Reverse shift pattern anyone?

[kowalski]

I getting ever closer to taking my bike out for it's first ride, since the over haul. I shortened my shifter and turned it around backwards, to work with my rear sets. I'm kinda worried about the 1 up 5 down pattern now. Just wondered if anyone else is running a reverse shift pattern and if so, how do you like it.

 

[66 Matchbox]

My 66 G15 CSR shifts one up, 3 down and on the right hand side. Going from my modern Triumph to the old Matchless hasn't been any trouble. Even when riding both on the same day.

 

[Drewski]

I love it! 8)

I would NOT recommend having 2 bikes with different shift patterns though. I did that for a couple of seasons and had more than a few blown shifts or super loooonnnggg shifts while mentally making sure which bike I was riding.

Now both will be reverse pattern.

Oh ya. It makes it a little tricky when a friend wants to ride my bike or when I jump on a friends bike. :

 

[vain]

I'm going for reversed with my new build. Worried, yes, but f... it, it's cool! 8)

 

[chapmanmd]

My Commando is 1 up, 3 down right side shift. All in what you get used to I guess.

 

[Tim]

I've been thinking of doing this on my XS, as with the rearsets it's very difficult to shift given the much much shorter lever on the shifter. Not enough leverage.

 

[SONICJK]

I'm curious as To the advantages/disadvantages of this? Mine was switched for a while and I'm not sure of why people do it?

Also anyone know the reason for the one down four up pattern in general as opposed to just a 5 up?

 

[hurley209]

i run gp shifting, i like it, quick shift, and i had no trouble getting used to it...

 

[Flugtechnik]

I set mine up that way for the same reason, to use my shift arm with my rearsets.

My observations. It works fine but you will occasionally mis-shift. When you learn how to ride your bike, they way you shift gets ingrained into your brain and after awhile you dont think about it

When I got my bike back together with the upside down shifting, I hadn't ridden in 2 years. I had to think about it every time. It worked Ok. But every once in awhile, when I wasn't paying attention I would shift they way I learned how to and would accidentally downshift instead of up, with comic and sometimes scary consequences. I planned on going back to normal, but it would take some work.

So, it works OK. If you have another bike with normal shifting, I wouldn't recommend it. You don't want to have to think about which way to shift while you are riding. It should just be second nature. I'm not sure it has any advantages except you may be able to up shift slightly faster and it is sometimes easier to configure with rearsets.

 

[Spoonz]

Had my RD setup like that 1up 5down worked great. When I changed my rearsets it went back to normal shift and I still miss shift every once in a while. Think I may switch it back to reverse shift.

 

[kowalski]

Glad to hear so much positive feed back. I really wanted avoid having to fab up some kind of linkage set up. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[VonYinzer]

Lots of old race bikes were set up that way. Less moving parts, less chance of something breaking I suppose. Not to mention the faster shifts. That said, with some time and work, rearsets with a correct shif linkage work just fine. Ive ridden both and you get used to it.