Reverse shift pattern myth

I appreciate the arguments for the stock GP shift pattern but some of us have trouble adapting. Actually, I've been riding off and on for over 40 years and have always had the 1 down, 3 up pattern (Hodaka, Maico, Harley, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha x3, Royal Enfield/2012) so when I got the Commando I thought that I would get used to the alternate pattern [I spend a couple months a year in Ireland and never had trouble shifting left handed]. But sometimes, in emergency situations, I have pushed down on the wrong lever and upshifted when I was trying to slow or stop (not fun!). I know you can teach an old dog new tricks but when instincts kick in you need them to be the right ones! Add to that the mushy front drum brake and I have not put many miles on the bike. SO - I have ordered the reverse camplate and added the brake stiffener plate (plus turning the drum and arcing the shoes). Everybody has their preference, I just want to be safe...

Homerj40 said:

.....some of us have trouble adapting....

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I'm definitely in that sorry group. When switching left to right sides, I've found by keeping only the toe of my non-shifting foot way up on its foot peg and the shifting one in working position at the lever, so far I've avoided stabbing the brake lever. But switching from "street" to GP shift patterns pushes my IQ to its very limit. I'm hoping using a reversed shift lever with rear sets on my Commando will save me there.

In the 1972 season I flattracked a Bultaco and a Honda on the same day. One right hand and one left hand. Same pattern though. Also to consider is that I was 20 at the time.

nortonspeed said:

The only way to get there is to regrind the notch pattern (5 notches) into opposite side of the camplate (180 degrees rotation). :!:

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Hi NortonSpeed - When you say to add the notches at 180 degrees are you just "clocking" the plate from 12 to 6 0'clock, or do you press the plate off the spindle and flip it over? Do you have a photo or even a drawing of the new configuration? (And I'm assuming the original notches can remain and just are not used).

Thanks for your post and any help you can give (I was going to order one but Norvil and Andover are out of stock).

Cheers, Darren

Hi Darren

I cut new notches on my cam plate, I cannot remember if you need to flip it over or not, I had tried just flipping the plate but I
think I ended with N between 3rd & 4rth .gear. I just drew around the camplate and transfered it to the plate.
Works for me.

Kev

Danno said:

The law that mandated all foot shifters to be on the left actually states that both foot and hand brakes must be on the same side. Usually takes me about 10 minutes of riding to acclimate when switching from the SS clone to the ZX-14.

I don't think anyone anywhere has ever engineered a gearbox slicker than the old AMC.

We always called the transmissions with up for low and down for the rest "stompboxes".

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I wonder if anyone has researched & compared the effect of requiring both brain hemispheres to coordinate braking across left/right limbs of the body?

I don't know, but the NHTSA was populated by overzealous underinformed wonks at that time. There was an article in the mags about the "backwardbike" an abortion that was commisioned by the NHTSA. The theory was if the main braking function (front brake) didn't have to cope with steering inputs, the machine would be inherently safer to operate. The people they paid to build the bike that steered in the rear where the drive is told them it wouldn't work and the guys who tried unsuccessfully to ride it told them it wouldn't work so one of the wonks said "We're sure we can find someone with no previous conventional motorcycle experience that can ride it" But they never did.
$500,000 of wasted taxpayer money later they had to admit it was a debacle.

I guess there's also "linked" brakes...where the front brake lever controls both front and back brakes. Easier to pull off with modern hydraulic systems esp those with ABS controllers that can limit f/r balance as needed to prevent lock ups. I think BMW had/has a bike like this.

Well said Danno.

It was a classic example of the failure of top down, authoritarian, "we know better," regulators.

Their nurture over nature zeitgeist, their dogma that mankind is completely malleable, that all evil can be cured with righteous education was put to the test when - to fix their utopian concept - they arrogantly commanded ". . . find someone with no previous conventional motorcycle experience . . . ;" it's cultural, these naysayers are just defending the past; we can teach someone to ride it; that''ll prove our concept and our ideology.

xbacksideslider said:

Well said Danno.

It was a classic example of the failure of top down, authoritarian, "we know better," regulators.

Their nurture over nature zeitgeist, their dogma that mankind is completely malleable, that all evil can be cured with righteous education was put to the test when - to fix their utopian concept - they arrogantly commanded ". . . find someone with no previous conventional motorcycle experience . . . ;" it's cultural, these naysayers are just defending the past; we can teach someone to ride it; that''ll prove our concept and our ideology.

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From what I have seen, The Peter Principle is no more widespread anywhere than in government and the military. The amount of waste boggles the mind.