What does 1 up 5 down mean?

Question

Its probably a dumb question to all you motorcycle peeps but I just was wondering. All I know is it has to do with a motorcycle. Thanks

Answer 1

Usually, it is 1 down, and 4 or 5 up, but the meaning is relatable.  From neutral, you must move the gear shift up to get into first gear, then down for the remaining gears, in this case, the other 5.  So that is 1 up, and 5 down.  Neutral on a bike is found between first and second gears.

Nice question!

Answer 2

Like the others have told you it is the sequence of gears, most likely this would be the gearbox on a race bike which has the order reversed, in theory to allow easier changes up while leaned over. Most sports bikes have a linkage to the gear change spline which can be reversed fairly simply.

Answer 3

It means that on the shifter (for the transmission) that first gear is 1 click up on the lever  from neutral, and 2nd-5th gear are two through five clicks down on the lever from neutral.  Japanese MC are like this.

Answer 4

It's the shift pattern. Press the shift lever down once to go into 1st gear.

Lift the shift lever up 5 more times to go into higher gears.

Start with the trani in neutral -

Press the shift lever down with your toe - the trani shifts to 1st gear - release pressure on the shift lever and it springs up to it's resting position, ready to be shifted again.

Lift the shift lever up with your toe - the trani goes through neutral and into 2nd gear - release pressure on the shift lever and it springs back to it's resting position, ready to be shifted again.

Lift up again 3rd - lift up again 4th - lift up again 5th - lift up again 6th

Press down 5th - press down 4th - press down 3rd - press down 2nd - press down, the trani goes through neutral into 1st.

Neutral is between 1st & 2nd gear.

You can feel a slight indent with your toe.

If you stop pressing/lifting the shift lever when you feel the indent, the trani will stay in neutral.

OR you can continue applying pressure and shift through neutral - down into 1st, or up into 2nd.

Starting from neutral - 1 down (1st)

Starting from neutral - 5 up (2-3-4-5-6)

Answer 5

1 up 5 down is something with the gears

Here it is:

1

neutral

2

3

4

5

6

Answer 6

You mean 1 down 5 up? that's how the gears go on a motorcycle 1 down being first and the rest up being 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. LOL thumbs down for me? Try to ride it another way and see what happens.

Answer 7

BUgz is soooooo right - it's one down and five up..........

Answer 8

It represents the gears...1 up 5 down means..pull it up once and you are in first gear, the kick it down once is second...then third..fourth fifth sixth.

Although it is usually 1 down and 5 up. The reason they do it that way is so you can clear the gears easier when you stop. First gear being the only gear that is down, means when you stop you can just pull the clutch, and kick down a bunch of times and know you are now in first for when you want to take off.