Trying to learn how to ride a 2007 H-D Sportster XL883.?

Question

Want to get the feel for being on a motorcycle before I start my motorcycle training class. Can anyone explain the gear shifting to me? Seriously my first time on a bike so be very precise on what i need to do and how. Thanks!

Answer 1

To shift gears you use the clutch and the gearshift together.  The clutch is the lever you pull with your left hand.  It disconnects the engine from the back wheel. You have to have the clutch in to change gears, and you also use it to start out.

The gearshift lever is by your left foot.  On most bikes it's one down and four up (some bikes have six gears so it's one down and five up).  Beginning in Neutral, you hold in the clutch and press down on the shift lever.  This puts you in first gear.  You still aren't moving, though, because the clutch is in.  Now you give it a little throttle while letting out the clutch.  This gently connects the engine to the back wheel and you begin rolling.

Once you're moving you can shift up to second gear.  You pull in the clutch again, back off on the throttle, and pull the gearshift lever up with your left toe.  Now you let out the clutch again, while feeding in the throttle.  Now you are going faster!

You do this 3 more times to go through all the gears.  Around town you might be in 3rd gear, but on the highway you want to be in 5th gear.  You pick the gear that keeps your engine in the RPM range where it's happiest.

Explaining it is one thing, doing it is another!  Especially starting out from a standing stop, it can be tricky until you get the feel of it.  If you let out the clutch too fast it stalls the engine.  If you let it out too slow it burns the clutch up.  If you don't give it enough throttle the engine dies, and if you give it too much you start really fast.

Someone will have to show you how to do it, someone with a lot of patience! 8^)  In the MSF course (if that's the training class you're taking) they'll teach you all you need to know about it.

Once you get the feel of it, though, it's easier to do than to talk about.  I mean, as complicated as it sounds to explain it, it's really very simple once you get the hang of it.

Good luck!  And be careful!