So the Poms had to change sides to suit the usa market.Who before them was doing gear lever on the left that the Poms had to comply with! Or did the yanks just decide if the poms were on the right, then they would go for the left side. Or were HD doing left side! Thank you
meathead_timaru,
Nov 5, 5:15am
I think early H-D Sportsters were right-side gearshifter. I remember reading it somewhere. I think it was the Japanese who placed it on the left and volume sales probably meant it that became the new standard by default. I do know that the DOT made it a requirement for the gear shifter on the left from '75.
purple666,
Nov 5, 5:30am
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ what he said.
rob_man,
Nov 5, 5:43am
I think the main issue would be to standardise the brake on the right hand side like in every car.
sifty,
Nov 5, 6:04am
I've got both, makes some 'interesting' gear changes when trying to brake, until you remember what bike you are on.
ladatrouble,
Nov 5, 6:18am
Hayleys of the time had both - Sportster on the right, 74 on the left, although it was originally the clutch, when converting to foot shift they just kept the brake on the right.Even the Japanese were offering the option of both. I have a Guzzi with right shift, and the shaft is splined on the left for conversion to that side if required.
For a ride on the left country a left side brake is prefered, and if still given the option, that's what I'd prefer.
budgel,
Nov 5, 7:32am
I remember Hayley.
budgel,
Nov 5, 7:42am
I thought the Brits came up with an elegant bit of retro engineering to meet those US requirements. It was one of their last salutes to the Japanese.
I thought the Brits came up with an elegant bit of retro engineering to meet those US requirements. It was one of their last salutes to the Japanese.
Then the Euro revival began.
Is Triumph standing on its own feet these days!
The current Norton is at the top of my Lotto list. Although a little taller than I would choose, I bet it went round those corners in the picture bloody well. It probably handles much better than my 1973 Combat did. I could live with that.
I think the old INDIAN motorbikes the gear lever was on the right.
purple666,
Nov 6, 5:24am
The army indians 741b had a hand shift on the right with the accelerator on the left handlebar grip, ignition advance was right grip, left foot clutch.
socram,
Nov 6, 6:29am
The LE Velocette had the hand gear lever on the right.
chebry,
Nov 6, 10:23am
The old 45 harleys had a lefthand tank shift with left foot clutch
iginoi,
Nov 6, 12:42pm
What he said, also I had a '71 Bonny with right side shift
therafter1,
Nov 6, 6:01pm
What are you doing posting on here in the middle of the night from over there hmmmmmm . I thought you were flat stick making heaps of dough sitting in a truck making cell phone calls to NZ !
therafter1,
Nov 6, 6:11pm
???Intëresting??
bounce16,
Nov 6, 7:01pm
Haha!Me too.Doesn't matter to much cos the brakes on the old girl are crap anyway!
richard112,
Nov 6, 9:35pm
Way back when, my current bike was an AJS 500 w/RH shift. Girl where I worked took ill & asked me to take her Vespa home. (Not far from mine) I swear I nearly killed myself 10 times in the 10 miles.
pauldw,
Nov 6, 9:40pm
That's a scooter thing nothing to do with shift sides. The shift side didn't change where the front brake was either :)
mechnificent,
Nov 6, 11:17pm
Trickiest beast I rode was a 1938 bsa c10 with rigid back non-suspension, sprung seat and a foot gearshift that had not ratchet mechanism, you had to move the lever just the right amount to get the next gear. it was a bit tricky when you were bouncing up some steep, corrugated, dirt road, winding it out before moving up to the next of it's three speeds.
richard112,
Nov 7, 12:10am
AJS shift was RHS one up 3 down. Vespa shift was via rotating the clutch lever, BUT the footbrake stuck out of the bottom tray right where the AJ gear shift should be. So, trying to get away from traffic & you go for the next gear & come to a screeching halt as does the traffic behind. Going back over 50 years but that ride really made an impression.
jonniesharie,
Nov 7, 5:10am
Can anyone help me i have been building a 1980 GN400 Six Volt bioke for over one year and it is all back together and now we cant get the battery to charge when its going. It sucks the battery when u turn the key on and all the light dim out. When you turn the bike off the battery will start to come back. Ther CDI Is putting out 23Volts when you reve it. Can someone help me before i pull my hair out and rally in two weeks.
bmwnz,
Nov 7, 5:41am
I loved having the rear brake on the left side on my old bikes. It made sliding sideways into a park very easy to do. With a Jappa - not so much.
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