# I can drive stick, could I drive a motorcycle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385 "2009-01-15T04:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/1 "2009-01-15T04:50:19Z")
One of my goals in life is to learn how to ride a motorcycle. I don’t think I’d want to own one, but it’s just one of those skills I’d like to have. Anyways, I’ve always wondered if knowing how to drive stick shift would help in learning to ride a motorcycle. I’ve got to assume one of the first things you have to do to learn to ride is learn to shift (or at least learn to get going from a stop). I think I’d be nervous as hell learning how to do that on a bike. I mean when you learn in a car, if you kill the engine and panic, that car doesn’t fall on your leg). Since I know how to work a clutch, I’ve already learned (in a car) how to go from not moving to moving without killing the engine, I know what to do when the engine sounds like it’s about to die and I can do it not only without panicking, but as second nature. Would this help with learning to ride or is it like starting over again? I mean, I know that the clutch and shift are reversed (that is, in a car you clutch with your foot and shift with your hand and on a bike it’s the other way), but I don’t foresee that being an issue. PS this makes it sound like I CAN drive stick but I don’t. In actuality I learned how to drive stick about 12 years ago, and I’ve had a stick shift car for the last 3 years. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/2 "2009-01-15T04:53:13Z")
If you can drive a stick, and ride a bicycle, you could learn the basics of riding a motorcycle in about 5 minutes. My dad taught me how to ride a dirtbike with 5 gears and a real clutch when I was 7, and I never really had a problem with it. What he said just made sense and I took off, even without previous stick-driving experience. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/3 "2009-01-15T05:04:58Z")
Shifting a motorcycle is different from shifting a car. It’s easier. Much easier. You don’t have to fit the gear lever into gates like to do on a car. Pull the clutch and click up (or down) with your foot. Clutch control is important, but easily and quickly learned. It’s very simple to do, especially compared to shifting a car. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/4 "2009-01-15T05:12:48Z")
My first car was a stick, but I’ve driven automatic for the last 2-3 years. Honestly, I’m not sure that having driven a stick really helps with a bike beyond the basic understanding of clutch in, shift, clutch out. That said, it’s not that hard to pick up even for neophytes. Like **pkbites** says, it’s actually sort of easier. In addition to not worrying about where the gear shifter goes, the clutch is a lot more forgiving than a car clutch. It’s also harder than you think to drop the bike on your leg. The only times I did it were when I lost hand coordination during the training (both hands locked down, I went zooming across the training course and couldn’t make myself let go of the clutch) and when I tried pushing the bike uphill unpowered. Bikes are heavy, but they’re also quite stable as long as you’re in the seat. ---
**Author:** ![Nunavut\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e95f7d/32.png) [@Nunavut\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunavut_Boy)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/5 "2009-01-15T05:38:33Z")
Warning: Do not learn how to ride a motorcycle using a friend’s dirtbike on any surface that’s pretty grippy. Like the grass in his backyard, say. Or pavement. Or hard packed dirt. If you accidentally dump the clutch while giving it too much gas, you’re liable to get the front wheel off the ground. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/6 "2009-01-15T06:42:37Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > In addition to not worrying about where the gear shifter goes, the clutch is a lot more forgiving than a car clutch. This is true. Though you have to be a bit careful when coming off a stop, you can pop the clutch on a bike more than you can on a car. In fact, this question is actually in reverse. I’m afraid there are people who think they’ll be able to drive a car with a standard transmission because they can ride a cycle. I’m willing to bet after **Joey P** first rides a bike and learns to shift after a few minutes he’ll r:rolleyes:ll his eyes and say “I was concerned about this!” 😉 Anyway, that’s what I did over 35 years ago. Compared to shifting a car it’s a piece of cake, **Joey**! ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/7 "2009-01-15T08:02:47Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Shifting a motorcycle is different from shifting a car. > > It’s easier. Much easier. For me, it was much harder (and I learned how to drive a stick in cars that had to be begged and pleaded into first and reverse). But understanding how shifting should work, whether or not it did was another story. > [@](#): > > It’s also harder than you think to drop the bike on your leg. I did that during the training class, too. And the bike and ground are, in fact, harder than you think. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/8 "2009-01-15T08:07:23Z")
Same experience here as the majority of others - since I knew _why_ to change gear, as well as how, it took about 5 minutes to get the hang of it. The only thing I had trouble with at first was that first gear was “up” while all the others were “down”. But that only took another five minutes to work out. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/9 "2009-01-15T08:53:59Z")
Completely different skills. Contrary to the opinion so far, I think there’s _negative_ overlap between the two. Neither is particularly difficult to learn, but I don’t think learning one helps with the other at all, and might actually be an impediment to learning similar but different ways of doing things. As was pointed out in the motorcycle safety class I took to get my license, if you ride like you drive, you will probably kill or injure yourself because you’re thinking the wrong way. Steering works differently, as does braking. There’s no transfer of muscle-movement skills either. I’m not saying this as a hard learner. I had no problems with picking up how to ride and easily passed the course. But I disagree that there was any benefit derived from my previous skill set. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/10 "2009-01-15T12:03:37Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Same experience here as the majority of others - since I knew _why_ to change gear, as well as how, it took about 5 minutes to get the hang of it. The only thing I had trouble with at first was that first gear was “up” while all the others were “down”. But that only took another five minutes to work out. That’s typically a race bike shift pattern, most commercial bikes are 1st down and the rest up. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/11 "2009-01-15T12:24:58Z")
