Why is it 1 N 2 3 4 5 ?

Wondered why is it 1 down and 2,3,4,5 up?

Why isn’t it N 1 2 3 4 5 ?

Is there a mechanical reason?

No mechanical reason but practicality...

You won't accidentally go into second when pulling away.

If going down a step hill you'd use gears to slow down, with neutral half way between gears much less likely to put into neutral which if it was at the bottom could happen and being in neutral down a step hill wouldn't be fun.

Plus 2-6 are your main driving gears 1st only for pulling away.

I don't know the technical / historic reason.

There is something at the back of my mind which says that some manufacturer did produce a N12345 (or 6) gearbox for racing, I think. This avoided the danger of accidentally getting neutral when changing between 1 & 2. It did however require a positive stop to prevent engaging neutral on the move (not sure how they did that). Thinking about it, the danger / likelihood of getting neutral when changing between 1 & 2 is less than banging down the box and finding yourself in N when you needed 1 for that sharp, uphill hairpin ..... at least with a 1N2345 gearbox you just need to keep pressure on the lever to make sure you have a gear ?

You're absolutely right, there's no way neutral could be at the bottom. Imagine struggling up a climbing hairpin bend and then hitting neutral as you change down one gear too many , catastrophic ! A lot of Kawasaki bikes will not go from first to second unless they are moving so if you pull up in first it doesn't matter how far you push the lever up you will only get neutral. There are three ball bearings in the fourth gear that sit in a groove in the shaft when its at rest but they move outwards with centrifugal force as soon as it rotates and allow the cogs to slide freely. Quite handy really.

A lot of Kawasaki bikes will not go from first to second unless they are moving so if you pull up in first it doesn't matter how far you push the lever up you will only get neutral. There are three ball bearings in the fourth gear that sit in a groove in the shaft when its at rest but they move outwards with centrifugal force as soon as it rotates and allow the cogs to slide freely. Quite handy really.

This is really handy for finding neutral. At rest down to 1st then hook up and in neutral. Had kwacks for donkeys years. When I changed to a Suzi had hell of a job finding neutral for a while.

It’s only 1 ↓ and 5 ↑ on road bikes.

On race bikes it’s 1↑ and 5↓

Just to mess with your head

It’s only 1 ↓ and 5 ↑ on road bikes.

On race bikes it’s 1↑ and 5↓

Just to mess with your head

And it feels way more natural to change in 1up 5down

I will stick to 1 down 4 up!

Although I constantly look for 6th

It’s only 1 ↓ and 5 ↑ on road bikes.

On race bikes it’s 1↑ and 5↓

Just to mess with your head

but how often do you use 1st on a race bike ?

pulling away and that's about it

It’s only 1 ↓ and 5 ↑ on road bikes.

On race bikes it’s 1↑ and 5↓

Just to mess with your head

 

but how often do you use 1st on a race bike ?

pulling away and that's about it

Never ridden cadwell then? through hall bends in 2nd/3rd dropping down to 1st for the hairpin!

It’s only 1 ↓ and 5 ↑ on road bikes.

On race bikes it’s 1↑ and 5↓

Just to mess with your head

 

but how often do you use 1st on a race bike ?

pulling away and that's about it

Depends on the track. Macau hairpin would be a corner I’d imagine you would use 1st. Depending on bike possibly the loop section at Silverstone.

It’s only 1 ↓ and 5 ↑ on road bikes.

On race bikes it’s 1↑ and 5↓

Just to mess with your head

 

but how often do you use 1st on a race bike ?

pulling away and that's about it

You still have to click the gear lever ↑ to go ↓ though.

It’s only 1 ↓ and 5 ↑ on road bikes.

On race bikes it’s 1↑ and 5↓

Just to mess with your head

 

but how often do you use 1st on a race bike ?

pulling away and that's about it

Hairpins, if you leave it in second when you should be in first you will drop down the grid rapidly.

It’s only 1 ↓ and 5 ↑ on road bikes.

On race bikes it’s 1↑ and 5↓

Just to mess with your head

 

but how often do you use 1st on a race bike ?

pulling away and that's about it

 

Never ridden cadwell then? through hall bends in 2nd/3rd dropping down to 1st for the hairpin!

i read it wrong as n 1 2 3 4 5 6 not 1 n etc so was thinking similar to inline seq racing boxes on cars .

It’s only 1 ↓ and 5 ↑ on road bikes.

On race bikes it’s 1↑ and 5↓

Just to mess with your head

And it feels way more natural to change in 1up 5down

I was doing some work on my RVF 400 years ago and me and my friend accidentally put it back in race shift, once I'd worked out what we'd done I kept it like that for a week then changed it back, if I'd have gotten used to it I think it would be ok, can see why people who race or do a lot of track days prefer it.

It’s only 1 ↓ and 5 ↑ on road bikes.

On race bikes it’s 1↑ and 5↓

Just to mess with your head

And it feels way more natural to change in 1up 5down

 

I was doing some work on my RVF 400 years ago and me and my friend accidentally put it back in race shift, once I'd worked out what we'd done I kept it like that for a week then changed it back, if I'd have gotten used to it I think it would be ok, can see why people who race or do a lot of track days prefer it.

I thought the switch would be hard and take some getting used to.

I can only remember one time where i clicked the wrong way.

Oddly enough.. only today I spotted this:

A gear shift 'guide' on a bike with no gear shifter.

1 up and the rest down on a race bike avoids getting the foot trapped under the lever whilst changing gear lent over

I will stick to 1 down 4 up!

Although I constantly look for 6th

Hell, I look for 7th

I will stick to 1 down 4 up!

Although I constantly look for 6th

 

Hell, I look for 7th

I used to when I had 6 gears

1 up and the rest down on a race bike avoids getting the foot trapped under the lever whilst changing gear lent over

The only place its ever helped is devils elbow at mallory park.

1 up and the rest down on a race bike avoids getting the foot trapped under the lever whilst changing gear lent over

The only place its ever helped is devils elbow at mallory park.

 

Most circuits run in a clockwise rotation, up until recent years the gear lever used to be on the righthand side.

.......

Most circuits run in a clockwise rotation, up until recent years the gear lever used to be on the righthand side.

Recent years - 40+ years ago ?

Did anybody here ever have a Fizzy back in the day? The gears on mine were 4-down. Dunno if they were all like that. Really confusing, great little bike though. Probably worth about 50 grand now. My mate had one with pedals

yea just like mine