How Do You Shift Motorcycle Gears?

Before we talk about how to shift gears, let’s talk about the controls involved.

On most motorcycles, shifting is accomplished using three basic components: the throttle, the clutch, and the gear shift lever.

The throttle is located on the right side handgrip, where you hold onto the handlebars. Rotating the handgrip in a backward motion increases the throttle, and returning it closes the throttle. In simple terms, this is how you control the motorcycle’s acceleration.

The clutch is a lever located in front of the left handgrip. When the clutch lever is pulled, it disengages the engine from the rear wheel. When the clutch lever is released, the engine and the wheel are actively connected via the transmission.

The gear shift lever is located near the driver’s left foot. Operating this lever while engaging the clutch will shift gears up or down, respectively.

This is the first thing that trips people up who have learned to drive manual transmission cars. Whereas automobile gears are arranged in a grid-shaped pattern, the shifting order on motorcycles is fixed. In other words, you can’t shift directly from first to third gear. You have no choice but to pass through second gear on the way.

Most motorcycles have five gears, although some sportbike models have up to six. And unlike automobiles, there is no reverse gear. If you need to back up, you just push off the ground.

Additionally, the “neutral” on a motorcycle is located between first and second gear. When shifting up from first gear, you’ll actually feel the transmission shift into neutral before it goes into second. This is vastly different from a car, where you can shift from any gear directly into neutral.

How Do You Shift Motorcycle Gears?

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