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re: shifting tips



>  From: "David Arnett" <DArnett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, on 03/28/2000 07:54:
>  Here are a few things that I have found that improve shifting (other than
mileage).
>  
>  1. preload shift lever before actuating the clutch.
>  2. try to match rpm with bike speed and desired gear.  a high rpm 'first',
then letting the revs drop to 'idle' with the clutch in almost makes getting
into 'second' impossible.
>  3. when stopping from high speed, start downshifting before you come to a
stop.  once again, playing the throttle while doing this helps.
>  4. when stopped with the clutch in and in neutral, sometimes the tranny will
not go into first.  If so, let the clutch out to get the tranny spinning, then
pull the clutch back in and immediatly put it in 'first'.
>  
>  Some of these things are obvious, and I apologize for being 'basic', but
they may ease pain for newcomers with new bikes. 

	Yep, good advice IMO. All of these things have worked for me.
Unfortunately, I had to figure them out for myself. The only thing I'd add is
to get the rpm up. I don't shift 1st -> 2nd at any less than 3,500 rpm, which
drops it to about 2,500 in 2nd. Even that's really too low for most occasions.
Typically I go up into the 4k range so that I'll be above 3k in 2nd.
	I've had two other street bikes, and my wife has had two of her own.
None of them were as difficult to learn to shift, but then none of them were
geared this high, either. For anyone interested, the bikes were/are a Honda
Shadow 500, Kawasaki Vulcan 500, Kawasaki Vulcan 1500, and Suzuki SV650. I had
about 10,000 miles street experience and 4 years dirt experience when I got the
ST in February.

	Jim Huber  "Jedi Dawg"
	Spring, Texas, USA
	'00 blue ST

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