Odd transmission question

Is it possible to somehow flip the shifter over so that it shifts in the “correct” direction? What did the factory do in ‘75 to comply with the new rules?

KNorton said:

What did the factory do in ‘75 to comply with the new rules?

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They introduced a pair of gears in the primary case that reversed the gearchange, items 3 and 4.

Yes search for "Reverse cam plate"
You can buy them or makes the it yourself (if you feel comfortable to grind your existing cam plate).
You can also change it with removing the gearbox from the bike but you do have to remove the internals of the box which can be fiddly with it still in the bike but it is doable

Fit rearsets and get the gear lever to point backwards.

Just ride it as is for a week or so and it will be come second nature when switching to modern bikes and back. I had a modern bonneville and after some tome on the commando i never had problems switch bikes...somehow the mind & muscles just know what bike they are on.

The right shift one up 3 down is the right way, just get use to changing bikes, after 50 years on the Norton as well riding Honda dirt bikes and modern Triumphs I have no problems at all riding with different side gear changes the brain just knows what bike I am on and come natural to me, it only takes a short time to train the brain, took about 2 weeks when I first brought my 75 Commando after riding the Honda dirt bikes before it came along.

Thanks guys. I’ve got to get the bike running before I try to ride it. Knowing me I’ll try to shift the Commando the wrong way! I guess you guys are right though. After some time, muscle memory willl kick in and I’ll shift correctly….hopefully!

Yes, there is no "correct way", it's the shift pattern the motorcycle had in the era is was built. In the USA it was mandated that any motorcycle sold in 1975 would have standardized controls for shifter and brakes, so what you think is correct is not necessarily what we wanted. We were all quite happy shifting on the right and 1 up, 3 down. You'll never miss a shift and your big toe will thank you for it.
Rather than overthink it, I converted my 2005 Duc to what was referred to as a GT pattern which just reversed the pattern to match my Commando, so it's same pattern different foot. Rear brake dosen't matter, neither are effective on both.
Any pre 1975 motorcycle will present this difference. Japanese motorcycles were the most popular at the time, so that's what the "forward thinkers" decided was best for us in the USA.

ashman said:

The right shift one up 3 down is the right way, just get use to changing bikes, after 50 years on the Norton as well riding Honda dirt bikes and modern Triumphs I have no problems at all riding with different side gear changes the brain just knows what bike I am on and come natural to me, it only takes a short time to train the brain, took about 2 weeks when I first brought my 75 Commando after riding the Honda dirt bikes before it came along.

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Depends on what you "grew up on". For me, one down and three or four up is normal and shifting on the right is normal but I'm more used to the Norton pattern now.

It makes for fun sometimes. A while back I came around a corner on my Trident forgetting that I wasn't on my Norton, and downshifted while grabbing a handful of throttle. A spectacular wheel stand resulted - I didn't know a Trident could do that!

I think it is easy to switch sides, switching the pattern on the same side can be more difficult.

marshg246 said:

Depends on what you "grew up on". For me, one down and three or four up is normal and shifting on the right is normal but I'm more used to the Norton pattern now.

It makes for fun sometimes. A while back I came around a corner on my Trident forgetting that I wasn't on my Norton, and downshifted while grabbing a handful of throttle. A spectacular wheel stand resulted - I didn't know a Trident could do that!

I think it is easy to switch sides, switching the pattern on the same side can be more difficult.

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As we get older sometimes the brain will have a cock up and might make a mistake and to be honest I have recently jumped on the Norton and even with the right foot I down shifted instead of up shifted, bit of a brain fade, but that was the first time in 50 years of riding the Norton other than when I first brought it new, the first ride from new just around the corner from the dealership a bus stopped in front of me and I hit the gear lever instead of the rear brake, lucky there was no car in the next lane and I swung around the bus, but made my heart rate drop, was a wake up call to get use to the change in foot and gear position after a week or two had no problems as I was taking the Honda dirt bike out every afternoon after work down the bush lands behind my place and the Norton was my only road going transport for the first 10 years.
Since 1974 all my bikes had left foot gear change, and the Norton was the only right hand gear change bike I have owned, brought it new in 1976 was the only last of the 74 kick start Norton left at the dealership was sitting at the back of the showroom with all the 75 model Nortons/Triumphs in front of it, was $450 cheaper than the newer models which was a lot of money back then, I was 17 years old and skinny young lad with chicken legs.

Ashley

I guess I’ll just have to rewire my brain instead. I’m sure I’ll get used to it before too long.