When do you shift gears on a motorcycle

Always start and shut off your bike in neutral. The proper gear will also permit the engine to provide sufficient power for the bike to accelerate if necessary.

When slowing down in traffic, or for road conditions, you must shift down through the gears until an appropriate match is obtained between engine and road speed. Remember to shift up when the engine is turning too fast for the road speed and to shift down when the engine is turning too slowly. Shifting down is more difficult to do smoothly than shifting up — and potentially more dangerous. You must open the throttle slightly to increase engine speed as you shift down with the clutch pulled in.

If downshifting is required, ensure it is done prior to the turn. Do not upshift in a turn unless you can do it very smoothly. Then repeat the process to shift to another gear.

Closing Tips: Practice, Practice, Practice. Find a safe environment away from traffic and obstacles with plenty of open space preferably paved. Your clutch lever is your best friend. If you accelerate too abruptly, or you are just not comfortable with your practice, squeeze and hold the clutch lever completely to disengage the power from the engine to the rear wheel.

Follow this up by using your right thumb to activate the engine cutoff switch. Listen to your motorcycle. It will let you know when it is time to shift. If it is screaming, you waited too long before you shifted to a higher gear.

If it feels like it is choking, you waited too long before down-shifting to a lower gear. Always wear your safety gear. West Orange. Advanced Courses. Private Lessons. Always put your bike in neutral when you are stopped. Typically, first gear is at the bottom, followed by neutral, then second through fifth. Some motorcycles have a sixth gear.

Not Helpful 6 Helpful One way to do it is to pull the clutch while releasing the throttle. Then, slowly release the clutch lever while twisting the throttle. Not Helpful 9 Helpful Not Helpful 34 Helpful Your bike's motor will be fine if you keep it running while shifting, but the motor may stall or shut off if you try to shift gears at very low speeds. Not Helpful 15 Helpful Each gear has a speed limit; if the gear has reached its peak, you will hear it in the sound of the bike.

If you are going to shift upward in gear, you'll get a feeling as if something is pulling the bike back; that is the time the gear is at its maximum potential. Not Helpful 33 Helpful Not necessarily. You can either put your bike in neutral or any other gear.

Just remember to pull the clutch in before you start the bike while in other gears except neutral. Bring the gear all the way down to the first if you want to accelerate the bike after starting the bike. Not Helpful 19 Helpful Put the bike into neutral a small half click between first and second gear.

Not Helpful 36 Helpful What motorcycle should I get as a beginner? I have never been on one, but I'm interested in trying. Theresa Tobollik. You always need to consider which type of riding you want to do: street, long trips, off road, etc. For beginners, it's also good to get a lightweight bike in order to get some confidence riding.

Also, it's recommended to not get a brand new one for the first year. Get a brand that is very common in your country, as it will be easier to have it maintained. Not Helpful 4 Helpful What do I do if my bike is running in second gear and I suddenly see a speed breaker?

Brake and go into first gear. Or, if you have enough practice, you can brake and stay in the same gear, just be sure to hold down the clutch to prevent the bike from stalling and release it as you throttle after you cross the speedbreaker.

Generally, you shouldn't need to shift gears for a speed breaker. Not Helpful 29 Helpful When changing gears, do I stop accelerating to kick it into each gear while holding down the clutch? Yes; when you are changing gears you need to close the throttle and change gears, then depress the throttle again.

Not Helpful 14 Helpful Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Helpful 57 Not Helpful Helpful 34 Not Helpful When you take your bike out on the streets and highways, keep your eyes up, searching for problems in your path of travel. Helpful 21 Not Helpful 6. The easiest way to stay out of trouble and avoid accidents on your motorcycle is to identify that trouble long before you reach it, or long before it reaches you.

Helpful 41 Not Helpful One lift, or one press, equals one gear. You cannot go from first gear to fifth gear by just holding the shift peg up. It must be reset for each shift up, or down. Helpful 39 Not Helpful Visibility vests are very important to wear when starting on a motorcycle, especially at night time where you can be hard to see by other drivers.

Helpful 8 Not Helpful 1. When the engine is cold don't pull the throttle fully, as you may wreck the engine.

Let it warm up first! Helpful 45 Not Helpful When at a very high speed, brake with the front brake gently at first and then progressively harder until you have slowed down to the speed you want and then gently ease off on the brake pressure.

Use a little rear brake to stabilize the bike. Helpful 42 Not Helpful Modern bikes rely on the front brake to stop. Using the rear brake at a high speed has very little effect. Helpful 35 Not Helpful Helpful 18 Not Helpful 9. Build the habit of shifting down while the wheels are turning. Helpful 16 Not Helpful 8. Some modern motorcycles have a digital display in the speedometer console that will display the gear that you are currently in.

Helpful 17 Not Helpful 9. The first gear is the hardest part to learn perfectly; release the clutch and roll in the throttle both at the same time and in slow interval, if you release the clutch fast and have applied speed, the motorcycle will jump forward and do a wheelie, causing an accident. Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1. The largest majority of motorcycles have a manual transmission. This means that the clutch must be used to disengage the transmission every time you want to start the motorcycle moving, every time you want stop the motorcycle, and every time you shift, or change gears.

Helpful 21 Not Helpful Keep your knuckles pointed upward to the sky, especially for beginners as to not give the bike to much throttle in first gear.