My 2020 Dirtbag Challenge bike, a 1979 Honda XL500 rigid, worked rather well. It was reasonably comfortable, easy to ride, and fairly safe. And maybe that was the problem.
So since I’ve somehow never owned or ridden a bike with a hand shifter, I figured now was the time to continue down the road of dirtbagdom, by fashioning my own setup and taking it for a spin.