A question about motorcycle gearboxes

[Redliner]

Following on the recent suggestion of making new threads, here goes:
Why motorcycle gearboxes have the neutral between 1st and 2nd?
Why not have neutral, 1st, 2nd, etc?

 

[bone]

because when you're shifting down in a spirited manner, the chance of you ending up in neutral would be too big

 

[Redliner]

But then again, you change that for the chance of ending up in neutral when shifting ?up.

 

[Rex Luther]

A neutral when up shifting is relatively unlikely and not as problematic as an unexpected neutral while braking.

 

[Redliner]

A neutral when up shifting is relatively unlikely and not as problematic as an unexpected neutral while braking.

I did that a few times when I just started riding. :lol:

 

[Cryptopygia]

I've also heard that it's a safety feature, in that if you suddenly need to accelerate from a stop to avoid an accident, putting first at the bottom makes it much easier to ensure you're in gear (that is, kick down one, and you're in first,) and not in neutral.

 

[Lurch0001]

I did that a few times when I just started riding. :lol:

You can actually find a false neutral between any two gears - it's just easier between 1st and 2nd because there's a detent.

 

[bone]

You can actually find a false neutral between any two gears - it's just easier between 1st and 2nd because there's a detent.

no you can't!

the lobes at the bottom have the dent to get it in neutral, if you manage to balance the gearshift on any of the other lobes, your shiftstar needs to be replaced!

 

[Lurch0001]

I didn't say it was easy

 

[Redliner]

I've also heard that it's a safety feature, in that if you suddenly need to accelerate from a stop to avoid an accident, putting first at the bottom makes it much easier to ensure you're in gear (that is, kick down one, and you're in first,) and not in neutral.

That makes sense.

 

[Spectre]

Following on the recent suggestion of making new threads, here goes:
Why motorcycle gearboxes have the neutral between 1st and 2nd?
Why not have neutral, 1st, 2nd, etc?

That's been tried along with many other patterns. There were even fully rotary gearboxes that were N-1-2-3-4-5-6-N-1-2-3-4-5-6-etc., where shifting up from 6th got you neutral then first. Older Harleys also had neutral at the bottom of the pattern, though it conventionally had a limit at the top instead of shifting back to neutral.

<50cc bikes, pocketbikes and minibikes intended for children do still put neutral at the bottom of the shift pattern as it's traditional for them. They don't go on the street and it keeps the kids from getting confused with a complex shift pattern instead of paying attention to riding.

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You can actually find a false neutral between any two gears - it's just easier between 1st and 2nd because there's a detent.

The joke about Kawasaki gearboxes was that if you bought one, you got a gearbox full of free extra bonus false neutrals between every gear.

- - - Updated - - -

because when you're shifting down in a spirited manner, the chance of you ending up in neutral would be too big

Not only in a spirited manner, but if you're coming to a stop at a light and you're downshifting as you deccel, but then suddenly need to accelerate again (say, to avoid Joan Obliviot coming up behind you). With the 1-N-2 etc pattern, you're pretty much always going to be in gear if you're shifting properly instead of being in neutral because you shifted down all the way.