Left Hand Drive bikes

[Whysub]

Finally my new bike was delivered, so I can at least get around quicker than walking and without burning petrol. And get a bit fitter.

However, after riding pushbikes, mopeds and twist 'n go scooters for the last 60 years, finding that my new bike has the rear brake on the right handlebar, and the front on the left has left me with problems.

I just can't unlearn/learn the new set up, and i fear a panic stop will result in some panic. The levers are handed so I can't simply swap them over. And if I swap the cables the front will be too short, the rear too long, but plenty of bike shops here that will supply cables.

Has anyone overcome the issue mentally and not resorted to changing them across?

I never knew that bikes in the UK and EU were different, and the reasons why are somewhat confused

[MingtheMerciless]

Can't help you but get it swapped or you may have a near death experience like me when I bought a second hand bike and only on its first outing as I went plunging into a sketchy descent did I realise the prior owner had a "Euro" set up!

[Taff]

if they're cable operated then you just need to swap the cables around at the lever end

[weeksy]

What brakes? It's basically to do with driving on opposite sides of the road. Your local shop won't charge too much to swap

[Whysub]

As usal, all bike shops close early on Saturday, or are just not open. Too busy trying to get the pool filter to work this morning, but that's now all.sorted.

I'll take it into the local (and well rated) bike shop on Monday to see if they can do it. Not many Brits in this area, so he'll probably not done it too often, if at all.

[weeksy]

Got a link to the bike you bought ?

[DefTrap]

I would just get used to it, your Brian is an amazing thing and this won't fox it, much.

[Cousin Jack]

I would just get used to it, your Brian is an amazing thing and this won't fox it, much.

I learned to ride an old BSA motorcycle. Right foot gearchange, 1 up and 3 down.

I easily managed the swap to left foot change (5 mins tops), letting go of the up-for-down and down-for-up mindset was rather more difficult.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I would just get used to it, your Brian is an amazing thing and this won't fox it, much.

I learned to ride an old BSA motorcycle. Right foot gearchange, 1 up and 3 down.

I easily managed the swap to left foot change (5 mins tops), letting go of the up-for-down and down-for-up mindset was rather more difficult.

Yeah the Bonnie is the same, gears are are the 'wrong' side and its up to shift down and down to shift up, with 3 up 1 down.

I also used to have one car with the indicator stalk in the normal place and the other with indicators on the right hand side of the wheel.

I manage to flit between the vehciles no bother at all. Once you've ridden/driven them a while you quickly get used to switching around.

[Jody]

I had a go on a Fatbike in Courchevel a few years ago. The brakes were the 'wrong' way round!
I found it dead easy to get used to, but we were told not to really use the front brake and as my front brake failed 1 run into the ride I didn't struggle.

[porter_jamie]

I wouldn't ride it. Its all OK until you have a panic moment and your brain takes over and you'll be over the bars.
Is is a roadie bike with drops? Bit more work involved there with bar tape and so on.

[Whysub]

All sorted. I am old enough to remember Honda SS50 mpoeds having a cable operated disc brake, so assumed that this was what were on my bike.

On closer inspection, I saw that the brake cables are actually very small bore brake hoses, and that the reason the levers are handed is that they are the brake fluid reservoirs.

Took a couple of minutes to undo the hoses and swap them over, and both plenty long enough.

I have had British bikes and a Morini three and a half with a right hand gear change, and I found my brain could switch between the two sides easily, but then I can't think that I ever had to change gear in an emergency.

More difficult was the down for up, up for down lever on my Aprilia RS250, as the thought of changing down instead of up when needing to shift up when at the redline was always in my mine. I did get used to it with only a few incorrect shifts, which had no mechanical consequences.

Now the brakes are sorted and work the right way round, I can concentrate on where I am going, knowing i won't have to think about which brake is which.

Plus is anyone here steals it, they may well hurt themselves at the first application of the right hand side lever.

[Dodgy69]

Use both brakes together.

[Whysub]

Its not often i use the rear brake on my motorbikes.