Are you Right or Left Handed and how does it affect your Motorcycling ?

Laverda SF

Laverda SF

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I'm right handed and always appreciated a left handed mechanic around ;o)

Can't say I noticed much difference in our Motorcycle skills other then as a right handler, I preferred a Right Foot Shifter mainly because I could balance the bike better when breaking hard and shift my weight faster then the foot shifter on the left.

I'm somewhat ambidextrous playing Hockey, Basketball, Water Skiing and Ping Pong - If that means something !

Definitely a right handler in Golf, Tennis, Batmen and Baseball... etc.

I know two lefties, both are Hog Riders and believe me you really have to go fearless to win.
 
Rossi was a left legged shifter.

LJ-2: You seem to be commenting on the left hand clutch lever, which all bikes are - Throttle on the right. Your stronger hand, I presume, to operate a Breganzie Clutch.

My weaker left hand never had issues using 2 fingers on cable - providing I could reach it.

If no go with the clutch - Just BANG the shifter with my right foot ;o)

Granted Lefties are less then 20% of the populaces.
 
When I started roadracing we were still doing push starts. A couple of lefties pushing from the wrong side of a bike in the middle of a crowded grid could - and did - cause major problems.

I've seen half the field laying in a pile on the grid after legs got tangled.

Just one of the reasons why everyone went to clutch starts in the early 70's.
 
Left footed too Ron, so there"s the rub :D  but spacial thought- Right hand Brain Experience a great book with a joint back then. :D

However no issues with left or right shifters, with cricket bat right handed,bowl left handed.
 
LJ-2: Suppose your dominate eye is the left one as well as mine, but it's half blind now at my age ;o(

I always put my right foot down when I stopped. Mainly because I use that foot to shift into neutral being a right side shifter bike.

However, with my GSX-R Kantana being a left shifter, I tended put my left leg down when stopped but not always. Depends if I had to wait awhile at a light I would rock the Suzuki over and rest on my right leg.
 
I?m right handed, have bikes with both gear lever/ rear brake configurations . I really struggle with left foot braking on the old stuff, I can do it but nowhere  near the finesse . I actually prefer French roundabouts to ours ( anti clock) . I think I would really struggle with left hand twist grip, guy in Kent has a r/hand twist grip on left bar that works backwards ( like a helicopter perhaps?) , on a left hand sidecar!
As for putting foot down, whichever is not on the rear brake, I was taught Police method ? Hendon shuffle?
 
78jotadave said:
Ron, hope you don't mind if I put this question on your thread, it is a left-right issue.

When riding what foot do you put down when you come to a stop?  I am a left foot down guy, always played left wing. ;)
Click to expand...
Rider trainers say you should put down your gear change foot first as you should be in the correct gear at that speed and may need the rear brake for holding the bike.
Left or right handed or footed should make no difference on a bike other than psychological. Hendrix anybody?
 
Left or right handed or footed should make no difference on a bike other than psychological. Hendrix anybody?
Click to expand...

I definitely preferred a right leg shifter bike, being right handed, as when you had to brake hard or had to change direction suddenly, I felt my weight to be more evenly distributed over the bike where I could shift my weight faster and keep balance rather then all my weight being all on one side of a left shifter bike.

I could always approach a corner faster feeling comfortably balanced with my weight evenly distributed over the bike when breaking with my right hand on the front brake lever and left foot on the rear brake pedal leaving my right foot free to shift.

I could never understand why the Japanese switched sides - Now that maybe just me  - Perhaps because my 1st bikes where European BSA's, Triumph's and Norton's. I was never truly comfortable with the shifter on the left - for touring it was acceptable but not for racing.
 
Left handed and ambimouse.
Turning left for sure, I think even 5degrees of difference left/right.
I have only left rear brake bikes!  :D
 
I don't give a damn, right, left, down for first or up for first.
When I stop, it's always my brake side foot on the ground so that I can select first without falling over.

Haven't got a hand change, foot clutch bike.
Yet.

Paul
 
Interesting question Normski. I am more comfortable in left-hand corners than right handers. Not sure why, could be due to the camber (drive/ride on the left in Aus), or all in the mind. Has become a bit of a concern as I find I get too close to the centre-line when apexing right handers.
 
Lefties for me; but then I?ve only recently realised you actually push and pull on the handlebars to make it go where you want it to so what do I know?...
 
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