Gears & gearboxes

A motorcycle gear refers to the transmission, which is responsible for transferring the power generated by the engine to the rear wheel to propel the vehicle. Here's a general description of motorcycle transmission components:

Gearbox: The gearbox is an essential component of the transmission. It allows the rider to select different gears to adapt engine power to different riding conditions. Motorcycles can have manual or automatic gearboxes.

Clutch: The clutch is located between the engine and the gearbox. It temporarily disconnects the engine from the transmission, enabling gear changes without stopping the engine. The clutch is operated by the handlebar-mounted clutch lever.

Drive shaft or chain : Power from the gearbox is transferred to the rear wheel via a drive shaft or chain. Motorcycles can have either a shaft drive, where power is transmitted via a drive shaft, or a chain drive, where a chain transmits power between the gearbox output sprocket and the rear wheel sprocket.

Pinion and sprocket: On chain-driven motorcycles, there's a pinion mounted on the gearbox output shaft and a sprocket attached to the rear wheel. The chain connects these two elements and transfers power from the engine to the rear wheel.

Gear selector: The gear selector allows the rider to choose between different gearbox speeds by moving the gearshift with his foot. On motorcycles with manual transmissions, this may be a multi-position gearshift located near the rider's left foot.

A motorcycle's transmission allows you to adjust speed and torque to suit your riding needs, whether you want to accelerate quickly, maintain a constant speed or slow down. The specific design of the transmission may vary according to the type of motorcycle (sportbike, cruiser, enduro, etc.) and the manufacturer's preferences.