I freely admit...I USE MY HEEL SHIFTER!!!

[consitter]

Just like the title says, I use my heel shifter, cause I figure that's what it's there for. From what I read around the forum, using it is considered a bad thing. It's much easier for me, especially when I'm wearing my Birks. Hard to shift a toe shifter with your actual toe.

Help me understand people--why the hate for the heel shifter??

 

[RcSuD]

I freely admit that I took mine off and threw it in the garbage 3 days after I bought my trike. Why? I don't know. I just hate it.

 

[Catfish]

Routine dies hard and old habits are difficult to break. Newer ways of doing things are often avoided out of stubbornness, especially as you get older. Took me awhile to accustomed myself, but I like shinny toes on my boots - besides I have small feet. :Shrug:

 

[consitter]

Routine dies hard and old habits are difficult to break. Newer ways of doing things are often avoided out of stubbornness, especially as you get older. Took me awhile to accustomed myself, but I like shinny toes on my boots - besides I have small feet. :Shrug:

You know what they say: small feet...









.......











.....






......












...small SHOES.

 

[Catfish]

Yes, small shoes.

 

[oldprowler]

I am another that likes the heel shifter. It did take a while to get used to using it BUT now it is second nature and to me at least quicker than upshifting with the toe -- not to mention wear and tear on the boot.

 

[Keystone]

I use mine too. Have been do so since 2007. I resisted at first as muscle memory is a hard habit to break. But one I got used to shifting that way it quickly became "natural".

 

[J.T.M.]

I use the heel shifter to shift into neutral. It just seems easier to find neutral with the heel shifter.

 

[TGCarol]

I use the heel shifter to shift into neutral. It just seems easier to find neutral with the heel shifter.

+1 ThumbUp. Finding neutral is so much easier for me with the heel shifter.

It it took me a while to get used to using it but now I like it.

 

[dbruce56]

I use both ways on mine. Toe to upshift and heel to downshift.

 

[David357]

I use mine too. Have been do so since 2007. I resisted at first as muscle memory is a hard habit to break. But one I got used to shifting that way it quickly became "natural".

:Agree:

I have been using a heel-toe shifter since 2003. Shifting has become so natural this way that when I use a standard toe shifter, the shifting feels very unnatural.

As TGCarol and others have indicated in their posts, finding neutral is so much easier.ThumbUp

 

[TwoBye]

I guess I've been using the heel portion of the heel-toe shifter so long I probably wouldn't be able to shift with just my toe anymore. To me it just makes sense and it is much easier for me. Guess thats why they made it in the first place huh.

 

[ol' school]

Definitely use mine. They do take a bit to get used to if you have rode for any length of time toe shifting but quickly become 2nd nature.

 

[Sully]

I use the Heel shifter more than the Toe. :laugh:

 

[KWSchin]

Hello, My Name is Shin, and I'm a Heel Shift-aholic

Just like the title says, I use my heel shifter, cause I figure that's what it's there for. From what I read around the forum, using it is considered a bad thing. It's much easier for me, especially when I'm wearing my Birks. Hard to shift a toe shifter with your actual toe.

Help me understand people--why the hate for the heel shifter??

First used a heel shifter on my 2002 V-Star 1100 (May it rest in peace), then on my 2003 Nomad, and now on my 2009 Voyager. It came naturally, and I use it ALL the time. My only complaint, it limits my being able to hang my heel off the back of the floorboard.

JMHO

 

[ol' school]

I use the Heel shifter more than the Toe. :laugh:

View attachment 35998

LOL... There are things wrong with you Sully!!! :laugh:

 

[Ed Hobgood]

When I had my Goldwing I used it all the time and loved it. The heel shifter seemed natural to me and just made shifting easier.

 

[Ozarkryder]

Never has a problem with either one - Heel/Toe shiftier on the 1990 FLHS from the factory, so using that ever since. ThumbUp
Our past trike, a 1995 GL1500 Motortrike, had floorboards and heel/toe, but the ergonomics were such that I couldn't put my feet flat on the boards so I went with normal pegs and a toe shift. Also, word at the time was that the 1500 shift mechanism wouldn't stand up to the pressures of a heel shift and would wear/break unless one was very careful with the heel shift. :Shrug:
Our present GL1800 Champion has different ergonomics. The boards, the heel/toe shift and the riding position works for me on this rig. :Coffee:
The 2013 Bonneville is toe only, no problems.
Once in a while I have a slight problem with Gloria's new-to-us Roadhawk. Comes time to shift and i can't find the shift lever. Or the clutch, for that matter. I haven't ridden it enough for the body to automatically remember where the controls are, especially since it doesn't have a shift peg or clutch lever as it is an automatic.

