Question 3:      What does the clutch lever do and how do I work it?

A motorcycle rider determines how much engine power is delivered to the rear wheel by the clutch lever.
                        
                            Fig 1                                     Fig 2                                   Fig 3

• When the clutch lever is full out (Fig 1) the clutch is engaged, and all the power the engine can deliver is available to the rear wheel.

• When the clutch lever is full in (Fig 2), the clutch is disengaged, so the engine and rear wheel are separated -- with no engine power going to the rear wheel.

• Somewhere between the full in and full out position is the “friction zone” (Fig 3). Now there is a partial delivery of engine power to the rear wheel.  The friction zone is used to make smooth launches, assist in tight cornering, and prevents rear-wheel lockups when downshifting and engine braking (concepts we’ll examine later). It is important to eeeeeease the clutch lever out from the full in position when launching a motorcycle from a stop. Eeeeeeesing through the friction zone will prevent engine stall (called snubbing the engine) and allow for smooth launches from a stop.

Next we will look at the gearshift lever and operations in Question 4.