Gear change swop over on 500

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Treebod
Posts: 18
Joined: 08 Jun 2017 19:43
Location: Hereford

Gear change swop over on 500

Post by Treebod »

Hello, I am in the process of trying to swop over the gear change to the left. Does any one know of any pictures of how the factory went about it, or clues on the best way to do it? Any tips would be gratefully received.
texaskitty
Posts: 89
Joined: 17 Jan 2016 06:37
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Gear change swop over on 500

Post by texaskitty »

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4928

This thread is about the 350 left side gear change. Maybe it will help.
Treebod
Posts: 18
Joined: 08 Jun 2017 19:43
Location: Hereford

Re: Gear change swop over on 500

Post by Treebod »

Many thanks,that may well help.
Canuck750
Posts: 111
Joined: 29 Jan 2018 22:14
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, C

Re: Gear change swop over on 500

Post by Canuck750 »

I have a 1978 US Model 500W that came with a left hand shift, the previous owner installed rear sets with right hand shift (my preferance). I am carrying out a full restoration and have wanted to put back the left hand shift / right hand brake but after finding all the correct pedals and linkage I find the previous owner cut off all the relaterd tabs and brackets form the frame when the rear sets were fitted. Most annoying to sat the least.

In any event the US bikes had frame mods to attach the left hand shift pedal, there was a stud welded to the left hand side of the frame with a hollow tube through which the shift pedal was attached. This is a pciture of Kevin from Scrambler Cycle in the USA, his 1978 500W is all stock. Stud and tube holding the shift lever is eviodent.

Image

This is my 500W with what is left of the same stud after it was cut off the frame

Image

If you have the corect stud in place I have a full set of shift and brake pedals plus linkage to part with if you are interested. There is a linkage that passes under the motor to the shit point on the righ side of the motor and attached to an arm that is bolted to the shift shaft. There is a tube welded to the rear of the frame through which the shift linkage shaft passes, vivible here in this picture of my bikes frame as I stripped it down

Image

For the rear brake there should be a tab welded to the frame below the rear master cylinder that holds a cable, the cable then routed acorss the frame to the right hand side where another tab is welded to the frame for the cable and a cable stop. The brake pedal has a mount on the frame that takes a M8 bolt on which the rear brake pedal pivots.

The cable tab is on the frame rail below the rear master cylinder in this picture

Image

I think that if the frame is not a US import model with factory left hand shift the mods required are too much work for most. Had I known what was required before I had finished the frame I may have remade the parts if I hade templates to copy.
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Daddy Dom
Posts: 512
Joined: 16 Nov 2006 19:48
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: Gear change swop over on 500

Post by Daddy Dom »

I am a firm believer in trying to master the change as-is. I ride bikes with changes on both sides. Our brains can handle it!
You just practice while sitting in your favourite chair ;)
DD
MRC 3082½
Canuck750
Posts: 111
Joined: 29 Jan 2018 22:14
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, C

Re: Gear change swop over on 500

Post by Canuck750 »

Daddy Dom wrote:I am a firm believer in trying to master the change as-is. I ride bikes with changes on both sides. Our brains can handle it!
You just practice while sitting in your favourite chair ;)
DD
About a third of my bikes are 'modern' gear change on left, the rest are 'correct' - gear change on right, it does take me a few times of shifting the brake lever to get my head in sync with what my butt is on. :D
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