VL Hand Clutch

[wyatt emp]

Is there a kit or any way to convert my 30 VL to a hand clutch?

[Sargehere]

Intriguing. How d'you propose to shift it?
All '36-37 Big Twins (the new Big Twins: E's and U's) have provision for a hand clutch in the form of a second notch on the end of the long clutch arm that crosses the trans. Adapt that to the top of the VL Primary cover.

The 1936 & 37-only second notch on the end of the clutch arm lines up to a proposed cable end-stay-adjuster that would be screwed on top of the primary cover. Just an L-shaped plate. Or imagine the front brake cable end on the front backing plate. I never heard of anything coming of it, or saw an adapted bike. But the military was allegedly interested in hand-clutch arrangements and maybe police, as a further control beyond the stock left foot clutch. Would seem to be particularly useful for climbing uphill out of a hole, perhaps.

Would seem to promise to allow the rider to take his foot off the left-side clutch pedal and the clutch still be controlled from the right (left?) handlebar. Maybe the reason nothing came of it in 1936 is explained in the new Palmer's How-to-Re-Your-Harley bible. Maybe it was one of those ideas that seemed better in the drawing room than it ended up working in practice?

Another solution might be to adapt a 1952 & later Mousetrap clutch booster, the whole thing. Have to be adapted to the single down-tube VL frame. Then, with two hands on the handlebar, how do you plan to shift it? Interesting engineering problem. Thanx for bringing it up, wyatt.

[Steve Slocombe]

The 1930 brochure actually says a hand clutch is optional at extra cost but I have never seen it on a VL. This brochure is based on the all new fibre plate clutch with six springs, later changed as part of the recall of the first 2000 bikes to the steel plate clutch with nine springs. Later on, Harley said the engine was so powerful it required a foot clutch. If you check out the 1930-40 parts book you can see the parts for the small twin hand clutch, which must be similar. It uses a right hand handlebar lever (I guess an upside down hand brake lever might do) and a cable and sleeve. I'm guessing it would be real hard to operate with the regular VL clutch.