What's the point of placing the kicker on the left side?

[Old Geezer]

Remember most prewar and early post war bikes were British and they all had right kickers, right gear changes as you coordinate the throttle with the gear change, they were up for first and down for faster. The cunning Japanese and Europeans changed it all to fire the final torpedo int the British motorcycle industry.

Been a long time since I've piloted a right shifter. They would screw with your mind where you would do funny things like only stomping down a gear when all you were trying to do was hit the rear brake.

 

[hawaiidirtrider]

Been a long time since I've piloted a right shifter. They would screw with your mind where you would do funny things like only stomping down a gear when all you were trying to do was hit the rear brake.

I'd blow thru turns trying to stop my bike pressing on the shift lever to stop****************************************!scare the caca out of you!!! That's what happens when riding a couple bikes with opposite shifting..braking.. I forget was it husky or bultaco or both that you could make the shifter if set up on the opposite side if you wanted?

My bad experience there has had me change my brake position for my mountain bike so the front brake is on the right side like my dirt bikes.. It eliminates quick thinking mistakes that could have me crash.

 

[2premo]

I'd blow thru turns trying to stop my bike pressing on the shift lever to stop !scare the caca out of you!!! That's what happens when riding a couple bikes with opposite shifting..braking.. I forget was it husky or bultaco or both that you could make the shifter if set up on the opposite side if you wanted?

My bad experience there has had me change my brake position for my mountain bike so the front brake is on the right side like my dirt bikes.. It eliminates quick thinking mistakes that could have me crash.

Husky made a switcheroo kit for sure
understand the mountain bike dilemma too, been there done that

 

[troy deck]

Husky made a switcheroo kit for sure
understand the mountain bike dilemma too, been there done that

YEP U CAN DO THAT ON A BULTACO AND YES I HAVE TO FLIP THE CABLES ON ALL THE KIDS BIKES

 

[troy deck]

Husky made a switcheroo kit for sure
understand the mountain bike dilemma too, been there done that

YEP U CAN DO THAT ON A BULTACO AND YES I HAVE TO FLIP THE CABLES ON ALL THE KIDS BIKES

 

[Mike758]

I'd blow thru turns trying to stop my bike pressing on the shift lever to stop !scare the caca out of you!!! That's what happens when riding a couple bikes with opposite shifting..braking.. I forget was it husky or bultaco or both that you could make the shifter if set up on the opposite side if you wanted?

My bad experience there has had me change my brake position for my mountain bike so the front brake is on the right side like my dirt bikes.. It eliminates quick thinking mistakes that could have me crash.

The good thing about having the 87 430ae is that I have no clutch so I can't really get confused about the front brake being on the right, as it's the only lever on the bike

 

[Jon McLean]

Here's my shot at speculation...early competition and thru the '60s, flat-track ovals were the testing grounds and predominate racing, always turning left going counter-clockwise. Shifter needed to be on right. Vintage flat trackers (Bultacos, etc) were set up for right shift, left brake. Even the early Penton/KTM 250s came with the shift shaft extending all the way through the cases on both sides so you could install shifter on the right for flat tracking set up.

Motor design was flywheel/ignition on one crank side, pinion gear/clutch hub on the other crank side. Kickstarter design was always off the clutch hub in some fashion. Opposite the clutch was the transmission output i.e. sprocket, and shifter mechanism/shift pedal. So...shift pedal right meant clutch left, meant kicker left. Virtually all 60s-70s Euro dirt bikes are pinion/clutch left, ignition/flywheel right. Worked out too as right-footers could pretty easily kick standing off the bike on the left side. Seems it was easier to run a shaft through to move shifter to the left as most Euro bikes did in the 60s rather than reverse all like the Japanese design did when the late-60s and 70s flood started.

 

[1982 XC 430]

Here's my shot at speculation...early competition and thru the '60s, flat-track ovals were the testing grounds and predominate racing, always turning left going counter-clockwise. Shifter needed to be on right. Vintage flat trackers (Bultacos, etc) were set up for right shift, left brake. Even the early Penton/KTM 250s came with the shift shaft extending all the way through the cases on both sides so you could install shifter on the right for flat tracking set up.

Motor design was flywheel/ignition on one crank side, pinion gear/clutch hub on the other crank side. Kickstarter design was always off the clutch hub in some fashion. Opposite the clutch was the transmission output i.e. sprocket, and shifter mechanism/shift pedal. So...shift pedal right meant clutch left, meant kicker left. Virtually all 60s-70s Euro dirt bikes are pinion/clutch left, ignition/flywheel right. Worked out too as right-footers could pretty easily kick standing off the bike on the left side. Seems it was easier to run a shaft through to move shifter to the left as most Euro bikes did in the 60s rather than reverse all like the Japanese design did when the late-60s and 70s flood started.

This is making some sense to me. Back in the Day I was always told that the Engine and or Bike could be made lighter if the Kick was on the Left. Since back then I only had one bike at a time I really didn't have much to compare to. Now that I have rebuilt some of my favorite Vintage bikes I have wondered the same thing, why not just reverse every thing like my modern KTM's. But there must be a reason. Why would a big company like Honda make some left kickers in the early 80's when the rest of there line was on the right side, only to switch back to the right the next generation.

