Which Direction Does the Commando Engine Rotate?

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thunderbolt

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Hi there, Can someone tell me which way the Commando engine rotates look at it from the drive side please?

I see people rotating the crank in both directions on youtube.

Thanks Don
 
There are very few bikes in which the crank runs backwards. An exception is the Ducati Panagale. When they ran the motor backwards they found it handled better when coming out of corners.
 
"Backwards" running engines will pitch the front wheel downwards when the bike is airborne.

Slick
 
My WR400 Husky will run backwards if it kicks back and starts running.
Gives you 6 speeds in reverse. Careful when you drop the clutch.
:)

Stephen Hill
 
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With a chain primary drive the crankshaft needs to turn in the same direction as the clutch CCW, on bike with a non chain gear primary drive (most bikes on the planet) the crankshaft needs to turn CW to turn the clutch CCW ?

Maybe I missed something, backward rotating clutches CW with counter rotating front drive sprockets (chain) CCW to match the rear wheel ?
 
Time Warp said:
With a chain primary drive the crankshaft needs to turn in the direction as the clutch CCW, on bike with a gear primary drive (most bikes on the planet) the crankshaft needs to turn CW ?

Maybe I missed something, backward rotating clutches CW with counter rotating front drive sprockets (chain) CCW to match the rear wheel ?
Click to expand...

However, for "most bikes on the planet" the drive is usually 'in' through the gearbox mainshaft, and 'out' (to the gearbox drive sprocket) through the layshaft.
 
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That actually sounds correct which is no surprise.
The Ducati (older models) might be the oddity as they are primary gear drive but with a Norton style sleeve gear ?
I think having a few of those I threw them in with Japanese bikes with gear primaries.

I just gave some thought to where the cam chain tensioners are on some of my bikes, hmmm CCW turning crankshafts.
See what happens when you doubt A Cotrel.:)
 
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oldbeezer said:
I do believe the round case Ducati cranks ran "backwards"
Click to expand...

I think this is what got me confused (having both round and square case Ducati's, the gear box clusters are more or less the same)

You can have bikes for decades and forget what is actually going on inside them as I did.
 
I had not been aware of those Kevin Cameron videos. After watching that posted video I then found/watched several of them - great stuff and very well presented/explained/demonstrated. Thanks for posting it!
 
MexicoMike said:
I had not been aware of those Kevin Cameron videos. After watching that posted video I then found/watched several of them - great stuff and very well presented/explained/demonstrated. Thanks for posting it!
Click to expand...

;)
 
The ENGINE actually rotates in BOTH directions, to the limits of the isolastic rubbers. The CRANKSHAFT can also rotate in both directions, but in normal operation it rotates clockwise from the timing side.
 
My only reason for asking is that my assembled 850 motor is on the work bench and I needed to know this information to enable me to do some other tasks on the motor which require the motor to be turned in the correct direction of rotation.

Thanks everyone,
Don
 
Time Warp said:
With a chain primary drive the crankshaft needs to turn in the same direction as the clutch CCW, on bike with a non chain gear primary drive (most bikes on the planet) the crankshaft needs to turn CW to turn the clutch CCW ?

Maybe I missed something, backward rotating clutches CW with counter rotating front drive sprockets (chain) CCW to match the rear wheel ?
Click to expand...

In most bikes with geared primary drive, the input and output shafts of the gearbox are not on the same centre. so the output shaft turns in the opposite direction to the input shaft. The clutch is on the input shaft. With any bike with a chain primary, everything except the gearbox lay shaft and the idler timing gear usually runs in the same direction as the wheels, unless there is a Japanese type gearbox fitted - which is unusual in older bikes.
 
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