Question on making a 74 .. 850cc into a left foot shift

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bikerboy108

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1.Can you swap shifter and brake petals on a 74 850 or just not possible or too expensive?

2, Can you make it electric start ?

thanks
 
Why change a perfect gear change, just learn to use the gears the right way, 1 up 3 down is the right way as for electric start there are options here just look and seek, if you can't handle a right hand gear change then you should have thought about that, I have no problems with going from right to left gear changes, but then I been doing it for over 46 years now and I find the right gear change to be the best.
 
Switching the brake/shifter left/right entails re-engineering the the brake cabling to reach left side; figuring out how to make up new foot rest mountings (unsure if MK3 types are direct bolt on); finally the gear box need either drilling/fitting the through rod and quadrant swap to emulate the left side shifter or swapping out with a MK3 gear box.

Much, much better off buying a MK3 if this is a must have. As stated above, just learning to ride right shifting is quite manageable. Give it a good week or two and it becomes second nature, even when switching to other bikes.
 
bikerboy108 said:
1.Can you swap shifter and brake petals on a 74 850 or just not possible or too expensive?

2, Can you make it electric start ?

thanks
Click to expand...

1. There is no easy or direct parts swap.
Would it be possible, most likely but far from easily even with the ability and tooling to do so.

2. Electric start conversion.

Colorado Norton Works cNw electric start conversion for Norton Commando Motorcycle Custom Norton Motorcycles

cNw electric start conversion for Norton Commando Motorcycle
coloradonortonworks.net coloradonortonworks.net
 
bikerboy108 said:
1.Can you swap shifter and brake petals on a 74 850 or just not possible or too expensive?

2, Can you make it electric start ?

thanks
Click to expand...
1. Very involved, very expensive, won’t add any value to the bike (more likely the opposite) so realistically not worth considering, especially as Norton themselves made one. So as mentioned already, you really are better off swapping the bike.

2. Very easy. Two main choices being Alton or cNw. Alton is a smaller, less obtrusive installation, but has had some reliability issues reported. The cNw kit it is exquisitely designed and executed and is a really comprehensive and robust kit. I fitted one to my bike which is 920cc and has 11:1 compression ratio and it handles it with ease. Ridiculous ease actually.
 
As a caveat to the above: Number 2 ain't overly cheap, either...
Yes, for those with a favourite bike they can no longer kick over the cost won't be an issue, but if you're coming to the market stone cold, then finding a bike that does have an electric start might be a cheaper/more sensible option than adding a starter to a bike that doesn't have one.....
 
EstuaryBoy said:
As a caveat to the above: Number 2 ain't overly cheap, either...
Yes, for those with a favourite bike they can no longer kick over the cost won't be an issue, but if you're coming to the market stone cold, then finding a bike that does have an electric start might be a cheaper/more sensible option than adding a starter to a bike that doesn't have one.....
Click to expand...
Quite right, number two ain’t cheap either.

But then again, even swapping the bike for a MK3 is gonna incur modification costs if a genuinely useable e start is required.
 
If I'm not mistaken vintage rebuilds came up with left foot shift linkage, It was part of his own rearset foot controls. I seem to remember seeing a used one for sale, (I remember thinking 1,100 bucks was up there). But I could be wrong, it might have just been a one off custom set.
 
Fast Eddie said:
Quite right, number two ain’t cheap either.

But then again, even swapping the bike for a MK3 is gonna incur modification costs if a genuinely useable e start is required.
Click to expand...
Just out of idle curiosity, and it's been a while since I've done it, I priced up my first 'upgrade' with current prices.
The four brush/pole conversion kit for the OE starter, new solenoid, thicker leads and AGM battery totalled £260... Not too shabby, perhaps?
Okay, no roller bearings, but more than adequate for most, all being equal, IMHO...
 
I would guess that by now most MK3 estarts will already have the 4 pole/heavy cable upgrades or similar. Those upgrades were installed on my MK3 30 years ago.
Yes, it would be a fairly tedious job to switch handing of controls over on a pre MK3 bike.
It might be easier to have your left foot transplanted on the right and right on the left :)

Glen
 
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A friend with a Mark III changed the elec cable to the starter to a larger size and his otherwise OEM starter (Shorai battery) works reliably with no other changes. No, it's not going to spin the engine like the Alton or CNW which both spin the motor as if the spark plugs have been removed but it starts his Norton every time.
 
If I had a stock Mk3 (and I did in the mid 80s) I would start with 4 pole and cable upgrades, higher CCA battery, and then the upgraded CNW starter gear kit. Butta bing, butta boom.
 
Upgrading the 850 Mk3 starter, however, is not the subject of this thread.
 
Has anyone ever heard of someone actually converting the GB to left side shifting (other than Norton ;-)?
 
Tornado said:
Has anyone ever heard of someone actually converting the GB to left side shifting (other than Norton ;-)?
Click to expand...
Yes, Dresda built a couple of pre unit Tritons with special left shifts. And in the racing world it’s quite common for classic race bikes to be converted to left shift to suit the top gun riders who are more used to modern machinery.
 
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