Does anyone have any information on how to modify this bike to get 1st gear. My research says it's locked in second from the factory.

At one point I saw the instructions but never did the mod. Basically, you had to pull the side cover to get to the shifting mechanism. There was a sheetmetal plate that limited shifter movement and you had to grind a slot to allow it to reach the other gear. It looked very straight forward.

One thing I did learn about JR50s is that the steering bearings are the same size as bicycle steering bearings.

I'll pull it off and take a look then.

Thanks.