Imagine a scenario when you ride your awesome bike out today, but you always have trouble shifting gears or even stalling, isn't that embarrassing?

Some riders pull the clutch out every time they shift, while others pull the clutch out on downshifts and leave it out on upshifts between 4th, 5th and 6th gears. I favor the former because the main reason for doing so is to allow the vehicle to shift smoothly, and using the clutch is less damaging to the shifting system. Although today's fast shifting technology allows you to shift without pulling in the clutch at full throttle, shifting smoothly with the clutch not only makes the vehicle ride smoother, but it also extends the life of your shifting system.

In fact, downshifting requires more skill than upshifting. There are three actions you can take with the throttle when downshifting: the first is to retract the throttle, the second is to give the throttle a light kick, and the third is to keep the throttle open.

If the throttle is fully closed when downshifting, the RPMs will drop and the new gears will be sluggish when engaging because the RPMs won't pick up the speed of the car; but if your vehicle is equipped with a slipper clutch, the problem is solved. Faced with this situation, some riders will lightly push the gas pedal to maintain the speed before pulling the clutch, as to how much to push, it depends on your experience and your car's condition, too light if the revs fall too much, too heavy if it is very fuel-consuming; practice a few times, you will be able to catch the feel of it.

Another way is to keep the throttle depth fixed when downshifting, without deepening or retracting the throttle; this will allow for a seamless connection when shifting gears, resulting in less stuttering. Here's a tip: use your foot to feel the feedback you get from the gearshift lever, rather than just stepping on it. Experiencing the bite of the gears will not only help you master the timing and improve smoothness, but also reduce the chance of shifting into an inappropriate gear or even into neutral by mistake.