Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hey everyone I am new here and am taking MSF this spring as soon as I can sign up. My first and current car is a mtx (stick-shift.) In order to drive mtx cars properly you have to coordinate both hands and feet. Does anyone here think that I might have an easier time with driving a motorcycle because I drive a manual?
Also in cars (cages?) there are many techniques that you can practice such as heel-toe downshifting and knowing what your threshold braking is. I am starting to think that most of this knowledge will be able to cross over to on a bike?
I also have a question about wet clutches. Do the majority of bikes have them? How do they work? How long does a motorcycle clutch last?
Also I am curious are aftermarket performance parts easy or hard to find for motorcycles? I have spent the last few years modifying cars and think it would be fun to start working on motorcycles too.

A manual car doesn't make a different other than knowing how to find the friction zone. Motorcycles are a whole new thing, but it isn't too terribly difficult, it's just a new skill to pick up.

As for the clutches, they don't crap out on bikes as easily as they do on cars. Cars clutches can't feather in the friction zoine like bikes do or they burn up and die.

Anyway, there's been other theads like these around before. You might find some helpful info in them.

About the only useful skill you get from driving a cage (yes, it's slang for car) is how to obey traffic laws. The only heel-toe shifting you're going to get is on a cruiser with a heel-toe shifter. And as shorts said, knowing the friction zone. Even the lines are different (least on road, its a safety thing) where on a bike you'll want to apex a little later so you can see into the turn further.

Very few bikes have dry clutches any more. Mainly just Ducati's and i think some Harleys. I personally wouldnt mind a dry clutch on a track bike, but wet clutches make things easier on the road. I'm just not a fan of Hydraulic clutches. No adjustment in pull really.

Understanding the concept of threshold braking will make you a safer rider. Being able to obtain maximum braking performance, without locking, is very important on a bike. The dynamics involved in two wheel travel mean that the locking either wheel (or both), greatly increases the chances that control will be lost.

In my mind, maximum effort braking is not stressed enough to motorcycle riders. A long skid mark seems to be an all too common sight at accident scenes.

It will help you understand the concept of using the clutch to shift, but that's about it.

neonjoe123 wrote:Hey everyone I am new here and am taking MSF this spring as soon as I can sign up. My first and current car is a mtx (stick-shift.) In order to drive mtx cars properly you have to coordinate both hands and feet. Does anyone here think that I might have an easier time with driving a motorcycle because I drive a manual?

Not unless you can lean your cage over onto two wheels around corners! Ha!

Seriously though, knowing manual shifting helps, but even emergency braking is slightly different, just different enough to matter, so enjoy the MSF (whatever that is!)....I know, I know.. Motorcycle Safety Foundation....


But what is it REALLY?!

I had driven for about 10 years before getting a bike. There are no real advantages in terms of machine control except the concept of the biting point, in fact there are many disadvantages such as:

Reluctance to slip the clutch
Reluctance to high-rev the engine
Tendency to always ride in the middle of the lane rather than take the edges when turning, because people can't squeeze past your car.

However, as a driver you will hopefully understand traffic and the road system which will let you concentrate on machine control when you learn to ride.

The above is my experience anyway.