Splitting Neutral

My Best Guess

 

Thanks for clarifying. When I first read that I was thinking maybe you were talking about some odd ball British sports car transmission from the 60s or 70s. I think my age is showing.

 

in the past I had an old dirt bike for a gf son, was N-1-2-3-4-5 shift pattern, was so confusing

 

I seem to remember a bike that had a circular shift pattern: N-1-2-3-4-5-N-1-2 etc.

 

I remember that too. Can't remember any details other than grabbing the next gear put you in neutral and you damn well better not click up again!

 

Circular shift. Oh so not a good idea!....

The pattern never was a law. If anything it was a intra-industry standard that was agreed upon.

Like (I believe Panther) said, downshifting down to a referenced stop (we're never really sure what gear we're in unless we hit an end) and grabbing a gasfull of neutral wouldn't be conducive to making the corner.....

 

Couple of smallish Japanese urban bikes had that; idea was instead of having to downshift thru the box at lights to get to neutral, it was just one more shift from top. I think it also wound up in early Kawi G4TR trailies with the hi-lo gearbox. And the Bridgestone 175 twin had a lever on the countershaft cover that switched it from rotary shift 5 speed, to normal 6 speed.

 

I was lost too and didn't bother to Google it.

 

Yep, H1s had neutral at the bottom too.

 

First bike I bought my son was a 50cc internet find, Chinese origin, same shift pattern. But I don't think he ever got past 3rd gear on it.

 

XR/CRF 50 and 70's have neutral at the bottom. I think that most, if not all, of the Honda's with auto clutches have neutral at the bottom.

 

All brands of shift atv's with a auto clutch are like that too.