The battery negative case tie down is at the speedo cable boot, so that puts the negative post on the driver's right.
As for the revolutions and setting valves, I don't think about what pistons are doing and which of the four stages of a 4-cycle engine they're in. The object is you want to set the valves for the side that is at TDC on the compression stroke. I usually start on the left side, bike in 4th or 5th gear, valve cover off, standing behind the bike. I grab the rear wheel spokes and begin to turn it in its normal direction, watching the valves. When I see the intake vavle open (ah, intake stroke!), then close, any more turning puts that side on the compression stroke. I stop turning the wheel at the back, sit down on the left side of the bike, and use my hand to bump the rear wheel until the TDC shows up. Ready to set the valves on the left side. You can then just rotate the flywheel 360 degrees to be at the proper position for the right side. But I go through the same process, this time watching the right intake rocker. This assures I haven't missed the TDC mark on the right side.
As for the revolutions and setting valves, I don't think about what pistons are doing and which of the four stages of a 4-cycle engine they're in. The object is you want to set the valves for the side that is at TDC on the compression stroke. I usually start on the left side, bike in 4th or 5th gear, valve cover off, standing behind the bike. I grab the rear wheel spokes and begin to turn it in its normal direction, watching the valves. When I see the intake vavle open (ah, intake stroke!), then close, any more turning puts that side on the compression stroke. I stop turning the wheel at the back, sit down on the left side of the bike, and use my hand to bump the rear wheel until the TDC shows up. Ready to set the valves on the left side. You can then just rotate the flywheel 360 degrees to be at the proper position for the right side. But I go through the same process, this time watching the right intake rocker. This assures I haven't missed the TDC mark on the right side.