when he passed it down to me.

Back when I was riding it was about a 50/50 split. Being that I hung out with people that rode touring bikes and this is a comfort option I suspect the percentage was higher than the general population.

[MNeedham73]

It took me a little to get used to, but I like the heel/toe shifter. Just seems more intuitive to me now.

Dad doesn't like it on his. He just uses the toe shifter. He's old school though ;)

[Biker]

I prefer heel/toe, but have ridden toe as well as jockey shift with a suicide clutch.

[Kluge]

I have a heel and toe shifter now with what I think are aftermarket floorboards. My toe doesnt fit under the toe end too well but IIRC it didn't fit well under the standard shifter on the 250, either.
I like it. I'm not getting the wear mark on the top right side of my left shoe, for one thing.
I don't think the heel and toe would be good without the floorboards because it would have to support my weight then, and be a moving part at the same time.

BTW, my floorboards scrape the ground sooner than the footpegs did on my 250, and they can't flip up as high as the footpegs before getting solid. The scare-story about losing control of a cruiser while leaning over in a turn is definitely in play when I ride it. The bike's weight can sit on metal at lean angles that I would otherwise have ridden on my 250.

[cmhbob]

You left out the "I don't care" option. I've ridden Harleys, BMWs, and Goldwings. I don't know that I really have a preference.

[ethics]

Toe Shifter is fine. Heel/Toe would be equally fine. Shift by hand is the same as car so again, would be ok with that as well.

[Biker]

:rofl: Shift by hand is NOT the same as a car. There's a reason why the clutch with a jockey shift is called a suicide clutch.

[Coot]

:rofl: Shift by hand is NOT the same as a car. There's a reason why the clutch with a jockey shift is called a suicide clutch.

Suicide clutch isn't exactly what old Harley's came with. The name sticks, but the term isn't aptly applied. I had a '49 panhead, years ago with a "suicide clutch", but it wasn't really. Those old clutches would stay where you left them when you lifted your foot off of the pedal. You were the clutch return spring.

That term was originally derived for a much earlier Indian, I forget which year, but that foot clutch had a real return spring. You couldn't push that clutch all the way in and then get off the bike.

[Biker]

Seeing a lot of customs now with that setup, and the clutch is spring driven on the pedal. Folks are crazy to do it like that these days, but it does lend some interesting characteristics to riding the damned things! :haha:

[Coot]

Well it is certainly de-evolutionary. Anything that would require you to take a hand off the handlebars wouldn't be listed as forward thinking. I remember when I was riding that old beast, you have to think all the way through a curve and think about how and when you would shift. Not a riding style I would recommend.

[Biker]

No kidding.. Most of the ones I've seen lately are "bar hoppers". They look nice, but they're pretty much good for just going from bar to bar. Wouldn't want to take a long trip on 'em.