How to Shift Gears on a Motorcycle?

Shifting gears on a motorcycle is not a simple matter. Practice is the key factor. Muscle memory will make shifting smoother. Smooth shifting involves three motorcycle control devices, namely the clutch lever, the shift lever and the throttle. The motorcycle clutch lever is located on the left side of the motorcycle handlebar. It disconnects and engages the power from the engine to the rear wheels. The throttle is located at the right end of the handlebar of the motorcycle. Rotating the right wrist will increase the amount of gas supplied to the engine. The gear shift lever is located at the bottom left of the motorcycle.

How to Change Gears

1. Get started

After the engine is started, it must be warmed up for 3-5 minutes before driving. Motorcycle engine warm-up is a work that cannot be ignored. Especially in the case of low ambient temperature, it is more important, but the throttle cannot be air bombed to speed up the warm-up. Engines with insufficient preheating temperature will aggravate the wear of cylinders, piston rings, rocker arms and other parts during operation. Before starting, you should observe the surrounding situation and send out signals. The key to starting is to coordinate the action between the accelerator and the clutch. Hold the clutch handle tightly, put on the low gear, gradually loosen the clutch handle with the left hand, and slowly add oil with the right hand. If the engine has a tendency to stall, add some oil quickly. If the engine speed is high, reduce the throttle, try to control the engine speed not to be too high, so that the engine speed remains stable from the beginning to the complete engagement of the clutch.

2. Shift

After the motorcycle starts, the next step is to speed up right side shifter. When shifting gears, the period during which the clutch is disengaged is an idling interval. It can neither accelerate nor use the accelerator to control the speed of the motorcycle, it can only be a kind of inertial driving. Therefore, it is necessary to shorten the disengagement time of the clutch as much as possible.

When shifting from a low gear to a high gear, first accelerate and then turn off the throttle. The left hand quickly squeezed the clutch handle to disengage the clutch and put it on a higher gear. Then lightly open the clutch handle, and then increase the throttle. According to this method, you can gradually shift gears to reach the highest speed. It is very important to use the shift lever to select the appropriate gear.

When the motorcycle is running, the engine power is insufficient (such as going uphill) or the road is obstructed, you should switch to a low gear in time. The essentials of shifting from high gear to low gear are: first turn off the throttle, reduce the vehicle speed, quickly tighten the clutch handle, shift to the desired gear, and then gradually loosen the clutch handle while increasing the throttle. When shifting from a high gear to a low gear, the vehicle speed must be reduced to a speed close to that of the gear shift position. Otherwise, because the vehicle speed is too high, the engine will produce a lot of restraining force after the gear is engaged, causing damage to the related transmission parts.

3. Parking

When you need to stop, turn off the throttle first. Hold the clutch handle tightly with your left hand, put in neutral, and brake the front and rear wheels equally. When operating the front brake caliper or rear brake caliper, master the process of slow and gentle operation.

When shifting gears, keep your eyes looking straight ahead at all times, and do not look down, look left or right, or distract your attention. When increasing speed, step on the foot gear lever.

Wearing safety equipment at all times is a top priority. These equipment include motorcycle riding goggles, safe motorcycle helmets, gear shifter protector, and motorcycle shifter covers.