Well, Like I said, I have never seen any Kirby that runs counter-clockwise. EVER! They all run Clockwise!
So turn it on and see if there is any suction thru the hose on the front or if the blower function works with the hose connected to the exhaust port. If the motor is running backward as you say, then there will be only a slight air movement through the hose when connected to the front of the machine.
p.s. If the motor is running backward, then the belt won't stay on. So if the belt stays on the motor shaft when the motor is running, then the motor is running in the correct direction.