rdna

This might be a strange request and I guess most of you might even have started laughing after seeing the thread title, but I feel there are things in biking which I really need to learn

I've been riding bikes close to 7 years now, but I still haven't understood gear shifting properly. Till 2 months back, I was riding a CT-100 and know the capacities and limitations of the bike. The gear pattern being shifting only on the front peg for transition higher gears and vice versa know how to easily manage when I really need to go down to the first gear in slow traffic. Come Apache RTR and the 1-down and 4-up pattern, I can easily manage the gears without much issue until I need to move in slow moving traffic.

When do I actually shift down from the 2nd to 1st? The irritating part comes when you shift from the 1st to 2nd, but as soon as you clear a small distance, you have to slow down considerably and move to the 1st. But, doing this makes the bike jerk a bit and trying to maintain in 2nd gear is not good for the gearbox and the bike. This has happened few times even when I was using the CT-100.

Most of you might ask the speed which I'm traveling. The speed sometimes varies between 5km/h - 25km/h. The difference might sound big, but that's how the traffic is in Bangalore!

I'll be able to post more details as and when questions are asked

Aryan

Query Approved.

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rdna

Thanks a bunch for the quick approval. Any suggestions from you Mr. Mod

FranklySpeaking

From the statement in bold, I seem to get a hint that you are changing from 2nd to 1st just because of your mindset that 2nd gear is not good for gearbox. That could be the reason for the jerk because you are traveling at a relatively fast speed and shifting to a smaller gear. The tire is bound to skid.

As far as your question of shifting to 1st from 2nd is concerned, I think this is a tricky question and everyone has a different style of riding, and one may argue what's right and what's wrong. But you change to a smaller gear when the current gear does not give you enough torque (pulling power)


Now, I ride a Pulsar as well as a Bullet. When in traffic, I have to change gears more frequently on the Pulsar (switching between 1st and 2nd). Whereas my Bullet has a 4 speed gearbox with oodles of torque. It pulls very cleanly even from standstill in 2nd gear. Call me lazy or whatever I can pull it from any speed on 2nd gear easily. When I say easily, it means without much usage of clutch or revving the engine. With Pulsar also I can avoid 1st, but then I know I will have to revv the engine and use half-clutch, which is not a good practice. So, I downshift to 1st when there's a need.

Just use the gear that you like, without thinking much as to what harms the gearbox/clutch. You have paid for the bike afterall.

rdna

Well I'm a bit more conscious about my riding style and observed the gear shift. On my CT-100, I used to rely on the half-clutch method for 2nd gear and later in slow moving traffic, whereas on the RTR, I'm not using this method. Rather, I wait till the gear cannot pull in the current gear and then shift to the lower gear.

Half-clutch method is easier and doesn't need the constant shifting of gears. Is this recommended over the periodic gear shifts? I use the half-clutch method only in gears where in there might be a reason to maintain the same gear for slightly more distance. Suggestions please.

FranklySpeaking

There is nothing wrong with using half clutch, you will only have to change the clutch plates over a period of time. It is better than lugging the engine at higher gears and not downshifting.