[Newbie84]

I recently bought me first bike,a 600F4i, and have been working on proper shifting at the right Speed/RPM. Where is the best range to both shift up and what is the best way to downshift without getting a jerky type response from the bike? Thanks.

[smoothrideronli]

Wow...IMHO it depends on conditions...whether you are accelerating to get on a highway as opposed to a local street. All I can really say is practice, avoid lugging the engine and smoothness will come.

[HondaGalToo]

Have you taken any schools? MSF? If not, I'd suggest them. You want to learn to shift smoothly. On upshifts, just pull in the clutch and snick it up to the next gear. It should be done quickly but smoothy. You don't need to pull the clutch lever all the way into the handlebars. Just pull it in far enough to disengage the clutch. You don't want the rpms to drop too much.

Downshifting is a bit trickier. You'll want to pull in the clutch, "blip" the throttle, then downshift to the next lower gear. The purpose of blipping the throttle (giving it a bit of gas), is to raise the rpms up to match the next lower gear you're shifting down to. Done correctly, it will eliminate the jerkiness you're talking about when going to a lower gear. It takes a lot of practice, but when you get it, you'll know it. You'll hear the bike rev, feel it slow down a bit, but without ANY jerkiness at all. It's an important technique to master.