Has this happened to you?

[Skid]

Well today was one of them lucky days for me. How many has started out on a long trip and had problems shifting? Then you look down to see the shifter bolt is laying on the floor board beside your foot. I was able to pull over and stop without losing the bolt. Lucky me! After a couple minutes I had it tightened back up and was on my way. Tomorrow I'm buying some blue loctite / thread locker.

[mm482]

I checked mine one day and it was almost out. The next time I went for a ride it would have been gone by by.

[slowrollwv]

Skid if you do loose that bolt the extra bolts in the side covers are the same for the shifter. Don't ask how I know.

[Skid]

Skid if you do loose that bolt the extra bolts in the side covers are the same for the shifter. Don't ask how I know.

 

Good to know. Never would have thought of that. I may just buy an extra and keep in the saddlebag for an emergency. Maybe save someone else someday.

[SilvrT]

Just hook up one of those "old-style Harley or Indian" shifters .. what did they call 'em? .. suicide shifter? You'd sure notice it if it started to fall off LOL

 

here's one on a Honda...

 

[uncledj]

Yup. Last year...

Lisa asked "What was that noise?".....a few minutes later we figured that the noise was the bolt that'd come out bouncing off the bike before it was lost to the ages.

Had to use the sidecover bolt as someone had mentioned.

I think I now carry a spare.....(I'll have to check)

[Scifiman]

I think I know what I am going to check out on the Venture today.

[Backinthesaddle]

Yep. Had a heck of a time down shifting amnd then into neutral. I thought my clutch was going out. Pulled over and saw that bolt hanging on by a thread, literally. I check it regularly now. Good to know about the side cover bolt.

paul

[WildBill1]

Just hook up one of those "old-style Harley or Indian" shifters .. what did they call 'em? .. suicide shifter? You'd sure notice it if it started to fall off LOL

 

here's one on a Honda...

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=109181

 

Looks like a wanta be Old School Harley. Yea, even Ventures viberate enough for Blue Loctite .

[leroy]

Just hook up one of those "old-style Harley or Indian" shifters .. what did they call 'em? .. suicide shifter? You'd sure notice it if it started to fall off LOL

 

here's one on a Honda...

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=109181

 

The one I am familiar with didn't look like that. It was a floor board mounted rocker type on the left side.

 

Yep, that happened to me on my uncle's HD. I found out about suicide clutches. I was 16 or 17 (1965 or 66) visiting my Aunt and Uncle. My uncle let me use his 1947 HD 74. I felt like a big shot riding all over SW Ohio. One day I stopped at a stop sign, rocked the clutch, but when I let off of it (it was suppose to stay down until you rocked it back up) to put my foot down I continued into the intersection of a state highway. Fortunately no one was coming. So I had to put the tank mounted shifter in neutral at any stop sign I actually stopped at if I wanted both feet on the ground. Taught me young how to deal with an unexpected situation.

 

He fixed it the next day so my fun continued.

Edited May 16, 2017 by leroy

[Gary N.]

Yup, and I was riding with about six other guys on HDs. Took a little ribbing about the parts falling off, yada, yada. But they were impressed with how fast I had it fixed using a side cover bolt. It took longer to find my Allen wrenches.