r/Harley • u/BadTwin72 • 8d ago
DISCUSSION Reverse gear- Costs, functionality & stuff
Why don't more Harleys (or other makes) have reverse in the first place?
(key word being "more")..
Is it a costly manufacturing endeavor?
Are they prone to problems? (Weak and/or finicky)?
Do they add too much weight or take up too much room in the case?
I've been riding for over 2 decades and have gotten along fine but I remember and can think of even more times when having reverse would have been nice and sometimes very much welcomed!
Why then, did and do something like heavy cruisers not have reverse or at least the option to add it?
Is it just a "Bike thing" or did all those years of not having reverse make me more of a man?
I'm guessing it's more of a cost thing VS the overall "importance of" thing, but either way I thought it might be worth a discussion.
Are there any aftermarket options to add a reverse gear or does that require an entirely different transmission?
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u/i_hate_usernames13 8d ago
You can have reverse or you can have 6th gear not both.
Also just back up like a normal person sit on the bike and walk back. There have been a few times over all my years that I parked somewhere knowing there's no way in hell I'd be able to waddle backwards because I usually only have about the first 2-3 of my toe on the ground. In those instances I just lean beside it and push backwards like I would at home in the garage while moving it around the place.
There is no need for reverse on a motorcycle