I have a friend that stepped on a land mine in Viet Nam and lost his left leg just below the knee. He loves to ride and currently rides a Honda Silver Wing 600 cc with an automatic transmission. He's not content with the Honda scooter and wants to step up to a Harley.

The problem he has is shifting with the prosthetic left leg. I mentioned a suicide shift with an automatic type clutch or maybe an air shifter. Any ideas will be appreciated.

 

That's awesome that he rides. How would he feel about a customized trike with some type of shifting contraption?

 

What's the possibility of a right side foot clutch rear brake only connected to the front brake lever? Never seen it done, but someone with some fab talent could probably hook it up.

 

Maybe the new trike..although it's $30K. Tell him that there are many, many on this forum that wish we could meet him and shake his hand. I, for one, would be humbled in his company...he's my new hero. None of us can really know what his life has been like. But soldiers, like him, have guaranteed my life is pretty good! Salute!

 

He's not interested in a trike. Not yet anyhow!

 

Have him look into one of the several electric shift manufacturers.

I think Pingel is one of them.

Primo
P.S. Please thank him for his service and sacrifice to our country on our behalf.

 

Yes Pingel is one here is another http://www.freebirdcustommotorcycles...icktronic.html

He can go to the Harley no problem with the electric shift, tell him thanks for his service and to come on and join up here so we can thank him in person.

 

Thanks! This is exactly what we are looking for. I forgot to mention that he looked in to the Ridley motorcycles that have an automatic tranny. At 17 k it did not seem like the way to go. Spending that kind of money on a real motorcycle is a different story.

 

If your friend is able to do the pushing of the shift with his artificial leg, someone the other day showed a product which replaces the stock shifter with a set up that has two push pads side by side. One is to downsift and the other is to upshift. Hopefully someone here remembers this posting and can repost it.

 

My friend lost his left leg below knee and has a prosthetic. He rides a touring model and just got back from 8000 mile trip on that bike. I think he uses the heel toe shifter, so maybe your friend could just try a bike with a heel toe shifter, I mean he is already riding a bike, so it shouldn't be to unnatural.

BTW my bud also has a handicap plate on his bike and recommend your friend get same. The attitude from people when he pulls up on the bike and parks in a handicap space is funny (hard to see plate unless right behind it)... The look on there face and stammering apologies when he says he has the right and shows them the leg and how he lost it... priceless.