[quote=“1920s Style “Death Ray”, post:10, topic:481385”] That’s typically a race bike shift pattern, most commercial bikes are 1st down and the rest up. [/QUOTE] Oh yeah. I misemembered. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/12 "2009-01-15T15:53:34Z")
The only thing that ever gave me trouble is that neutral is a “half click” between 1st and 2nd; I don’t know why the hell they make them like that, and I’ve had trouble finding neutral on every bike I’ve ever ridden, from Harley to crotch rocket to all different types of dirt bike. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/13 "2009-01-15T16:04:51Z")
I thought the clutch action on a cycle was always easier. Just a lot less mass to get engaged and rolling. The cycle provides a different/harsher kind of feedback, too. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/14 "2009-01-15T16:24:26Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > The only thing that ever gave me trouble is that neutral is a “half click” between 1st and 2nd; I don’t know why the hell they make them like that, I believe that it is basically to make first easier to find. Just kick down a couple of times and you are in first. You are more likely to need first in a hurry than neutral. > [@Cisco](#): > > and I’ve had trouble finding neutral on every bike I’ve ever ridden, from Harley to crotch rocket to all different types of dirt bike. On most bikes, neutral is easier to find if you are moving a little. Try shifting into neutral while you are still rolling. ---
**Author:** ![SunSandSuffering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SunSandSuffering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunSandSuffering)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/15 "2009-01-15T16:52:16Z")
> [@RedSwinglineOne](#): > > I believe that it is basically to make first easier to find. Just kick down a couple of times and you are in first. You are more likely to need first in a hurry than neutral. > > On most bikes, neutral is easier to find if you are moving a little. Try shifting into neutral while you are still rolling. This works well. I find it easier to come to rest in first gear while pulling the clutch in fully, then click up to neutral. If it doesn’t go in easily, ease the clutch out to just before the bite point and try again. Once in a while I have to let the clutch out enough to move forward an inch then it usually goes into neutral very easily. [that’s a whole lot of “easily” ;)] ---
**Author:** ![meanoldman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@meanoldman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meanoldman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/16 "2009-01-15T18:11:05Z")
Short answer. Yes. Longer answer… I agree with the poster that said the two do not have really that much in common. Different skill sets. Different sides/planes of body being used. In an auto, you shift the gears with the right hand, work clutch with left foot. Motorcycle, left hand engages/disengages clutch, left foot changes gears. And then there is the whole idea of doing that while maintaining balance on two wheels. It is easier in most ways to work things out at higher speeds (up to a point) on a motorcycle. I’d suggest taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course. They cost money, and you have to reserve your spot well in advance, but every one I’ve ever heard of, you learn your skill sets on -their- bikes. And in many states, you pass the course and you take your completion cert to the DMV and get the endorsement for motorcycles without further testing. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/17 "2009-01-15T18:14:41Z")
You’re probably set. I’d say motorcycles are easier than cars, all things considered. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/18 "2009-01-15T18:16:07Z")
> [@meanoldman](#): > > I’d suggest taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course. They cost money, and you have to reserve your spot well in advance, but every one I’ve ever heard of, you learn your skill sets on -their- bikes. And in many states, you pass the course and you take your completion cert to the DMV and get the endorsement for motorcycles without further testing. This is my suggestion as well. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/19 "2009-01-15T18:39:02Z")
> [@meanoldman](#): > > I’d suggest taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course. They cost money, and you have to reserve your spot well in advance, but every one I’ve ever heard of, you learn your skill sets on -their- bikes. And in many states, you pass the course and you take your completion cert to the DMV and get the endorsement for motorcycles without further testing. The technical school in my area offers a motorcycle class. From what I understand it fills up with in minutes of being available to sign up for. But all you have to bring is a helmet (and possibly your temp bike license). The special thing about the class is that after you complete it, you get your license and you don’t have to take the DMV’s road test, which from what I understand is VERY difficult. ETA, I would take that class to learn how to ride. I have family that knows how to ride and if I REALLY needed to I could probably come up with a bike, but this would just be easier and probably safer. And thanks for all the answers. Based on what I’m reading here, I’ll have the advantage of understanding a clutch and how a clutch works (as opposed to it just being a lever that you have to pull) and that should help, but it seems that’s about where it ends. Thanks Again. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385/20 "2009-01-15T19:30:45Z")
> [@meanoldman](#): > > Short answer. Yes. > > Longer answer… I agree with the poster that said the two do not have really that much in common. Different skill sets. Different sides/planes of body being used. > In an auto, you shift the gears with the right hand, work clutch with left foot. Motorcycle, left hand engages/disengages clutch, left foot changes gears. I disagree. I’ve taught A LOT of people to drive stick - pretty much all my girlfriends from age 16 to 21, a few of my guy friends, various cousins, etc - and a few people to ride motorcycle too. The one thing they all have in common as the thing they don’t “get” is not the gear patterns or the physical motions or anything like that; it’s the friction point of the clutch. I usually let them tool around trial-and-error style for a few minutes without too much instruction, and then I explain the friction point and most people get it from there on. And it’s the same concept on a motorcycle as in a car. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-drive-stick-could-i-drive-a-motorcycle/481385.md?page=2)