Best way to teach someone how to use gears on a small motorbike?
- Thread starter weltweit
- Start date
weltweit
Well-Known Member
I think we are going to find an empty carpark in which to practice.
Teaching going up the gears, using the twistgrip to accelerate, then pull in the clutch and throttle back while selecting the next gear with your left foot (up for higher gears) releasing the clutch again seems straighforward.
But how to teach slowing down and changing down with suitable throttle changes.
Or how to teach if slowing on a hill in a higher gear, selecting a lower gear to get more revs and more power to maintain that speed. Blipping the the throttle on changing down etc ..
Teaching going up the gears, using the twistgrip to accelerate, then pull in the clutch and throttle back while selecting the next gear with your left foot (up for higher gears) releasing the clutch again seems straighforward.
But how to teach slowing down and changing down with suitable throttle changes.
Or how to teach if slowing on a hill in a higher gear, selecting a lower gear to get more revs and more power to maintain that speed. Blipping the the throttle on changing down etc ..
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
I had to go way, way back in my memory for my experience of learning on a small m/bike [a BSA Bantam !].
Demonstrate, and practice first on the flat. Before moving onto hills.
One of the things that helped me was that I had had the bike in bits, so I knew what the clutch looked like inside, and how it worked. Same for the gear box.
Something else that might be useful would be to find a youtube demo of gears working at different ratios. How the size & speed affect each other.
Demonstrate, and practice first on the flat. Before moving onto hills.
One of the things that helped me was that I had had the bike in bits, so I knew what the clutch looked like inside, and how it worked. Same for the gear box.
Something else that might be useful would be to find a youtube demo of gears working at different ratios. How the size & speed affect each other.
WouldBe
Dislicksick
Have they ever ridden a bicycle with gears before?
I didn't have any 'lessons' in when to change gears just needed to know 1 down 5 up.
weltweit
Well-Known Member
I don't know, but it is possible they haven't ridden a bicycle before, quite possible.
They did have a scooter, but I think it was twist and go.
No, I never had lessons also, but I had an Innocenti scooter and a field to play in. Then later a 124 dirt bike.I didn't have any 'lessons' in when to change gears just needed to know 1 down 5 up.
weltweit
Well-Known Member
That could be going back some time
We are looking for somewhere flat.
Yes, I think it was some time after I learnt to use gears that I realised the abstract difference between engine and wheel speed according to the gear I was in. But yes I knew how a clutch worked.
Could be a good idea, thanks.
WouldBe
Dislicksick
Riklet
procrastinación
They should learn to drive a car and how gears work before faffing around on a bike like that IMO. If they want to learn to ride a bike first what about an automatic scooter? You can teach them more when theyre properly confident.
I dont think anyone ever fully explained the wonders of a clutch to me. I had to work this out myself. If I was to explain it I would say its a pedal that disconnects the power to the wheels from the spinning of the engine. And ask someone to think of riding a bike... the power of the gears. But if it was possible to push a lever and disconnect the pedals from the gears. You could be peddling frantically but going no where.
I dont think anyone ever fully explained the wonders of a clutch to me. I had to work this out myself. If I was to explain it I would say its a pedal that disconnects the power to the wheels from the spinning of the engine. And ask someone to think of riding a bike... the power of the gears. But if it was possible to push a lever and disconnect the pedals from the gears. You could be peddling frantically but going no where.
jontz01
taking refuge in the loft
It's a tough one to learn from scratch for sure. Looking back, I learned the bite point on flat, then moved on to a slight incline. I was always terrified that the bike would flip out from under me in some sort of giant wheelie. This never happened.
I think if you're able to stay next to your learner, possibly on a pushbike or scooter might help. Down shifting really is something just learnt from time moving. A tip that one of my instructors used to simplify things was 1st gear for 1-10mph 2nd gear for 20-30 etc etc. I'd never driven a car before getting on my first geared 125 so clutch control was a whole new thing. 2nd gear figure eights while holding revs and dragging the back brake are very useful for control.
Ended up doing direct access on a 500 then IAM. That's really where you learn about matching engine revs on downshifting and skipping through the box. I'd say bum on seat time is best, we figure it out by doing.
Sounds like you know your stuff already so just try not to overload your student with too much info at once. You'll be great. Best of luck with it all.
ETA make sure to teach pulling clutch lever in instinctively for any stops. Once that bite point is figured out, hammer the stop starts over and over. It's natural for us but the cause of many jerky stalls for learners and can quickly get disheartening.
I think if you're able to stay next to your learner, possibly on a pushbike or scooter might help. Down shifting really is something just learnt from time moving. A tip that one of my instructors used to simplify things was 1st gear for 1-10mph 2nd gear for 20-30 etc etc. I'd never driven a car before getting on my first geared 125 so clutch control was a whole new thing. 2nd gear figure eights while holding revs and dragging the back brake are very useful for control.
Ended up doing direct access on a 500 then IAM. That's really where you learn about matching engine revs on downshifting and skipping through the box. I'd say bum on seat time is best, we figure it out by doing.
Sounds like you know your stuff already so just try not to overload your student with too much info at once. You'll be great. Best of luck with it all.
ETA make sure to teach pulling clutch lever in instinctively for any stops. Once that bite point is figured out, hammer the stop starts over and over. It's natural for us but the cause of many jerky stalls for learners and can quickly get disheartening.
weltweit
Well-Known Member
Good point.
WouldBe
Dislicksick
What gear for 10-20mph?
bellaozzydog
rolling turds in glitter
My Key takeaway from learning to ride a bike was. If I go too slowly while turning a bike I fall
Over/drop the bike
Over/drop the bike
jontz01
taking refuge in the loft
Yea well. YknoWhat gear for 10-20mph?
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Almost no one uses the gears "properly" on a pushbike - even me after 35 years - wilfully in my case - I even chose components to assist in my crimes against cycling - along with particular headphones...
I wonder if my approach has been coloured by riding motorcycles and a snychro-less car before I dropped the engine ... and for the first 10 years of cycling it was on horrendous old 10 speeds with inadequate gear-range and a massively-inconvenient shifting mechanism...
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
We know that, but I daily observed commuter cyclists in the wrong gear with saddles too low who probably thought that was what cycling was like ... in addition to the unlubed chains...
Mind you I rode with underinflated tyres for many years
The ones that got me were dinky little cyclists pedalling like mad to travel hardly any quicker that a speed I was coasting - and it was not a case of my large bulk acting as a sail.
Unless it was safe to overtake I would sometimes change to a very high gear to give me something to do ...
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weltweit
Well-Known Member
Thanks Athos, in fact I can see that there are quite a few videos about riding bikes, I might get him to watch them all before I have a go with him.
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
Eh?? My husband has never learnt to drive but has a motorbike licence, I know loads of folks that learnt to go a bike first. I did when the only gears I had ever dealt with were the 3 on my pushbike back in the day.
Be prepared for lots of stalling but they might get the hang of the clutch pretty quickly, just see how it goes!
Athos
Well-Known Member
Check they're reputable ones*, though - some of the on YouTube is downright dangerous.
* and pitched at the right level - you dunt want him experimenting with trail breaking just yet!
Athos
Well-Known Member
Thinkb of it as a refresher course.
weltweit
Well-Known Member
I probably need it, I haven't ridden a motorcycle for about 20 years.Thinkb of it as a refresher course.
Athos
Well-Known Member
Oh, in that case it'd probably be a good idea!
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