Bicycle vs Motorcycles.

Can anybody figure out why bicycle chains or "drive side" is designed to be on the right hand side, while motorbikes are designed on the left?

I take a stab at it knowing someone will probably have a different answer.
Most engines are built to rotate in the same direction making it practicle for the chain to be on the corresponding side.
As far as a bicycle I believe that some tandems have chains on either side as well as some "motorized bikes".
As far as regular bikes I believe the design comes from the old standards that eveolved in the 1800's therfore they just haven't changed because thats the way it's always been, of course this part is theory.

__________________
Dope,when training and talent just aren't enough.

Sounds good to me

__________________
Fat Burning Nutrition 'Bible' - Others Come And Go. Burn The Fat Is A Perennial Best Seller Since 2003. New Website Converting All-time High In Our 7 Year History. Respected Expert Author Seen In Oprah, Men's Fitness & Wall Street Journal.

...because of the Coriolis effect, which also explains why they are opposite in the southern hemisphere.

They aren't. Motorcycles vary hugely from brand to brand. Mine is on the right and is a drive shaft. Some shaft drive bikes are on the left. Same with chain/belt driven bikes.

Yup. Older Triumphs had right side drive. I believe all shaft drives are on the right.

__________________
Sex is horrid
Pain is Fun
I cut my fingers off
One by one

No even those vary quite a bit.

An engine will spin in which ever direction the starter motor and ignition/fuel system wants it to spin.

I don't have the faintest idea why this is so.
Hope this helps.

__________________
Drink!Feck!Arrse!Girls!

Well, I said most. Boat motors are built with right and and left rotation and I think I heard that Honda engines rotate counter to most. Even a car engine with worn cam lobes can definitely run backwards but no indefinitely.

__________________
Dope,when training and talent just aren't enough.

For the sake of being controversial, I'm pretty sure it's because bicyclists are right and good, while motorcyclists are, as the left hand was associated with evil in ancient times, well, not good. If you are both bicyclist and motorcyclist, you probably have a lot of internal conflict. Sorry.

That's funny. Yep...do I ride the bike or the bike. It's very confusing at times!

I hope you ain't nit-picking. What I'm referring to, as we can see on the roads daily, and COMMONLY and generally, in the 21st century, most motorcycles have chains on the left side, bicycles on the right.

Oh, now we all knew you have a motorbike with drive shaft (not chain-driven). That's cool, congrats! can we move on?

I do get a lot of funny looks riding a Harley Soft Tail wearing Lycra as well as a few snikers and jeers wearing gang leather colors while riding my Fondriest.

__________________
Dope,when training and talent just aren't enough.

He's just giving you the honest answer to your question. There's no universal truth about motorcycles that dictates that the chain be on the left, and this is aptly demonstrated in the fact that some bikes drive from the right, even here in the 21st century.

As far as bicycles go, there's also no universal truth which dictates that the chain should be on the right, but as there's a huge incentive to have compatibility between frames and components I expect that's enough reason for manufacturer's to conform to a standard. With motorcycles, a single manufacturer designs and builds most of the components on a particular bike so there's less reason to create or conform to some standard established across multiple brands or even models.