Coping with reversed foot controls

[Motu]

I took my 1974 Moto Guzzi Stornello for a ride the other day, it was last registered in 1988 - so I haven't ridden it for a few years. It has a right foot gearchange, down for up...and I don't toe it up for downshifts, it has a heel and toe lever, so I heel downshifts. I did about 30km on my ride and never got my feet mixed up the whole ride, just clicked into my Stornello mindset and rode the bike as I used to.

So today I'm back on my R65 after a few days off work, the bike I ride everyday...well, 5 days a week anyway. I seem OK with upshifts, but changing down for corners my brake pedal goes hard with no response, and I'm floundering around with my right foot trying to downshift with my heel...there is nothing there.

From 1970 to 1988 I rode mostly right shift down for up, but there were a few Triumphs where I had to go up for up....I've ridden more Triumphs than I've owned...and one I owned had a reversed lever, so down for up. There were a few Japanese bikes in there, but after 1988 I've only ridden bikes with a left foot gearchange. I've spent more time riding with a left foot change than right foot change - so how come after 30 minutes my mind reverts to something I haven't done for decades ?

[haydes55]

You never forget how you first learned a skill. it's fairly easy to rig up the gear shift to be down for up shifts. You might need to buy/make some linkages, but I'd rather have all shifters on all bikes I ride going the same way. left foot to right foot conversions would be a pain to try do.

Sent from my HTC Desire 310 using Forum Fiend v1.3.2.

[Akzle]

muscle memory

[Motu]

It'd be a bastard to convert the BMW to left foot shift, but not impossible. The Guzzi has a cross shaft shift lever, so it can have a gearlever on the left - but I'd never go backwards, so convert the BMW it is then.

[Woodman]

Similar issue here, except mine has had the heeltoe replaced with rearsets so changing up is right foot down and changing down is right foot up. When I go to use the rear brake I sometimes push on the gear lever and change up which has the opposite effect to braking.

Also like you it is not too hard to convert to left hand shift, but that would be sacrilige.

Don't have too many problems going from bike to bike, but if anyone asks me what side the gear lever is on, I have to think about.

[Motu]

I can use the heel lever from the pillion pegs...so that reverses the shift pattern, but makes the rear brake a long way away.

I've never had much trouble swapping around with bikes, but back in the day something like a YZ490 would have me freezing up with foot pushing hard on the gearlever for a brake and going into a fence. When I used to ride my Norton with my wife in front on her Trident, I would be so sucked into that triple sound that I'd do Triumph shifts.

[Grumph]

Back in the day, I raced two bikes with shift on different sides. Proddy bike and race bike. Simply changed the race bike to match the Jap proddy shift direction. Down with either foot and I slowed down and got a lower gear, often both at once, lol.

I have a friend/customer who has all his bikes left foot up for up. Made a few changeover linkages for him now....

[Voltaire]

When I get on the Commando I press the button on the bars and nothing happens what should I do? ;)

[Motu]

Get a bulb horn - they are still legal.

[HenryDorsetCase]

How about a straight swap of you R65 for a suzuki twist n go scooter? Cant get confused if there is no gearlever or clutch.

The inevitable consequence of electronics on bikes is automatic gearboxes..... :-)

[Diggers]

Motu I was confused just reading your post!:drinknsin

[Motu]

Like Akzle says, muscle memory...in absence of the real term. Heartening, to think that just a short period doing something that was automatic to me over 30 years ago, becomes automatic again. All those other things I learned back then that were just part of my riding at the time - should the need arise, they will be there.

A theory of Kenny Roberts - everything you learn in any situation on your motorcycle sits in a bag on your wall of experience, anytime you need it, just grab it and use what's in there. My wall is overgrown with ivy, my ''get me out of here'' bags baggy with excess material - but I'm pretty I can grab one without looking.

[Paul in NZ]

I still have one of each. There is always one cock up before the end of the street and then the body goes oh! And that's it... Having said that they are still both up for up. Mr brain struggled with the A100/AC50 mutt with its weird down for up and neutral at the end instead of between 1st and 2nd...

[Voltaire]

How about a straight swap of you R65 for a suzuki twist n go scooter? Cant get confused if there is no gearlever or clutch.

The inevitable consequence of electronics on bikes is automatic gearboxes..... :-)


Unless they ban old bikes I have no intention of updating past the carbs era.
If I can't fix it myself I don't want it.

[ellipsis]

Back in the day, I raced two bikes with shift on different sides. Proddy bike and race bike.

...I have only gone the wrong way on the Velo or the Honda a couple of times...usually after a long day on the track...I did have some monumental fuck ups happening last meeting though...I had a day on a modern 250 and it was not the race pattern I have on the Honda...quite a few upchanges when I really needed some engine braking...caused a lttle moto-crossing at Ruapuna...

[Banditbandit]

When I still had BSAs as well as a commuter Japper I never got confused between the brake and the gear levers .. despite them being on opposite sides.

What did frequently catch me out was the lack of brakes !!! (small single leading shoe drums) I rode all week on a Honda with discs front and rear ... and on the weekends I'd be out on a BSA, brake for a corner about where I'd brake on a the Honda and then remember Fuck !!! The brakes don't work that well. I never lost it in the corners but I certainly had a few bowel loosening moments ...


Unless they ban old bikes I have no intention of updating past the carbs era.
If I can't fix it myself I don't want it.

Yeah .. I'm starting to think the same thing ... listening to the computer on the Suzie boot up then shut down seems over the top ..

[F5 Dave]

muscle memory

Ohh we're playing this game again?


Shedding skin and
I've been picking
Scabs again.
I'm down
Digging through
My old muscles
Looking for a clue

[swarfie]

I've got bikes with gear levers on different sides too but they're all one down, rest up. I've never had a problem until I rode my mates MSS Velocette in Australia where it was one up - rest down...never missed a change on it, but hopped back on my Velocette Thruxton when I got home with one down - rest up...cocked it up. WTF is with that? Never never ever had a problem till then. Brain Fart I guess :cool::weird::lol:

[Motu]

It was only for a day for me, but yeah, a short ride on something else and then I don't know what the fuck my feet should be doing.

[noel.brigid]

Hi Motu,
I have a Red and White Stornello 160.
I read a post of yours on another forum about the Stornello history in NZ in which you stated that you had connected with the importer. I am hoping he still has the sales dockets for mine so I can get it on the road legally. Do you have any contact info for him.
Thanks, Noel.

[Motu]

Look up UNNA in the members list, I don't know if he comes here much anymore. Did your red Stornello come from West Auckland ? I knew the original owner, and LM had it for many years.

[noel.brigid]

I bought mine in central Akld about 9 years ago. Spent some time sorting out the forks and front brake. Someone has changed the wheels to 18 inch. i think they are Ducati with a larger Grimeca front drum that didn't fit between the forks properly. I milled the backing plate slightly so that the fork leg sits in a slight recess. Got it going really well, too well, ran off the road and hit a tree while chasing a mate on a BSA 500. Just got it all back together. thanks for the contact.

[Voltaire]

Vintage Car Club has an active motorcycle section and one of the members does Vehicle Compliance, talk to Martin Spicer spicerclan@vodafone.co.nz.

Noel.Bridget....hmmm Mountain Road?