 

[stormer254]

This is making some sense to me. Back in the Day I was always told that the Engine and or Bike could be made lighter if the Kick was on the Left. Since back then I only had one bike at a time I really didn't have much to compare to. Now that I have rebuilt some of my favorite Vintage bikes I have wondered the same thing, why not just reverse every thing like my modern KTM's. But there must be a reason. Why would a big company like Honda make some left kickers in the early 80's when the rest of there line was on the right side, only to switch back to the right the next generation.

Because they were not as good as Huskies, they tried to copy them

 

[moretoys]

I've never understood the right/left kickstarter issue. Some are left and some are right. I don't have a preference. It's whatever the bike came with and that's what it is.

 

[grouty]

I have always preferred left kickers. No idea why, but I just find the whole "starting" thing more pleasant.
As for left and right shifters....... no problem there either. My only real problem was riding the 55 Matchless to work and back in the week and then jumping on the BSA or CCM at the weekend. My head could not get around the Matchless box as first gear one up, and then the others as one down.
The answer was to take the car to work that week

The final straw was a very large tree at Widworthy. Couldn't fathom why the CCM would not slow down when I changed down, except that I had just changed up !!! ................ sold the damn Matchless !

 

[organ donor]

It´s because you only approach a horse to mount from the left. You swing your right leg over the saddle. US riders may well do it differently, but this is the way every European cavalry unit did things. Just like coachmen used to sit on the right hand side of the bench, hold the whip with his left hand and control the horses with the reins held in his right hand (most people being right handed). That is why civilised countries still drive on the left and hold the wheel with the right hand. Doing it differently is sacrilege and will be punished in the afterlife.

 

[Old Geezer]

It´s because you only approach a horse to mount from the left. You swing your right leg over the saddle. US riders may well do it differently, but this is the way every European cavalry unit did things. Just like coachmen used to sit on the right hand side of the bench, hold the whip with his left hand and control the horses with the reins held in his right hand (most people being right handed). That is why civilised countries still drive on the left and hold the wheel with the right hand. Doing it differently is sacrilege and will be punished in the afterlife.

But of course, it's a European thing! Simple explanation, look no further. We 'mericans just must do things differently, which is why we've never attempted- let alone mastered - that silly nonsense of metric. But wait; the Japs aren't American, and they do the kicker on the right. Perhaps they're sacrilegious wanna-be's with the rest of the Western world.

As to mounting horses, I've done that just a few times in my life. Definitely with left foot in the stirrup on the left side, swing the right up and over that beast. I feel the same every time I mount my sky-high XC and CR....then de-mount to start the thing.

 

[stormer254]

But of course, it's a European thing! Simple explanation, look no further. We 'mericans just must do things differently, which is why we've never attempted- let alone mastered - that silly nonsense of metric. But wait; the Japs aren't American, and they do the kicker on the right. Perhaps they're as sacrilegious wanna-be's with the rest of the Western world.

Don't they drive on the left though like the other civilized nations

 

[organ donor]

ALL European countries drove on the left ... until the great dictator Napoleon stopped them. Even Austria only went over to the right hand side shortly before Hitler took over. And Sweden held out till well after WWII. Only Caithness, Orkney and Shetland drive in the middle of the road (as there´s no room top pass on either side anyway).

 

[shawbagga]

not being a smart arse here but I find imperial & feet/inches very hard to fathom(ha fathom, that aint metric i don't think!). just seems like a lot of work for no reward. e.g drill bits-its a mouthful just saying the sizes sometimes, metric just seems easier & more efficient. having worked in construction for past 5 years or so id find it very frustrating trying to build a house using yards/feet/inches-"cut me a bit of timber at 4 yards(do you Yanks use yards?), 3 feet, 2 & 7/25ths of an inch" as opposed to "cut me a bit of timber at 4657(mm of course)". I didn't work these lengths out just for example. metric seems much more accurate does it not which is what you need for building?! to get a millimetre you need to say 1/25th of an inch which is still just bigger than a millimetre yes? same with gallons & miles. litres & kilometres is just much more 'rounded' & 'even' I reckon. plus whats with your 'tons' in USA-its like 900kg or something as opposed to a metric 'tonne'(1000kg)? I operate mobile cranes & several older cranes(modern cranes are generally rated in metric T) ive seen from the states have been odd sizes as they are rated in metric tonnes here not tons like the USA ie an 81T crane that was a 90 ton crane in the states-confusing I think. im honestly not trolling here or trying to offend & I know you guys in the US are very staunch on your views about this but I really think metric is just plain easier. just MHO. id like to here from chippy's(carpenters/builders) from the states if they honestly believe metric wouldn't be easier? sorry this is slightly off topic

 

[stormer254]

A fathom is 1828.8 mm, I reckon it is easier to count to 1 fathom or 6 foot

 

[shawbagga]

touche'

 

[grouty]

Bless you ......

 

[wrx]

to weed out the panseys!!!