How to Shift Gears on a Motor Bike

The Beach Boys know how fun it is to shift gears on a motor bike. They take great pleasure singing about shifting gears in their hit song, "Little Honda." First gear is alright, but if you can't shift a motor bike into second gear, you can't go faster. Learning to shift gears comes with experience and requires a bit of skill and coordination.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A DOT-approved helmet
• Eye protection
• Protective clothing

1. Identify the shifting pattern of the motor bike. The number of gears differs between motor bikes, but the pattern is similar. First gear is down and the rest are up.

2. Close the throttle and pull the clutch lever in completely before shifting down to first gear. Improper shifting damages the engine, the transmission and the drive train of the motor bike.

3. Learn to recognize the engagement point as you release the clutch lever. It's at this point the transmission of the power to the rear wheel resumes. Open the throttle a little bit for more power and gradually ease out the clutch.

4. Up shift to a higher gear before the engine RPM (speed) gets too high. Learn the relationship between engine sound and the normal shifting points. If you lose control of the motor bike, pull in the clutch lever and gently apply the break.

5. Down shift to a lower gear before you feel the motor bike lugging at low rpm. Pull in the clutch lever and shift down.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear appropriate safety gear when riding a motor bike. This includes a helmet that's approved by the Department of Transportation, eye protection like a face shield or goggles, and protective clothing including boots, pants, a jacket and gloves.
• Ride in the highest gear that lets the motor bike run and accelerate smoothly. This gives you good fuel economy and effective emissions control.
• Shift gears up at the appropriate speeds. Go from first to second gear at 12 mph, from second to third at 19 mph, from third to fourth at 25 mph and from fourth to fifth at 31 mph.
• Downs-hift before you stop. Go from fifth to forth at 22 mph and from forth to third at 16 mph. Pull the clutch lever in when speed drops below 12 mph, or when engine stalling is imminent. Shift down to first gear for acceleration.

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