Shifting Gears / Clutch / Transmission --- How to operate

[cayuse]

I WANT THE LAST WORD!!!!
:biggrin:

[alantf]

Originally Posted by Gz Rider

In the US, we are not required to go through professional driving instruction at all.

In Spain, all learning is done in a driving school car. In England, however, although professional teaching is not required by law, it is usually carried out. A learner driver can practice in a car as long as he is accompanied by someone over the age of 21, & who has held a licence for that class of vehicle for at least 3 years. The vehicle must carry red plates with a white L (learner) at the front & rear. I remember in the early sixties, when my father taught me the basics, & I then went to a driving school. The instructor said "O.k., you can drive a car. Now I'm going to teach you how to pass the test" He meant that he was going to teach me what the examiners wanted to see. Nowadays, also, learner drivers must sit, & pass, a written test on traffic law, road signs etc before being allowed on the road. Also, it's a stiff test of at least half an hour, & like I've said before, if you take the test in an automatic, that's all you're allowed to drive. If you then wanted to drive a manual shift, you'd have to take another test in a manual.

[jonathan180iq]

While reading this, I was thinking of how nice it would be if all of our learning drivers and young kids had big red letters on their car indicating that they are going through the learning process.

The problem though, is that some people still don't get it, even after 15 years of experience, and it would be even more confusing
We just have to assume that no one over her knows how to drive.
That philosophy has kept me safe.

[Gz Rider]

...

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by jonathan180iq

While reading this, I was thinking of how nice it would be if all of our learning drivers and young kids had big red letters on their car indicating that they are going through the learning process.

The problem though, is that some people still don't get it, even after 15 years of experience, and it would be even more confusing
We just have to assume that no one over her knows how to drive.
That philosophy has kept me safe.

Here in B.C. there is a half decent system. Student drivers must have a large easy to see "L" in the back of the car. Newly minted drivers have a large "N" on the back for a year or so. A new driver who is caught without the "N" is in deep do-do and pays a price for their discretions.

[alantf]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Newly minted drivers have a large "N" on the back for a year or so.

In Spain it's a white L on a green plate for a year. In Ireland, I believe, it's a P. In England they don't have to do this.

[7653]

Back in October 11 during my third post on this thread I wrote:

Originally Posted by 7653

Thank you for the responses. Especially from Gz Rider, your answers really cleared things up.

Thanks to the input from this forum I WILL:
1. Sign up for the MSF Course (I looked at the local MSF website today but none of their classes fit my schedule yet)
2. Read Proficient Motorcycling (I looked it up at my local library and they are all loaned out, but I will get it when there is one free)
3. Fully read the manual

UNTIL THEN... Please tolerate my newbie questions until I have been afforded the opportunity to take/read those trainings.

So here is my newest newbie question I formulated today:

.....

HELP!!!

Since then I have:
1. Completed the MSF Course after I found a class that fit my schedule
2. Finished reading proficient motorcycling in November after I was able to borrow the book from the library
3. Read the manual from October to December
4. Received my motorcycle license in December
5. Been using quality protective gear Arai Corsair, Aerostich jacket and pants, etc.

Here's a review/timeline report back of my progress:

--Feb. 17 2011: Bought the bike. But it would not turn over for some reason. Decided not to fix/ride/buy insurance until at earliest after the summer because I had some other commitments

--Sept. 2011: Started using my friend's scooter occasionally to get used to a two-wheeled vehicle

--Sept. 27, 2011: Bought insurance for my bike

--Oct. 8, 2011: Got the bike towed to a dealer and fixed. It was the carb that needed cleaning. I asked my friend who had manual transmission experience (but no motorcycle experience) to ride it to the garage for me.

--Oct. 9, 2011: Rode bike for the first time at a parking lot after my friend drove it there for me. I only ride for less than one-hundred feet and barely move for the half hour or so as I try to figure out what I am doing. I probably had a total riding time of the bike in operation for less than 1 minute until I had to leave for other commitments. I have difficulty learning about and using the clutch for the first time and the learning curve is compounded by the fact that the engine also keeps stalling when I don't have any throttle on it.

--Oct. 10, 2011: I post this thread after my first attempt at riding a motorcycle

--Oct. 12, 2011: I don't bother reading this thread anymore after people keep repeating the same things over and over again without actually offering substantive answers to my questions even though I already wrote that I was receptive to their advice and would: 1. Take the MSF Course, 2. Read Proficient Motorcycling, 3. Read manual.

--Oct. 10-14, 2011: I figured out on my own that I need to keep the throttle on at all times to keep my bike running and not stall. Even though I don't have any friends that ride motorcycles, by the 14th I know how to ride the bike and use the clutch and ride the bike around my neighborhood. I learned by reading online sources to get an academic understanding of how the bike works and then applying the knowledge with hands-on experimentation.

--Late Oct. 2011: I start driving to school with the bike. The bike eventually does not need throttle at all times to not stall. I suspect circulation was needed to unclog the carb, even though the dealer cleaned it.

--Nov. 2011: Finished reading Proficient Motorcycling

--Dec. 2011: I take the MSF Course and also get my license. The MSF course had some excellent hands-on exercises for people who have never been on a bike and helped people who were clueless about clutch to slowly release. The way they taught manual transmission sort of assumed everybody knew about gears already. The academic portion didn't teach much. It basically told us: don't do anything stupid that would get you hurt. All in all I felt the MSF course was redundant, the motorcycle operation aspect (clutch, gears, brakes) I learned after less than a week of screwing around and experimenting on my bike. The safety/academic/classroom portion was a repeat of what I read in Proficient Motorcycling and what any knowledgeable driver for any motor vehicle should already know. The most useful portions were the practical exercises that put me into a few riding situations I hadn't tried before.

--Dec. 2011: Ride for the first time to work

So voila! I'm very excited about everything so far and look forward to riding every time I get the chance!

[Water Warrior 2]

7653, welcome back and congrats to you for doing the course, homework and being a legal rider. Ride safe and giggle.

[Way]

Excellent 7653 :2tup:

I know in Vermont, in order to get my license a year early, I had to take a driving class in high school and had a learner's permit for that time. The school car had magnetic stickers on the side and rear saying "Student Driver" but it wasn't required on private cars I was practicing in. Some states also restrict new drivers to daytime only, no passengers also I think. I also had to have an adult over 18 with me during that period. I learned automatic first, manual later.

For commercial driving though, you only get the endorsement for which you trained, ie if you learned to drive a truck with automatic that's all you are legally allowed to drive, no manual. At the time I got my commercial license, all trucks had manual, automatic was still in the developmental stages.

In Europe, stick is the manly way to drive. In the States we compensated with big cars/big horsepower. And unfortunately due to the continued dumbing down of our people, more and more it's expected that automatic transmissions will take over the job of shifting at the most fuel efficient rpms. That way people can text without being distracted too much. :hide:

[blaine]

Welcome back.Great to see that you are a licensed rider.Ride safe & have fun. :cool: