If you are a dirt bike enthusiast then you cannot go ahead without learning to handle/use the clutch efficiently. You will need to have a strong control over the dirt bike clutch levers if you want to start, stop, or shift gears seamlessly and have a smooth riding experience. Pro riders or bike enthusiasts usually don’t settle for 50cc automatic bikes, so it becomes really important that you learn to handle the clutch levers of a dirt bike efficiently.
It will make you ready for long riding adventures and even help you to make your way through rigid and undulated motocross trails. The clutch acts as the starting button of your bike engine, which is controlled by the lever present on the left hand-side handlebar.
Steps to Efficiently Use Dirt Bike Clutch Levers
A lot of guides are available that help riders to exercise better control over their bike, but due to their extra lengthy content and excessive use of jargons, not every rider is able to comprehend it properly. If you want some step-wise instructions/tips that can help you flawlessly use the clutch levers of your dirt bike, then read ahead.
Smooth Start
It is really important that you have a smooth starting; else you may end up hurting yourself and your bike. Whether you talk about dirt bikes or any other bikes, the shift pattern for any clutch is always down first. Up pattern is followed subsequently for the following gears. If you are a complete neophyte, then make sure you compress the dirt bike clutch lever and then shift it downwards to kick start the bike engine.
Take Care of the RPM
Bikers often face a problem with maintaining the Revolutions Per Minute (RPM). Once you have started the engine by shifting the clutch downwards and selecting the perfect gear, you need to let go of the clutch slowly. A lot of bikers make the mistake of instantly letting go of the clutch while applying the throttle.
This not only gives the wrong start but it can also make it difficult for you to handle the bike in such a situation. Make sure you slowly leave the clutch while applying the throttle. This ensures the perfect maintenance of RPM.
Shifting to the Second Gear
If you want to shift the gear of your bike to the second gear, then you should release the throttle while pulling the clutch lever. The reason why you are required to do both the things at the same time is that it will prevent the engine RPM from spiking. You will also need to get hold of the shifter lever by lifting the same till the time you notice a firm click into the next gear.
Moving Ahead with the Next Gear
Not only is having a proper control over the dirt bike clutch lever important, but having detailed knowledge regarding the different gears is also equally important. When riding your bike in the next gear, you need to smoothly let go off the clutch while applying throttle at the same time. Everything needs to be done in perfect sync with clutching. This process can be used to shift to subsequent gears to better accelerate the entire process.
Learning to Shift Down
Shifting down is not that difficult, but still, a lot of riders face problem in doing so. Till the time your bike speed becomes equivalent to the higher end speed of your dirt bike’s lower gear, just ease off the throttle.
Reaching the Top End of the Gear
The best way to reach the top end of the gear is by compressing the clutch alongside easing off the throttle. Just make sure while letting go off the throttle, you let the clutch out. Many beginners make the mistake of applying too much throttle. The bike’s engine RPM starts to spike when too much throttle is applied at this stage. You need to be gentle with the clutches, as exercising too much power on them can even lead to accidents.
Time to Hit Neutral
Usually, the dirt bikes have a shift pattern of Down, Up, and Up. In this case, before you go ahead with shifting the lever halfway between the first and second, you need to ensure that you reach the first gear. Many beginners face difficulty in doing so and they may require some time to master this technique. If you want to play safe, then you can initially start with hitting neutral by shifting to neutral while you are riding.
Conclusion
If you start following these techniques, then you may pretty soon be able to use the clutch levers efficiently. Also, make sure that you ride on an off-road track having a lot of open space so that you can easily try setting your hands on the dirt bike clutch levers. Once you master the art of seamlessly using the clutch levers, you can go out with your dirt bike on a lot of adventurous trips.
Clutch levers are indeed important for a bike rider, be it a pro rider or a beginner, so make sure you follow the above-mentioned tips to develop control over the clutch levers. Over a period of time, you may also discover some other tips or techniques that best suit you and help you in handling the clutch levers even better. For beginners and riders facing problems with handling the clutch levers, the tips shared here can do wonders.