Shifting Gears
There is more to shifting gears than simply getting the motorcycle to pick up
speed smoothly. Learning to use the gears correctly when downshifting,
turning, or starting on hills is important for safe motorcycle operation.
The gearshift lever is located in front of the left footrest and is operated by the
left foot. To shift “up” to a higher gear, position your foot under the shift lever
and lift. To downshift, press the shift lever down. The shift lever changes one
gear each time it is lifted or pressed down. Whenever the lever is released,
spring loading returns it to center, where the mechanism resets for the next shift
up or down. A typical gear pattern is 1-N-2-3-4-5. The N is for neutral, which is
selected by either a “half lift” from 1st gear or a “half press” from 2nd gear.
Most motorcycles have five gears, but some have four or six gears.
As your motorcycle increases speed, you will need to shift up to a higher gear.
Shift up well before the engine RPM reaches its maximum recommended speed.
As a general rule, shift up soon enough to avoid over-revving the engine, but
not so soon to cause the engine to lug.
When upshifting, use a 3-step process:
1) roll off the throttle as you squeeze the clutch lever,
2) lift the shift lever firmly as far as it will go,
3) smoothly ease out the clutch and adjust the throttle.
Once the shift is completed, release the shift lever to permit it to reset for the
next shift. You should shift down through the gears with the clutch as you slow
or stop, and can also shift down when you need more power to accelerate.
Make certain you are riding slowly enough when you shift into a lower gear. If
not, the motorcycle will lurch, and the rear wheel may skid. When riding
downhill or shifting into first gear you may need to use the brakes to slow
enough before downshifting safely.
When downshifting, use a 3-step process:
1) roll off the throttle as you squeeze the clutch lever,
2) press the shift lever down firmly,
3) ease out the clutch lever as you adjust the throttle.
Once the shift is completed, release the shift lever to permit it to reset for the
next shift. Rolling on the throttle slightly while smoothly easing out the clutch
can help the engine come up to speed more quickly and make the downshift
smoother. Shifting to a lower gear causes an effect similar to using the brakes.
This is known as engine braking. To use engine braking, shift down one gear at
a time and ease out the clutch through the friction zone between each downshift.
Keep the clutch in the friction zone until the engine speed stabilizes. Then ease
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