Alright, so I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I learned to ride the clutch on my dirt bike. It’s not as scary as it looks, I promise! Here’s how I went about it, step-by-step, with all the bumps and stalls along the way.
Finding a Good Spot
First things first, you need a wide-open space. I’m talking a big, empty field, or maybe a deserted dirt track. You don’t want trees, rocks, or – most importantly – people around when you’re first learning. Trust me, you’ll be stalling a lot, and you don’t want an audience for that.
Getting the Feel of the Bike
- Start with the bike off. Seriously. Just sit on it, get used to the weight, the balance, where the clutch lever and shifter are. Practice pulling in the clutch lever and feeling that resistance.
- Foot Placement. Get comfortable with using your left foot to shift. I kept tapping my foot up and down, getting the motion down solid.
- Find the friction zone.
Practice time
I did some practice:
- Turn on bike.
- Pull in clutch lever all the way.
- Put the bike by pushing down on the shifter with your left foot.
- Keep the clutch lever all the way.
- Slowly let the clutch lever out while gently,I mean gently,roll on the throttle.
Stall. Repeat. Stall. Repeat.
This is where the fun begins, and by fun, I mean frustration.
You’re going to stall. A lot. I think I stalled my bike about a hundred times that first day. Don’t get discouraged! It’s all part of the learning process.
- Each time you stall, pull the clutch back in, get the bike back into first gear, and try again.
- Focus on that balance between letting the clutch out and giving it gas. Too much clutch, not enough gas, and you stall. Too much gas, not enough clutch release, and you either stall or lurch forward. It’s a delicate dance.
First Ride
The motion will be like this:
- Give a little throttle.
- Released clutch slowly.
- Bike go forward.
It takes time and patience, and I had many fails before I did * will feel like “I got it!”when you do the first ride successfully.
Keep Practicing
Once I started getting the hang of it in first gear, I just kept practicing. I rode around that field for hours, just getting used to the feel of the clutch, the throttle, and the shifting. Slowly, I started going faster, shifting into second, then third.
It took a few days of solid practice before I felt really comfortable, and even then, I was still making mistakes. But that’s okay! Riding a dirt bike is a skill, and skills take time to develop. Just keep at it, don’t get discouraged, and you’ll be riding that clutch like a pro in no time.
