Advice: Selecting the right gear

Get the good gear

A common question I am asked is "what is the right gear for that corner?" Simple enough question. Simple enough answer - except I need to know what you want from the corner first. There's always a catch isn't there!

Let's look at what you want from your next corner. You are going to want to be carrying a certain speed (road or track) and be in a certain location.

A road rider may simply want to have a comfortable location on the road, meaning there is plenty of room to the edge of their lane (inside or out) to deal with any unforeseen variables.

That same rider will also want the get the feeling of acceleration from the turn that gives the enjoyment and excitement they are looking for, relative to the conditions. That means we're all different. Every bike is geared differently and has totally different engine characteristics, so how can one gear be right for everyone?

Let's look at how to get the correct gear. A good reference on this subject is Chapter 8 of Keith Code's "A Twist of the Wrist." (more here)

We read, "Downshifting is closely associated with braking because the two almost always occur at the same time. From observation, it appears that most riders believe the engine is supposed to help slow or stop the bike. When you hear an engine spinning up toward redline going into a turn, you know the rider is trying to use it as a brake. Does this apply to you?"

The very next heading is "THE ENGINE IS NOT A BRAKE!" Okay, that means for those of us that have been relying on engine braking, (and who of us haven't?), we are doing it wrong. Gear selection has nothing to do with slowing the bike. That is the brakes' job. That is, to assist you in getting the speed set right for the turn.

How do you select the correct gear for the corner? Perhaps we might wish to consider what Keith states as being the purpose of downshifting.

"The purpose of downshifting is to bring the engine into the right rpm range as you begin to accelerate out of a turn."

If we understand this, then the process of gear selection becomes a little easier. Firstly, what do I want (speed & location) from this corner? Then, based on your motorcycle and the riding environment you're in, what rpm do you want the engine running when you begin the acceleration process?

On a racetrack, a fast rider wont let the rpm fall below about 8-9,000 rpm. Obviously that's just not going to work if you have 150 horsepower or more available at your right wrist and you are riding suburban streets. The same bike most likely has good mid-range punch from about 5-6,000 rpm which is much more controllable, meaning that 5-6,000 rpm is probably a better solution. So what gear do you use? The one that gets you into that rev range!

Some bikes make great useable power from as low as 2,500 rpm and even redline at 8,500, so it's impossible to tell you exactly the correct gear for each motorcycle through any particular turn.

Based on what you want from the corner (speed & location), if we were to ask "what rpm range would I like to be in when accelerating from that turn?" (based on what part of the rev range your bike functions the best in) we'd all have a much better chance of getting it right.

Good luck with your riding.

Steve Brouggy is the owner of the

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