: 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
Its so one don’t accidentally get to neutral and have to shift again. Btw most small [motorcycles](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_70) do have all gears at front (N,1,2,3,4).
Its so one don’t accidentally get to neutral and have to shift again. Btw most small [motorcycles](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_70) do have all gears at front (N,1,2,3,4).
An interesting note, a motorcycle transmission works just like a standard car transmission only instead of an H-pattern shifter moving the shifting forks to engage the dog teeth, it uses a rotating shaft that you ratchet with the foot lever, on that rotating shaft there are grooves that move the shifting forks just like the H-pattern shifter would, well with an H-pattern neutral is when none of the forks are engaged.
Neutral on a bike is the same way, and as you ratchet the way through the gears it disengages one set of forks and engages the next, the point in between those is technically neutral, as you ratchet that shaft around there are 4-6 high points and 4-6 low points basically making a rounded star shape. Neutral is just a ground off mini detent in the peak of that star between first and second gear, if manufacturers wanted to, they could detent the tip of each point on the star and have a neutral between each gear just like a standard H-pattern shifter.
Hmm, I certainly accept all the answers that say it is to make first gear more accessible (by downshifting all the way).
An interesting coincidence is, in cars, before synchromesh existed, the downshift sequence for coming to a stop was
3 – 2 – neutrual
because if you shifted into first while the car was moving at a different speed than the drive train, even with the clutch disengaged, the gears would grind due to the inertia of the low-end of the transmission.
So,the stopping/starting sequence was
3 – 2 – neutral – 1 – 2 – 3
I realize this isn’t relevant to motorcycles though.
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.
The shifter mechanism looks like a drum with grooves in it, as you hit the shift lever it rotates slightly causing one of the forks to move in the channel either to the left or right to engage that particular gear. Neutral is just a spot in the rotation between 1 and 2. To put Neutral first would require a separate path on the drum which takes up more space. Plus as mentioned, in a panic situation it’s more likely you’ll need to get into first quickly then Neutral. Some bikes may be different but this is how my 85 Honda 350X and 84 200ES work.
The shifter mechanism looks like a drum with grooves in it, as you hit the shift lever it rotates slightly causing one of the forks to move in the channel either to the left or right to engage that particular gear. Neutral is just a spot in the rotation between 1 and 2. To put Neutral first would require a separate path on the drum which takes up more space. Plus as mentioned, in a panic situation it’s more likely you’ll need to get into first quickly then Neutral. Some bikes may be different but this is how my 85 Honda 350X and 84 200ES work.
An interesting note, a motorcycle transmission works just like a standard car transmission only instead of an H-pattern shifter moving the shifting forks to engage the dog teeth, it uses a rotating shaft that you ratchet with the foot lever, on that rotating shaft there are grooves that move the shifting forks just like the H-pattern shifter would, well with an H-pattern neutral is when none of the forks are engaged.
Neutral on a bike is the same way, and as you ratchet the way through the gears it disengages one set of forks and engages the next, the point in between those is technically neutral, as you ratchet that shaft around there are 4-6 high points and 4-6 low points basically making a rounded star shape. Neutral is just a ground off mini detent in the peak of that star between first and second gear, if manufacturers wanted to, they could detent the tip of each point on the star and have a neutral between each gear just like a standard H-pattern shifter.
Depending on the motorcycle I think. 1n23456 is safer so you won’t unexpectedly shift to neutral when u have to go. But 1n23456 is mechanically harder than n12345. Also I think for n12345 there’s a chance to upshift from 5 to n or 1 hence you could really crash. But don’t quote me on that.
Depending on the motorcycle I think. 1n23456 is safer so you won’t unexpectedly shift to neutral when u have to go. But 1n23456 is mechanically harder than n12345. Also I think for n12345 there’s a chance to upshift from 5 to n or 1 hence you could really crash. But don’t quote me on that.
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