45 4 speed tramsmission kit??????

[chas]

Heard that 'someone in Poland is rumored to be making a '45 4-speed transmission fitting in the stock case'. Anyone else heard this??

[Paps]

I forget the jist of it but if I can recall correctly, you had to send the gearbox to them. They then gutted it and retro fitted the components into it. I find no use for the extra gear myself. High is still high. Low is still low. As far as I can tell, you get basically a mid range between second and high. Paps

[dal aymond]

Heard that 'someone in Poland is rumored to be making a '45 4-speed transmission fitting in the stock case'. Anyone else heard this??

Cech Rep. It's real and it works.

[Sargehere]

Forty Five divided by Four

They would probably be better off making a foot-shifter for the 45, which never had one. THAT would sell like hotcakes, I predict. For a relatively cheap and easy 4-speed for 45s, albeit right foot operation, Victory Library has published the step-by-step of installing a Limey "pre-unit" gearbox behind the Sidevalve 45 engine. Just my two cents.

[Chris Haynes]

B&H made 45" foots hifter conversions. They are not impossible to find. Perhaps a B&H Big Twin shifter would work on a 45" converted to a four speed???

[George Greer]

I happen to have one of these 4 speed transmissions mounted in my project bike.

I also have a footshift mounted on the bike, but I am not quite happy with the way that it is looking, and will modify the mounting when I have the time.

The footshift is actually for a three speed transmission, but I have been informed my the original maker of these here in Germany how to modify it for a 4 speed transmission.

The hand clutch, well......I am still working on that too, I have a couple of options that I am considering, 1 of these is a hydraulic slave cylinder mounted on the frame....another is use the NOS WLC hand clutch setup (probably won't use that one)....or??? I just honestly don't know.

If photos are needed, ask

George

[chas]

Yes, thanks I've seen the B&H shifter. Member Bruce Garrett bought the rights and 1/2 dozen kits years ago but as far as I know he has no plans to make them.

[chas]

4-45

Aloha George, as an ex-HD test engineer, I'm interested in 'real world' ride-ability, experience, cost, and who makes the kit. I ask for 2 reasons, 1st just plain 'ol curiosity and 2nd, my bud Brad has both 3 & 4 speed Knunks and says the 4 speed is hands down better due to gear selection. I'm in final stages on my bob job, PS no original parts were 'harmed by myself' on it.

[mootch]

Aloha George, as an ex-HD test engineer, I'm interested in 'real world' ride-ability, experience, cost, and who makes the kit. I ask for 2 reasons, 1st just plain 'ol curiosity and 2nd, my bud Brad has both 3 & 4 speed Knunks and says the 4 speed is hands down better due to gear selection. I'm in final stages on my bob job, PS no original parts were 'harmed by myself' on it.

so do you know who has these trannies ?????

[George Greer]

I obtained my gearbox from Harry Hacker here in Germany, who got it from the site listed below.

And yes it in quite expensive, but I don't think that you have to send an entire complete gearbox to Europe to have it done.

The only one I saw running was at Spa Belgum race track where Paul Jung from W&W Cycles ran his WR, and that thing did run.

I think that Eric Matteau at Beauty of Speed in France is going to be running one on either his racer or his street bike, not sure.

I have not finished my bike yet, and quite honestly don't know when I will finish as I am still looking for parts for my WLK engine build, so I can't say how they run on the street.


Chris, yes the foot shifters are still available....on Ebay, at stupid prices. 600 dollars for rusted ones......naaaaa I don't think so, and trying to get assistance from the fella in LA haha....good luck.

But I have a footshifter for my project, and once I get my own milling machine, I just may start making them myself. And for 3 and 4 speed transmissions.

I have been told "you can't do that", ( about making the footshifter)...Jeezz.....I sure love a challange.......

Link to transmission site.

http://web.quick.cz/harleyservis/index2.htm


George

[Chris Haynes]

Chris, yes the foot shifters are still available....on Ebay, at stupid prices. 600 dollars for rusted ones......naaaaa I don't think so, and trying to get assistance from the fella in LA haha....good luck.

George,
I have been picking up B&H parts from eBay and swap meets on the cheap. I have less than 200 bucks in one and it is only missing one piece. That is the stainless plate that covers the shift gate depression on the gas tank. Not something actually needed to used the shifter. I have some extra parts and looking for the missing pieces to put the second one together.

[chas]

Mahalo (thank you) George for the link!
Charlie
#4749

[Eric MATHIEU]

I have been running one of those 4 speed transmissions in my 1941 WLDR street bobber for a few years. It works fine and it's great to show off but I can't say it's a true benefit over a 3 speed. Like Paps said, high is still high and low is still low. I got one because I hated the drop of RPM between second & third on the original WL trans. No more drop but I have to shift all the time now. The 4 speed shift gate on the 45 is a real head scratcher though
Eric

[chas]

Humm, being an ex-HD test engineer, I love 'real world perceptions', so I ask all: would a Andrew's geared close-ratio 3-speed be better from a riding standpoint as compared to the 45-4 speed? My bud said the spacing of the 3-speed Navy Knuckle was "awkward for around town in CT". I figure being a Flathead the torque would favor 3 vs 4. That the Knuck was stronger at high r.p.m. Since the power band was flatter in R.P.M.

[Sargehere]

Being an ex-mechanical engineer (bein' familiar wit' th' theory and application of Newton's Laws, among others): Since we're talking only about the difference between a pie cut in four slices, versus one cut into three, and riding a UL with a 3+R and finding it perfectly adequate in all respects, I will vote for three speeds. There is plenty of torque and a wide power band with 74 inches under the fuel tanks. I find that four speeds are necessary only to hot rodders who want to keep their engines "on the pipe," pretending to be in turn four on a paved oval, when all they are doing is going to the corner for bread. heh. just kiddin'. But it's just more rowing of the shift lever, 2 me. I go around town in (a constant mesh) second gear perfectly happily.
I don't experience any noticeable gap between the stops in a Big Twin's three speed box for the kind of driving I do. It usta be a jockey-shift four speed, then a tank four speed, and I've owned everything from Japanese twitter bikes to Triumphs capable of the ton, to Gold Wings and a Yammie XS1100, so I know how to shift gearboxes, but three speeds are just fine for me anymore.