a question for you ironhead guys.

[d_dieffenbach]

i was on www.americanclassicmotors.net and they have a 74 ironhead on there. why is the shifter on the right side of the bike and the brake on the left. i was just curious a guy work with has a 77 and his is not like that atleast i never notice it.

[GSB_77_XL]

77 is the first year for the new gear case with the shifter on the left side without having the linkage. They started putting them on the left in about 75 due to the feds mandating it. They used a linkage systemto switch them over till 77.

Hope this helps

P.S. dont buy anything from American Classic Motors I have heard very bad things about them.

[d_dieffenbach]

ok cool just like looking at the bikes on there thats all. thanks for the info.

[Irondrake77]

this was originally done to compete with british motorcycles. they still made the shifter on the right for a few more years, but there was a linkage you could put on to correct it.

[IronMick]

The shifter was on the right side because the bike was designed as a racing bike which would always go counter-clockwise around the track. They never used the brake. This kept the useless brake on the low side and the gear shifter on the high side.

[Desertfox]

Originally Posted by IronMick

The shifter was on the right side because the bike was designed as a racing bike which would always go counter-clockwise around the track. They never used the brake. This kept the useless brake on the low side and the gear shifter on the high side.

I've heard both versions of this phenomenon. Both sides swear it's the truth. Any way you slice it. The righty shift was just totally bitchin' cool. Wish they would have kept it.

[killswitch]

just talk to any Jackpine Gypsies while your in Sturgis,, they'll tell ya!!!

[Fork]

Originally Posted by Irondrake77

this was originally done to compete with british motorcycles. they still made the shifter on the right for a few more years, but there was a linkage you could put on to correct it.

This is what I have always heard. I have never heard the explanation Mick offered. But who really knows besides the people at Harley.

I love my shifter on the right. It gives people that have never seen it something to talk about.

[Gone]

As I recall it went something like this, after WWII the HD WR racing version had the foot clutch on the left, spring loaded to assist in quick engagement, those models ran without any brakes on the 1/2 and mile tracks. The HD KR came out in 1953 and was a 750cc flathead, R designated the racing version. No brakes were used on this model except for Roadracing and TT courses. In the 70's when the AMA allowed the overhead valves twins to increase to 750 cc that was the end of the HD KR. Prior to this time all twins were restricted to 500 CC with overhead valves. the same rule applied to the 500cc ovh singles like BSA , Norton, etc. When the HD XR750 overhead valve came along it took a few years to get the bugs all worked out. This version actually made its first appearance by a privateer on a half mile with a destroked Sporster engine to bring the displacement down to 750cc. The XR 750 was also using a swingarm rear suspension and at that time brakes started showing up on these bikes. The rigid frames could not compete with them in chassis tuning. The shift lever and the brake lever were and still are , located on the right side of the bike. The HD's that we built had sheet metal primary covers to gain more ground clearance and less weight, the only thing on the left side of the bike was a very short rear set folding foot peg. Every attempt was made to get the bikes to lean over a far as possible without anything getting onto the track surface. At least that is the way I remember it.

[Mattbastard]

If you stop the page from loading at the right time,

you can see all the pics and not have to listen to that gawd awful G-n-R song.