Changing shift pattern

[Dave K]

I have always wondered about this, so it is time to ask. The shift pattern on my 175 just never ever been comfortable to me. I like the current standard on all motorrcyles, of having the neutral between 1st and 2nd. I have in many years past, thought I missed a gear going for 5th only to find myself in neutral. That is bad enough to be in neutral, until you think you actually did miss a gear and shift again and go to 1st. The RPM's go into never, never land. Also, I hate going into a slow corner and end up in neutral as well. Is there ANY way to change this? I really don't have a need for the rotary shift.

[Zach]

I know on both my bridgestones I can switch a lever by the shifter from 4 speed rotary shift to 5 speed standard. I have a 70 and 71 200cc bikes. I really don't know to much about bridgestones though, maybe not all models had this. I also find this pattern wierd. Even in standard shifting neutral is all the way up and you push the shifter down to upshift. It took me a while to get used too.

[paul]

Zach, the BS 60's, 90's and 100's had the rotary shift 4 speeds. The GTR has a 6 speed with the neutral at the top. When these machines were sold in the 1960's/early 1970's there was no "standard shift pattern" or "standard shifter location".

[BS Mechanic]

I believe Bridgestone's intent was to provide a distinct separate gear position for neutral when riding in town.  On many bikes with neutral a 1/2 stop between 1st and 2nd, neutral is hard to find when stopped, largely due to the remaining friction from wet clutches.  This friction loads the gears making it difficult to shift into neutral.  You either push too hard and find you have skipped through neutral and on into 2nd or 1st, or not hard enough and you are still in the same gear.  With Bridgestones full neutral position, this was never a problem.  

Although the direction of the shift pattern is mostly personal familiarity, it always seemed more "natural" to me to have the direction of the up shift be in the direction your foot has the most force, pushing down.  When you're running hard and shifting as fast as possible, it's the up-shifts you generally want as quick as possible.  

I first learned to ride a BS 90, had some difficulty adapting when I got a Honda 305, and less when I switched back to a BS 350 a couple of years later.  By then I was pretty well adapted to whatever I happened to be riding.