Mar 2 2009
XS650 BOBBER; MOTORCYCLE WAREHOUSE AT IT AGAIN
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Describe Your XS650: Year: 1978 EVERYTHING FROM THE CUSTOM MADE FRAME TO THE PAINT WAS DONE IN HOUSE AT OUR SHOP. THIS IS JUST A TRADITIONAL YAMAHA XS650 BOBBER THAT WE BUILD. SIMPLE, LIGHT, AND JUST PLAIN FUN. AND YES, IT IS SUICIDE SHIFT. WANT ONE, CALL WITH YOUR IDEAS, I\’LL MAKE IT A REALITY
Check out these sick bikes:
- xs650 cafe racer “The Hornet”
- The Fong-bros-cream XS650 chopper
- Check out some xs650 bobbers.
There are a number of companies building parts for the xs650 crowd. Here’s a list of companies selling XS650 hardtail’s:
It’s a jockey shift, not suicide. This is far from being a suicide shift.
jockey is behind the seat, suicide is along the tank. better learn your facts before you try to sound smart.
Suicide has nothing to do with there the jockey shifter is. It has everything to do with a jockey in conjunction with a non-rocker style FOOT clutch. They called it a suicide shifter because back in the frisco days where this shifter really started, guys coming down a hill couldnt get the bike into neutral and stop if there was a light/stop sign at the bottom of the hill. It was sucide, and a lot guys died back in those days. But you had a lot of class for running with it.
Get your shit right poser!
Nice jockeycide clutch … or is that a suikey?
(Altho for the life of me, can’t imagine why anyone would want to go that route. I said that to myself constantly when I had one. Definitely has a serious kewl factor.)
I see you also went to the dark side on the rear tire. Really goes well with the fender treatment. Size?
I’ve never understood the draw of the jockey/suicide shift. (BTW, I’ve always understood a suicide shift to be a jockey stick with a foot clutch.) The jockey shift trades the very practical hand clutch/foot shift combination for looking cool. (I’m not cool enough to say “kewl”.)
I’ve never thought it was particularly cool looking to watch some dude trying to keep his eyes on the road and fumble for the shifter, anyway.
I actually had a jockey shift way back in the day. It was on the bike when I got it. It wasn’t that bad. Actually very similar to the one on this bike. But you can’t tell me it’s as convenient as the standard shift setup, so why bother?
About the bike: You can definitely tell the frame is a custom piece. It’s so clean. The stance is great. The mags look good on it, and that’s not something I think very often.
The tank fit could be better. It breaks up the flow of the bike a little. And I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of the sportster tank anyway. And everybody uses them. Of course, I like the Hap Jones/ Wassell style peanut tanks and you see a lot of those too.
My favorite thing about the bike; the pipes. A really simple design with just enough style to make them stand out.
For all of my seeming criticism, this bike is beautiful.
i was wanting to know were u got ur engine from? i was wanting to oder one for my boober as well.
Great bike!
The suicide shifter is a nice addition, and I was wondering if you had purchased a conversion kit, or had fabricated your own bar and just installed a regular clutch handle and cable?
The reason i was asking is that I own an in-line 4 engine, and was looking to convert, but haven’t found any shifter/clutches as clean as yours, and I have been searching for a while.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and thanks for your time!
The jockey shifter is a gear shifting device used on motorcycles before the use of a foot-operated shift lever. A jockey shifter also known as a slap shifter gets its name from the location of the motorcycle rider’s hand when shifting gears, it is under his seat like the position of a jockey’s hand while using his riding crop on his horse.
The suicide clutch is sometimes referred to as a suicide shifter, which is a common mistake. The suicide clutch is a foot-operated clutch that is mounted on the left side of the motorcycle’s forward foot controls. The suicide clutch moniker has derived from difficulties in operating this form of clutch and shifter. On a motorcycle equipped with a conventional hand clutch and foot shifter, the rider places the left foot on the ground when stopped and holds the motorcycle in place with pressure on the rear brake pedal with the right foot, while engaging the clutch with the left hand. On a motorcycle equipped with a suicide clutch, the clutch is held in with the left foot, requiring the right foot to hold the bike in place, with the right hand applying pressure to the front brake.
Suicide shifter is a nick-name for a hand-shifter mounted onto a motorcycle. The name is commonly thought to be derived from the fact that to operate one, a rider must perform the risky maneuver of removing one hand from the handlebars while shifting. In truth, the reason that it is called a “Suicide” shift is because if one were to accidentally lift his/her foot off of the clutch (which is actuated by a foot pedal) to prevent the motorcycle from falling over while stopped, the motorcycle could move forward rapidly and send the rider into traffic. It was quite common for older motorcycles to be run without front brakes as well which makes the situation even more dangerous if one’s clutch foot should slip off while at a stop.
Nicely put KingFisher.
i bought this bike, atleast i think its the same one. its got a slightly different paint scheme and the jockey shifter was done away with for a standard set up. it also had ape hangers but i opted for some superbike style bars instead. i’ll have to post up some pics of it. ill be back.
HAND SLAM(er)
FOOT JAM(er but looks like this one has a hand clutch
I love your bike, one of the best I have seen where it’s straight and clean. My question to you is, what type of tank are you using. Thanks
What this bike has is neither a Suicide Clutch or a Jockey Shifter. A suicide clutch is a foot clutch without a Detent, meaning it cant be released unless the bike is in motion. Riders had to keep their foot on the clutch at all times when stopped, therefor if they lost balance and had to put their foot down the bike would lurch toward cross trafic. And yes it started in San Fran so on those hills that truly was suicide.
While the side clutch/shifter combo is sometimes refered to as a jockey shifter a true jockey shifter is a shifter lever that is back and beneath the riders seat, much like the position a horse jockey would ride in holding the switch to whip the horse on the race track. Jockey shifters also work in confunction with a foot clutch however foot clutch does not absolutely mean suicide clutch.
where are the battery and electronics?
Awesome pipes. One of a kind or sold through somewhere?