: why do manual motorcycle gear goes from 1>N>2>3>4>5>6 and not N>1>2>3>4>5>6
In: 1913
Because it’s sequential. Unlike a car where you can easily switch from any gear to any other gear and neutral isn’t really a specific position it’s just out of gear, on a motor cycle you have to flip though them in order and there is no out of gear position in the same way a cars shifter has. Neutral has to be a selectable option.
To find your starting gear it’s easiest to just flip down until you reach the end, and then that ensures you have power to the wheels ready if you need it. Vs flipping down only to get put into neutral and then having to push up again to get into first. It’s quicker and safer then having N in the lowest position.
Keeps people from accidentally shifting down into neutral.
Neutral is a half click between 1 and 2, so you really need to think about it if you want to shift to neutral.
That way, you’re not likely going to end up a sitting duck or without engine braking when you need control of the bike.
It prevents accidentally going into neutral. I know it might sound weird but most riders aren’t keeping track of what gear they’re on. They just shift up and down as needed. A lot of the times just to make sure they’re in first they’ll click down until they can’t any more. Since most are not keeping track it would be very common to accidentally go into neutral when coming to stops etc. The way it’s placed between gears, and requiring half a click to get to it, means that you can only get into neutral deliberately. Keeping the rear wheel engaged with the gearbox is very important, freewheeling is almost never desirable in most cases, and even if it is the clutch can be used instead briefly.
The biggest thing to highlight really is how getting into neutral is a “half click”. So many people think about it, having never ridden, as having to shift up twice to get from first to second. On my bike, it’s actually a bit of a pain to get into neutral (which is good). Otherwise, you have what happened to me so many times on the bike I was learning on, which had a really easy neutral. Too many times I’d pull away in first, try to go to second, and then rev, and nearly bang the limiter and half fall over.
It’s funny how much your body anticipates the forces of accelerating, and you never notice it, until you lean half your body over the handlebars expecting the bike to pull away in second.
They do this so when you panic brake and downshift you end up in 1st gear instead of neutral. It is much safer to default to something where you can still control power to the wheel and get yourself out of a sticky situation