What was the first motorcycle with the now standard controls?

Someone asked this in another site and the source was never pinned down.

The best I could find was this quote, but no specific reference.

"With the exception of the starter, motorcycle controls have remained essentially unchanged since the 1920s." - http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/org/CDL/research/Harley/History.htm


Anyone know who started the trend? What motorcycle?

Mountain Mike said:

"With the exception of the starter, motorcycle controls have remained essentially unchanged since the 1920s."

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That doesn't seem right. For example I think Harleys had a suicide shift into the 1940s and maybe `50s

Motorcycle controls weren't standard in the US until passage of Motor Vehicle Safety Act in 1966 or 67 and starting with 1968 models. British and European machines had right side shifters until this.

+1 Dave ... I ran a 60's Bultaco 125cc off the side of a 10' cliff as I madly mashed down the right foot and hand levers (jamming it into 1st gear and pulling the clutch) trying to get the brakes applied!

dduelin said:

Motorcycle controls weren't standard in the US until passage of Motor Vehicle Safety Act in 1966 or 67 and starting with 1968 models. British and European machines had right side shifters until this.

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Sounds like Dave's right about that. Looks like Honda was about the first to use the current set-up.
I rode a 61 or 62 Honda 175, that belonged to a friend, it had the same controls as now. My first bike was a 69 Honda CS350, with these same controls.

dduelin said:

Motorcycle controls weren't standard in the US until passage of Motor Vehicle Safety Act in 1966 or 67 and starting with 1968 models. British and European machines had right side shifters until this.

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My 1972 HD XLCH was the last year they shifted on the correct side...

I'm learning a lot about all the different setups in researching this. I had no idea there was such thing as a "decompression lever".

But the original question still stands, who had it all together first, not when everyone did it.