05/11/2024
A motorcycle's gears work by using a shift drum, shift forks, and shift linkage to move the gears in response to the rider's foot-controlled gear selector:
Shift drum: Controls the movement of the shift forks.
Shift forks: Control the horizontal movement of the slider gears.
Shift linkage: Connects the gear selector to the shift drum. When the rider moves the gear selector, the shift linkage rotates the shift drum, which moves the shift forks.
Gearbox: Contains a series of gear steps that can be switched.
Here are some other things to know about motorcycle gears:
Most motorcycles use a foot-shift lever to change gears.
You can usually directly select first or second gear from neutral, but higher gears must be accessed in order.
Neutral is usually "half a click" away from first and second gears.
The gears must be completely under control at all times to avoid double engagement.
The gears have to be precisely shaped to withstand the large forces of contact between the shafts.