Motorcycles - what happens if you shift it wrong? - 1

What will happen in a manual motorcycle if example, I shift gears without using the clutch lever? Will the transmission break?

In a semi-auto motorcycle, will something bad happen if example, I just started the motorcycle then shifted it to 4th gear without even reaching 10kph?

Also, what's the best motorcycle to start with, is Honda Wave 100 or Honda Wave 125 good?

What will happen in a manual motorcycle if example, I shift gears without using the clutch lever? Will the transmission break?

In a semi-auto motorcycle, will something bad happen if example, I just started the motorcycle then shifted it to 4th gear without even reaching 10kph?

Also, what's the best motorcycle to start with, is Honda Wave 100 or Honda Wave 125 good?

Thanks in advance. A lot of motorcycles will shift okay without the clutch, so long as you're moving and the new gear is appropriate to your speed. Sportbike riders used to 'speed-shift', meaning shift without the clutch (because for that fraction of a second your clutch is pulled in, you're coasting!) I'm sure it puts more wear on the transmission, maybe the clutch too, but those parts are replaceable. Cost of operation is not always a biker's primary concern.

Now, as for the wrong gear at the wrong speed. Almost as soon as you begin learning to ride you will be able to feel how 'happy' the engine is. An engine is 'happy' in a range of RPM, we call it the 'rev range'. If the engine is going too slow it will lose power and it will shake and strain like it's trying to lift something heavy. This is called 'lugging' the engine. When you feel that you shift down, which brings the engine speed up without needing to go faster. When the engine is going too fast it 'screams', it loses power, and it shakes like it's going to explode! (And it WILL! If you don't back off!) So you shift up, which allow the engine to go slower while the bike goes the same speed.

In not very long this becomes automatic. You can tell by feel when you need to shift up or shift down. Until it does, you use the tachometer. Some bikes have rev limiters so the engine doesn't go above a certain limit. And 'high performance' engines tend to have narrower rev ranges, which makes riding them a little more work.

This is all easier to do than to talk about. Shifting by the sound/feel of the engine becomes automatic pretty quickly. It's all 'muscle memory', so it's easier to learn than to explain. Many bikes will be quite happy to shift up without the clutch - generally multi-cylinder bikes are better at this - very few will change down without making a complaint (it is possible with some, don't try it though).

Not all bikes will handle this kind of treatment however.

With a semi-auto if you change to 4th at that low a speed it will probably stall.

The Wave series are an advance of the Cub, and the Cub is well known as a brilliant bike for commuting and travelling out of town either would be good to start of with. Take a training course first though.

And don't worry too much about changing gear it will become second nature soon. H you can do a lot of damage to a gear box if you continue to do this and worst still the damage the engine as it screams it's nuts off. By going down a gear instead of up. Or worst still going up a gear which usually ends in a stall of the engine.

Many bikes will be quite happy to shift up without the clutch - generally multi-cylinder bikes are better at this - very few will change down without making a complaint (it is possible with some, don't try it though).

Not all bikes will handle this kind of treatment however.

With a semi-auto if you change to 4th at that low a speed it will probably stall.

The Wave series are an advance of the Cub, and the Cub is well known as a brilliant bike for commuting and travelling out of town either would be good to start of with. Take a training course first though.

And don't worry too much about changing gear it will become second nature soon.

H you can do a lot of damage to a gear box if you continue to do this and worst still the damage the engine as it screams it's nuts off. By going down a gear instead of up. Or worst still going up a gear which usually ends in a stall of the engine.