Can it be done?

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Never to old to learn and as I say once mastered you will get to like the way the Norton shifts, in fact its the racing shift and with everything adjusted right will give you the smoothest of gear change shifting, anyway enjoy what you have and the more you ride it the better it will get for you, changes are never easy but it won't take you long, good luck and enjoy.

Ashley
 
I would think it would depend on how handy you are and how much time and money you want to spend. If you converted to a belt drive and fixed the gearbox in place you should be able to use the Mk3 gearbox parts to run a shaft over to the left. I'm sure some TIG welding would be required on the primary cases to set up support for the shaft etc, but I can't see it being rocket science. The rear brake is cable operated anyway, so a right side brake would just need a longer cable and a suitable pedal arrangement. There's bound to be a right side brake set up from something else that uses a cable that could be adapted without too many issues.
It's the old saying "needs must". I used to own an ex-Kel Carruthers Manx Norton that Mike Hailwood raced a couple of times here in Australia in 1977. Mike's right ankle was buggered from his racing car crash so he had all sorts of trouble with gear changing. The solution was to convert the rearset gear lever to a heel and toe set up. Worked like a charm and he enjoyed himself so much he went back to racing and won the Isle Of Man a couple of more times - so it's worth the trouble to make a bike comfortable for you!
As a funny aside, when I bought the Manx the previous owner had started to restore it. He'd had the seat recovered, but had kept the original seat cover, given it'd been graced by Mike Hailwood's arse and was therefore a semi-religious object. Ya gotta laugh.
 
ILLF8ED said:
Sold it a couple of months ago…..too slow for me. It was fun getting it running.
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Slow in terms of straight line speed I understand, but actually I have seen a guy with one of those regularly take on and beat Commandos to '80s GSXR750 Suzukis around a twisty track, not a bike to be underestimated! :cool:
 
lcrken said:
Dunstall used to make the rear set conversion kit to switch the Commando to left shift, right brake, shown below. I modified one to fit my PR, used it for racing for a short while, then went back to original. If you had the shop facilities, it wouldn't be too difficult to make one of similar design.

View attachment 83149

Ken
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That is so trick, and so simple (usually those two go together)
 
One COULD have the primary chaincase halves drilled, bosses with circlip grooves to retain oil seals turned down, and then welded in place. The shaft alignment is the critical thing.

The transmission cases, shifter knuckle and shaft parts from MkIII spec (new, or used), Then either a MkIII rear disc setup or just the pedal with a corrective brake cable clevis and cable abutment, drill the pathway for the shifter shaft in the transmission cradle, and one would be all set to enjoy modernised foot pedal arrangement.

Really the hardest part would be the primary chaincase modification (although the tranny cradle is some seriously hard steel).
 
Jackman said:
Answer is never, I’m 60 years old and everything I’ve ridden was left shift right brake and 1 down 4,or 5 up. I don’t see it being an easy thing to adjust to but I’ll probably have to
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I'm 71 and have both left and right shifting bikes. After a few minutes you will settle in and realize what bike your on. The more bikes you have, the more you will be surprised how fast you can assimilate to each one. Can you imagine what Leno has to deal with with all his bikes?
 
brokeneagle said:
I'm 71 and have both left and right shifting bikes. After a few minutes you will settle in and realize what bike your on. The more bikes you have, the more you will be surprised how fast you can assimilate to each one. Can you imagine what Leno has to deal with with all his bikes?
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I hope to adjust, I just bought my commando and winter has pretty much arrived I haven’t yet ridden at all.

Oh I wish I had Jay Leno problem ha ha.
 
I started with left shift Honda at age 17. From there it was RHS Norton pattern. Then a year after that it was Triumph pattern for 15 years. Then got a Commando. Then back to
the left side with the R90s. No bikes for 20 years, after that until another Commando. Now have four bikes, all RHS and all Norton pattern because I got tired of making mistakes in the pattern but never the side. In a moment of panic or when you are just
zoned out you will make a mistake. Now I make a mistake once or twice a year.
Probably because I am old.
 
Muscle memory takes over as soon as you get on the bike.
Nortons rh, up for first, 4 speeds
BSA rh, down for first, 4 speeds
Trident rh, down for first, 5 speeds
Bonneville, lh down for first, 5 speeds
Zed 900RS, lh down for first, 6 speeds
 
I’ve reconsider I’ll just ride the bike and hopefully will adjust comfortably also I just remembered my other bike a Kawasaki H1 is factory equipped to switch to LH brake RH shift I might go that route it would be easier.
 
I wouldn't dispute those who say it's easy to go back and forth between left shift and right shift, at least for general street riding. I generally have no problem with that either, but the possibility of it being a problem in a panic situation does exist. I have crashed because of momentary confusion over which side was which. Back in the mid '70s I was racing both my Norton PR and a Yamaha RD350 at the same meets in different classes. I still recall one day at PIR in Phoenix having a momentary freeze as I came up to a corner on the Yamaha, trying to remember which side was the shift and which was the brake. I still have a vivid memory of being confused as I ran off the track into the dirt. That's when I converted the PR to left shift for a while. I eventually went back to racing Nortons with right shift and modern bikes with left shift at the same meets, and never had the problem again. Might just be a case of getting used to switching back and forth.

Ken
 
Both my BSA A10 and my Commando are r/h 1 up 3 down and my modern stuff is exactly opposite. Only time I've ever gotten confused it's been on the modern stuff, jabbing the rear brake thinking I was upshifting. And you'll only do that once. Much less of a problem than I have remembering which car I'm in and what side of the damned gas pump I have to pull up on.
 
EstuaryBoy said:
Anything's possible.... But an awful lot of work. More so if you want to keep the drum on the rear...
Easier to p/ex for a Mk3 :)
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Its funny how we all are different, I have converted my Mk111 to a l/f brake because of an old leg injury and all my other machines are "proper" r/h gear changes.
 
Ive got various types here and it does get confusing.
After a long trip on the Vincent, such as a month spent in the UK, there are problems adjusting to the Norton.
Similarly after 7 days on the Thruxton r I nearly made a serious mistake on the Vincent.
This doesn't show up when just riding around, it's when a fast reaction is needed, such as a car not seeing you and cutting you off. You need both brakes slammed on. Instead you get just the front while the foot is busy trying to jam the gear lever into a higher gear that doesn't exist.
Everything the same would be best, but that limits your choices.

Glen
 
Yes emergency stops are the worst times but lucky for me it was only once on the Norton, the first day I picked it up when new, 17 years old and been riding Honda dirt bikes since 15, got the new Norton out of the show room and around the corner and a council bus stopped in front of me, was the first and last time I forgot, lucky I got around it before hitting the rear bumper of the bus and no cars in the left lane, that was a real heart attack feeling, took it easy after that and a week to train the brain, no problems since.
Once I rode my mate preunit Triumph had right change but one down and 3 up only took a minute or 2 to remember that change, the brain can adapt pretty quick but does get harder as we get older and all the brain cells we have killed from our bad habits of our younger days, I have no problems with the bikes its peoples names that get me, now what my name again lol.
That's right

Ashley
 
I have always wondered why they chose to use the one down for low. Upon reflection I see that in a panic you may hit the wrong side for the brake and if so down will gear down Triumph style and add to your braking or at least not suddenly remove your compression braking. In a panic stop your weight is thrown forward as well.
All my bikes were changed to Norton style because at the the time that was the easiest way to get them all unified. I made a wrong way shift whilst passing someone recently and I guess it was just ancient return to the Honda 90!
 
Racers have the ‘down for up’ pattern because with the ‘up for up’ pattern it’s problematic getting your foot under the peddle when changing up a gear whilst cranked over mid bend, which is often required on big sweeping bends on race tracks.

Whereas you’d seldom need or want to change down a gear whilst cranked over at full lean.

Whether or not this had anything to do with manufactures decisions back then I’ve no idea. Personally, I find it more interesting to try and understand why the modern ‘up for up’ and left hand change was chosen as ‘the’ standard ?
 
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