1.Starting, Shifting and Stopping Tips
1.1. Start-up: Start the engine and warm it up for 3 to 5 minutes before setting off. It is an important step especially in low temperatures. Avoid trying full throttle to accelerate the warm-up procedure. Insufficient warm-up will lead to increased wear on the vital engine parts including the cylinder, piston ring and rocker arm. Be aware of your surrounding conditions and turn on the signal lights as you take off. Coordination between the throttle and clutch is essential as you set off. Squeeze the clutch lever with your left hand and shift into first gear. Then, gradually release the clutch and at the same time slowly and steadily open the throttle with your right hand. If you feel the engine is about to stall, add more gas immediately. If the engine speed is too high, roll off the throttle and keep it running at a moderate speed. Remember to keep the engine at a steady speed during the process as the clutch gets fully engaged.
1.2. Gear shift: The next step after start-up is to shift gears to accelerate your motorcycle. As the clutch is disengaged for gear shift, the transmission power is cut off. Therefore, you can neither accelerate your motorcycle nor control its speed with the throttle. It keeps running only by its own momentum. So it is best to shorten the time spent disengaged. In order to shift from a lower gear to a higher one, you should: build up speed; roll off the throttle while squeezing the clutch lever with your left hand quickly to disengage the clutch; lift up the gear lever with your left foot to change to a higher gear; and then, release the clutch lever slowly and feed in the throttle. Repeat to go gear-by-gear until you reach the highest speed.
If the engine lacks the required momentum to drive uphill or if there are obstacles ahead, you should shift from higher gears into a lower one by: rolling off the throttle to slow down the motorcycle; squeezing the clutch lever quickly, and pressing down on the shift lever to select a lower gear, then releasing the clutch lever slowly and opening the throttle more. Make sure to decelerate to an equivalent target speed before downshifting. Otherwise braking will put the transmission under great stress and could cause damage.
1.3. Stopping: If you need to make a stop, you should: roll off the throttle, squeeze the clutch lever with your left hand and shift to neutral gear. Then apply equal force to both brakes. Remember to squeeze the brake lever cautiously and gently, especially in turns or on a wet or slippery road. While riding at high speed, do not jerk the brake lever down all at once for an emergency brake; instead, gently and simultaneously apply both the front and rear brakes, release them quickly and then re-apply until the motorcycle stops.
2. Night Riding Tips
2.1. Darkness and poor visibility can make night riding hazardous. Maintain a lower speed than for daytime riding, and keep towards the right side of the road. Keep a safe distance – usually over 50 meters – from other vehicles.
2.2. It is important to use proper signal lights and make clear of the road conditions when riding motorcycles at nights. While low beam lights are enough for riding over a well-lit road or around populated urban areas, you should turn on the high beam lights on a smooth yet poorly lit road, and limit your speed to round 35 km/h. If you approach an oncoming vehicle, reduce your speed, switch back to low-beam lights, and keep a look out for a proper passing place. In case you’re dazzled by the lights of an oncoming vehicle, immediately steer to one side, and flash your lights to alert the other driver to turn off his high beam lights. If necessary, pullover, stop and wait for the other vehicle to pass.
3. Downtown Riding Tips
When riding in downtown areas, riders should be more alert and properly handle various situations. You should be fully ready for all kinds of pedestrians. To alert distracted pedestrians, sound the horn or otherwise make your presence known to prevent them stepping into your path. For old people who move slowly and cannot hear your horn or notice you very quickly, you should slow down beforehand. In the case of cyclists riding poorly or with a passenger on the back, beware because they may fall over. In addition, watch out for pedestrians or cars rushing out from factory, school, hospital or small lane entrances. In a word, riding a motorcycle in downtown areas requires alertness.
4. Fuel Saving Tips
Fuel efficiency is the key to a motorcycle's long-life.
4.1. Start-up: After cold starting your motorcycle, run the engine for about one minute to warm up and turn the choke lever to the full open position. Not opening the choke fully will lead to an overly concentrated fuel-air mixture in the cylinder, increasing fuel consumption and reducing engine power. Riding off immediately after starting may not be fuel-efficient, and will cause more wear on the engine's internal components.
4.2. Riding off: Ride off in a low gear. Do not open the throttle before the clutch is engaged. When the clutch is half engaged, gradually let go of the clutch and twist the throttle slowly at the same time to reach the necessary engine speed. Then the motorcycle can make a smooth start. Otherwise, the engine cannot run continuously and will stall when the clutch is released, as well as consuming more fuel after a few starts.
4.3. Gear shift: Shift gears at the right time. If the road is flat, you must quickly shift from low to high gear by gear. Do not rush or ride for a long time in low gears. Shift down one gear when the engine is struggling (such as when going uphill), because the gear in use is unsuitable. Sticking to the higher one will lug the engine. Rolling on the throttle with the clutch half engaged to accelerate is not recommended either.
4.4. Riding: Making full use of momentum during riding may improve fuel economy: If you want to stop your motorcycle, do not brake but use inertia. The engine will stop automatically after running a certain distance with the throttle rolled off. If there is an obstacle in the distance, you can roll off the throttle and shift to neutral gear in advance, thus reaching the obstacle at a slower speed, avoiding engine energy consumption caused by braking and thereby saving fuel.
4.5.Acceleration: Do not accelerate with maximum throttle. Twist the throttle with the appropriate effort that gives you the needed speed, and do not open it too far to avoid extra fuel consumption. Some riders love to repeatedly rev the engine when getting on and off the motorcycle, and sometimes even rev the engine as a signal to others rather than sounding the horn. Doing so not only increases fuel consumption, but also speeds up wear on mechnical parts and makes the engine noisier.
4.6. Tire pressure: Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the key ways to improve fuel economy. Keep the tire pressure recommended in the manual. Under-inflated tires will lose their proper shape, bringing more resistance that consumes unnecessary energy and decreases fuel economy.