by Stephen Meeks

One question that we at Ride Arizona MTC get asked quite frequently, especially from new riders, are all the controls situated in the same location on different motorcycles. The major controls: the throttle, forward levers, gear shift selector, and rear brake, are in the same place. The minor controls which are mounted on the handlebar switch assemblies are typically in the same positions as well. On occasion you might have a switch or button located in a different location on the switch assemblies.  One example is the turn signal switch. Usually a single turn signal switch is on the left handlebar switch assembly, however a few motorcycles have a switch on both sides. Depending on your style of motorcycle, there may be more than the standard switches. To get more familiar with the switches and controls refer to your motorcycle maintenance manual.