Left hand gear change conversion

[Broadbandylegs]

Hi - I have a factory gear change conversion kit and I'm trying to fit to a 350 Sport drum model. Does anyone have any information or photos that would help? I thought I had it sussed but the crossover shaft seems to be about 1/2 inch too short. I'm probably missing something obvious. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers
Rob

[MarkB]

I'm not sure if this is any help, but here's a German 3 1/2 with the conversion. You can just see the mount for a crossover shaft hanging from the lower front engine mounting bolt.


Good luck! Mark.

[Broadbandylegs]

Thanks Mark - much appreciated. Unfortunately mine is a rearset conversion as well and the crossover runs behind the engine. I'll press on regardless...

[mikeh]

Having ridden left-hand gear change Japanese bikes in New Zealand in my youth then restored a 3 1/2 and got back on the road after a break of [insert large number] years, I'm still struggling with the right-hand side gear lever on the Morini. I hadn't really thought about a left-hand conversion kit, where did you get it -- NLM?

[Broadbandylegs]

Hi Mike - ebay as it happens. NLM don't have conversion kits any more - I checked.
If I could figure out how to post photos I'd put some up...

[Broadbandylegs]

Here's a couple of photos. The problem is, the crossover shaft isn'tquite long enough when the plates are fitted...

[Richard A]

I'm not a million miles away from considering it either on my 3 1/2. The weird thing is that it's not the right hand change that's a problem, it's the seeming inability of my brain to manage right hand / left foot braking.

I'm also on rearsets, and that kit looks very interesting, thanks for posting a good view of it. Probably the only solution is going to be to run up a longer shaft with the same end fittings, but it's odd that it doesn't fit. Were there different frame widths? Not sure.

[Highpiper]

Interesting--thanks for posting the photos. As it happens, I just picked up a set of rearset pegs for my 350 Sport, which has the Rube Goldberg-ish left shift conversion on it (US).

In the coming week I will be disassembling the shift-conversion apparatus to re-install the proper right-hand shift on my bike, with the rearsets. Good to see how it's set up from those photos though---it should help me with the disassembly.

I normally ride old British bikes (Commando, Bonneville), so the right hand shifting actually feels more 'normal' to me than the left-side shift.

Peter

[Broadbandylegs]

Hi Peter - any chance you could post some shots of it + how long is the crossover shaft?
Thanks
Rob

[Harry]

The 'Factory Conversion" is a cut down set up from the 350 K2 in response to Harley Davidson lobbying the American Senate to combat imports "that all motorcycles should conform to their gear change standard" in the hope that overseas manufacturers would not be able to afford the expense of changing the gear change to the 'wrong' side and throw them a life line with the crap they produce.
The K2 has an extension (which has been cut off) to the set up pictured, from which the pillion foot rests and exhaust was attached.
There was an article in the magazine in the seventies of someone doing this conversion before the K2 came out and I think involved attaching a block to the back of the crankcases with out damaging them. If you really want to know how he did it then I could go through all my back editions,

[Broadbandylegs]

Thanks Harry - makes sense now. I needed a couple of small spacers to make sure the plates were straight and that would explain the crossover shaft not being long enough. Looking at pictures of K2s the swing arm bushes look like they protrude from the alloy plate. Do you know if these are interchangeable with those on the Sport?
Thanks
Rob

[Highpiper]

Will post updates (and photos, if I can recall how to do so) as soon as I get going on the conversion...this week, I hope. Though it appears you found the answer to your question already...

Peter

[Harry]

PS.
Forgot to mention that on the K2 the swinging arm spindle is longer than on the ordinary 350 and does not screw into the frame but into the right hand plate which should be threaded. The reduced end is also longer and once the left hand nut is done up the plates are clamped to the frame. A beautiful and simplistic solution. The only problem you will have is rear brake actuation as for the K2 all they had to do is swap the bracket and master cylinder over to the right and use a pull rod. If you are intending to use cable then the route can be tortuous and tight.