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Reversing the shift pattern?

Submitted by karl_nixon on Thu, 26/09/2013
Forums
Commando

as part of rebuilding my mk2a 850 I stript and rebuilt the gearbox and it seems to work just fine but i on the other hand am having great trouble (after a life of machines from japan) with the shift pattern an my brain (or lack of brain que scorn from many as to my inablity). I dont seem to have to much if any problem with a right foot shift (only couple of time anyway) but I am realy not getting the hang of 1 up 3 down. At this rate the gearbox will not contain gears much longer or worse I will have gravel rash and another restoration project.

There to save my bank ballance from both am I correct in thinking that if I press the center out of the cam plate and then press it back in for the other side this will have the effect of changing the shift pattern to 1 down 3 up that I am used to?

Also am i right in thinking that i can remove the gearbox and take out the cam with the gearbox shell still in the bike ?? Just to speed up the job and save stripping of more than is needed.

Any other help or tips on how to do this and what may or may not need to be done would also be helpfull. I know that there are thousands of Norton riders who can use this shift pattern but I dont seem to fit into that group an it is really spoilling what is otherwise a lovely bike to ride not just the effort in remembering (or more often not remembering) which way to move the lever but more the self criticism when yet again I find myself in the wrong gear.

thankyou Karl

Submitted by john_shorter on Thu, 26/09/2013

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One other possibility: Fit rearsets, and reverse the gear lever. Back in the 70's, I had a Triton, with a Triumph gearbox (they always had the gear change opposite to everyone else!). With rearsets, and reversed gear lever, gear selection became the same as most other British bikes. In your case, you would get the 1 down-3up you prefer.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 26/09/2013

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I have never done it myself but looked closely at the possibility of reversing the camplate as Karl suggests. I saw no reason why it might not be done. There used to be reverse camplates on the market years ago but why bother with that if the centre can be pressed out and reinserted from the other side?

Somebody out there reading this must have done it, surely?

And yes, you can extract the innards of the gearbox in-situ.

Submitted by peter_stowe on Thu, 26/09/2013

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I have three British bikes with the same shift pattern as the Commando and a couple of foreign bikes. Before setting off on a ride I just concentrate on the pattern that I'm using for that ride, and put the toe of my brake foot on the footrest, and the foot that I use for the gears has the instep on the footrest That seems to work for me, and I can swap from bike to bike on the same day without problem.

Also, while riding one bike, don't think about any of the others as you will revert to that bikes shift pattern.

Submitted by david_evans on Thu, 26/09/2013

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There is a lot more to this than just pressing the camplate off the splines and reversing it. The neutral dimple in the edge needs to be changed and I believe the slines can't line the cam plate up in the correct position. I suggest a search on the American Access Norton website. (60% of Commandos went to the States, thats 36,000. There is a lot more info there.) The simple option is to fit rearsets and have the gear lever pointing backwards.

Submitted by david_lord on Sat, 28/09/2013

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Yes, but at £97.74 plus postage and on an exchange basis I think I'd go to the ends of the earth to find someone else to buy it from!!

Submitted by richard_payne on Sat, 28/09/2013

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It certainly does require some grinding on the detents. Strangely, I'm in the process of working out a left-hand brake conversion for my Mk3. Tapping down for up is so much more logical.

 


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