 

[Peter A.]

Heel/toe

Guess us 'ole folk' get in the habit and its pretty hard to break - been using them since I started riding in 1970 and ALL THEM HARLEY's had the same set-up......seems natural now.....

 

[Phu Cat]

I started using the heel shifter with our 91 Electra Glide and never looked back. Love it. Somebody mentioned using it to make finding neutral easier. When in first gear with the clutch in, put a little pressure on the heel shifter and blip the throttle a little and neutral should pop right up for you. At least it does for me.

PC

 

[Ozarkryder]

I started using the heel shifter with our 91 Electra Glide and never looked back. Love it. Somebody mentioned using it to make finding neutral easier. When in first gear with the clutch in, put a little pressure on the heel shifter and blip the throttle a little and neutral should pop right up for you. At least it does for me.
PC

Yup - been doing that since I got the '90 FLHS. Did the same before that with toe only shifters. A little upward pressure with the toe on the shifter peg, blip, and there is neutral.
When shifting motorcycle transmissions in general I tend to pre-load the shifter, both heal/toe and toe only. A very slight pressure on the peg, then pull the clutch. Slips right into the next gear even on the HD. Still cluncks on the Glide, it is a Harley after all, but it seems with a little pre-load everything lines up and meshes better.

 

[roadking2]

If you are reading that it's a bad thing to use the heel/toe shifter, then I've been a very bad boy for a very long time because I use it all the time. Well, since 2000 anyway. That's the first time I bought a bike that had one and I've still got the bike and and I still use it. Oh, and I like it too.

 

[Ozarkryder]

If you are reading that it's a bad thing to use the heel/toe shifter, then I've been a very bad boy for a very long time because I use it all the time. Well, since 2000 anyway. That's the first time I bought a bike that had one and I've still got the bike and and I still use it. Oh, and I like it too.

To quote myself:
Also, word at the time was that the 1500 shift mechanism wouldn't stand up to the pressures of a heel shift and would wear/break unless one was very careful with the heel shift.
The shifting warning was for the Honda Goldwing GL1500. If I remember correctly, something about the way the shifter shaft moves around its axis and the shaft itself moves up and down. Great debate on the boards at the time. No problem with machines designed to be heel/toe shifters. HD has had that design almost since time immemorial.

 

[Cecdoo]

Use the heal/toe shifter all the time on the Venture, took alittle getting use to in the beginning. When I ride the Madura with the toe shifter it feels strange now, even tho I have been riding that bike for 31 yrs.

Craig

 

[graygoat]

Guess I am one of the odd guys on this one, I don't care for the heel shift. First one I had was on an 06 VTX 1300. Tried hard to use it, but wound up using toe only for much of the 40,000 miles I put on that bike. My 13 Switchback had toe only & I didn't miss the heel one bit. I have 2000 miles on the Tri and again have tried to use it regularly. I don't know if I don't have enough flexibility in my ankle or what, but I can upshift much quicker with my toe than I can raising up my heel to press down on the shifter each time. I will probably remove the heel and move the toe out when my DK floorboard extensions get put on. Time will tell on that.

 

[Phu Cat]

Graygoat, Is there any room on your rear shifter to adjust it down one notch and still be able to shift? Would that make it better for you? Anyway, it's your bike, ride it the way YOU like it!

PC

 

[pcombe]

I use mine just because it gets my nut to do so?

I would be lost without it, I had a hard time learning not to kick start back when I had a choice, Thought I would break my thumb one day!:xzqxz:

 

[Catfish]

Graygoat, Is there any room on your rear shifter to adjust it down one notch and still be able to shift? Would that make it better for you? Anyway, it's your bike, ride it the way YOU like it!

PC

That is what I did and it made a big difference. I set heal and toe as low as possible.

 

[graygoat]

Graygoat, Is there any room on your rear shifter to adjust it down one notch and still be able to shift? Would that make it better for you? Anyway, it's your bike, ride it the way YOU like it!

PC

I have the toe set down to just clear my boot and the heel down as low as possible (next notch down and it will not go into gear). This was the first thing I did when I got the Tri, dealer had them both set too high for me.
I do agree that the heel helps to find neutral, though. I did not know about the preload & blip to find "N", so will be trying that out.

 

[kybigmac]

I thought everyone used em, best thing since sliced bread!ThumbUp