- Find and hold the biting point of the clutch
- Change up and down through the gears smoothly
- Match the correct gear to your road speed
The biting point
The biting point is where the clutch starts to transfer drive to the wheels: you hear the engine note change and feel the vehicle want to move. Practise raising the clutch slowly to that point and holding it in a quiet, level area.
Changing up
Build enough speed, ease off the accelerator, press the clutch fully, select the next gear, then release the clutch smoothly while feeding in acceleration. Rushing the release is what causes the vehicle to jerk.
Changing down
Brake to the right speed first, then select the lower gear. Block changes (for example, fifth straight to third) are normal and reduce unnecessary gear work.
Avoiding stalls
Stalls usually come from releasing the clutch too fast or too little acceleration. If you stall, handbrake on, gear into neutral, restart calmly. It is a normal part of learning.
Use this with a lesson