Ive been thinking about getting a motorcycle but i get confused about the shifting part, say im going about 60mph and i want to come to a complete stop do i hold my clutch and shift down all the way to gear 1 or neutral?
NO, if you get a bike , take the safety classes available. From 60 MPH in 6th gear, slow down to about 40 then downshift to 5th,slow down to 30 and downshift to 4, slow to 20 and downshift to 3, slow and downshift to 2,maybe even 1st. the point is stay in a gear that you can accelerate in. The actual speeds and gears vary a lot but it's the idea, not the numbers. Also remember that you are doing multiple things at the same time with both hands and both feet.
Ok, never hold the clutch, never shift into neutral when moving and never shift into 1st, unless your almost stopped. The reason for this is safety, motor and clutch life. To slow down to a stop, use the brakes and the motor to slow you down. Down shift one gear at a time, do not skip a gear. Once your are stopped or almost stopped down sift into 1st. Don't sit at a stop in neutral, if you need to get out of someones way. Shifting back into 1st takes to long a time.
One gear at a time as you slow. Whether or not you release the clutch between shifts to take advanage of compression braking is up to you. You should get in the habit of shifting to stay in the proper gear to get out of Dodge.
