21 replies to this topic

[Andy M]

Does anyone here know why when the Japanese started to produce bikes they chose to put the gear lever on the left instead of the right which was the norm on the Brit bikes at the time. I know it's not strictly a trials question as it covers road as well . Was there a reason for it I wonder ??
I will delete this topic if I can fathom it out. Thanks in advance. (I should know this but I can't remember)

[crb611]

You are correct, British bikes certainly did have the gearchange on the right, but the Japanese followed the continental layout of left hand gearchange, which still persists today. (eg Ducati, Moto Guzzi, BMW)

[Racey]

Could be an urban myth but I remember folk telling me that British bikes gearlevers were on the right so when you stopped in traffic you would put your left foot down and leave your right foot on the footrest ready to engage gear. On this basis the bike would lean to the left making it slightly safer being those extra few inches away from any traffic passing close to you as you waited in the "gutter", this applying to GB as we drive on the left. It was considered your foot was safer on the footrest than on the road ready to be run over

The same rule applied to all countries who drive on the right, where their manufacturers did exactly the opposite and put the lever on the left. As more sales were ultimately going through Europe and the America's (driving on right) the Japanese and Continental manufacturers made their bikes opposite to ours, and of course they are all down that side now, even British made bikes. At least the end result was uniformity. ( I remember riding a trial on a Sunday with the gears one down and four up on the left and then going to work on my Matchless on Monday morning with one up and three down on the right)

anyone got a better explanation .................

Edited by Racey, 25 October 2009 - 07:47 PM.

[Neils on Wheels]

Except of course that the Japenese drive on the left, like the British

Edited by Neils on Wheels, 25 October 2009 - 08:07 PM.

[125sherco]

Neils on Wheels, on Oct 25 2009, 08:52 PM, said:

Except of course that the Japenese drive on the right, like the British

Epic Fail

[Andy M]

crb611, on Oct 25 2009, 07:37 PM, said:

You are correct, British bikes certainly did have the gearchange on the right, but the Japanese followed the continental layout of left hand gearchange, which still persists today. (eg Ducati, Moto Guzzi, BMW)

That's correct but some early Japanese bikes were blatant copies of Brit models but they still put the gear change on the other side ??
Also some early japanese models had the gearchange shaft running right through the engine so the choice was there back in the day ??

[2/4]

[and Continental manufacturers made their bikes opposite to ours .................
[/quote]


Actually they didn't, Bultaco and Montesa had right foot gearchange until legislation required that all motorcyles had right foot brake ("uniformity" was enforced by a legislature worried that people could not cope with using different feet on different vehicles). I remember someone firing his Cota up at the starter's desk in Gorgie cattle market and simultaneously putting it in gear on a wide throttle due to the hefty swing on the right hand kickstart. All the furniture and the official clock survived, just, but it certainly woke the starter up.

The argument against the legislation at the time was that right hand front brake and left foot rear allowed opposite sides of the body to work and that this was more natural. I remember one of the columnists in the Motor Cycle saying that the Japanese went with the right foot brake as they were aiming sales at motorists used to this but that their biggest market was the US where almost everyone drove automatics thus leaving the left foot for braking. Not being a driver of automatics I don't know how sound his reckoning was at the time.

[wayne_weedon]

I was led to believe that it was US Legislation that drove the manufacturers to change.

My Moto Morini's 1955 and 1980 are both RHS gearchange, as well as a few of my Bultaco's and my Brit Bikes. The Morini's and the Bultacos are also LHS Kickers.

I personally dont believe there is any benefit in either system, somehow I seem to be able to jump on any of the bikes and use it no matter what side the gearchange is on, not sure how that works though!

Wayne....

[monoped]

The gear selector shafts on Bultaco and Ossa engines passes all the way through the crankcases exiting on both the left & right hand sides. The earlier models had left hand rear brakes as standard and the later ones were fitted with right hand rear brakes, so the rider had a choice.

John R....

[2/4]

Choice was only available on later Bultos, the "both sides" only came in with the legislative requirement as that was the easiest way for them to modify production.

[ZIPPY]

don't know how it came about, but it just makes sense to me that all the braking levers are on ones side, and all the shifting levers (gear selector and clutch) are on one side.

I do get confused when I ride a standard bicycle, front brake on the left.

[chewy]

by the left ..quick march.......I seem to recall (it may have been Raif Venables) had a story about go with left and stop with right making it easier to train milkitary types.

[B40RT]

ZIPPY, on Oct 26 2009, 10:38 AM, said:

don't know how it came about, but it just makes sense to me that all the braking levers are on ones side, and all the shifting levers (gear selector and clutch) are on one side.

I do get confused when I ride a standard bicycle, front brake on the left.

Swap it to the other side, like wot we have.

[IKB]

ZIPPY, on Oct 26 2009, 10:38 AM, said:

I do get confused when I ride a standard bicycle, front brake on the left.

Uk Bicycles have back brake on the left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ZIPPY]

Quote

IKB Posted Oct 26 2009, 04:14 PM

QUOTE (ZIPPY @ Oct 26 2009, 10:38 AM) *
I do get confused when I ride a standard bicycle, front brake on the left. blink.gif

Uk Bicycles have back brake on the left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B40RT Posted Oct 26 2009, 04:12 PM

QUOTE (ZIPPY @ Oct 26 2009, 10:38 AM) *
don't know how it came about, but it just makes sense to me that all the braking levers are on ones side, and all the shifting levers (gear selector and clutch) are on one side.

I do get confused when I ride a standard bicycle, front brake on the left. blink.gif


Swap it to the other side, like wot we have.

I should have been clear that all my bicycles have the front brake on the right and rear brake on the left.
but on occasion I have ridden my sons' bikes (they don't ride motorcycles, not their thing), and rental bikes and those are standard with front brake on the left.