APRILIA RS 50 - 1999 Manual page 51

Slowly but steadily release the clutch le-
ver (3) and, at the same time, open the
throttle by rotating the throttle grip (2)
slightly counterclockwise (Pos. B). This
will start the motorcycle moving.
Increase the speed by gradually rotating
the throttle grip (2) (Pos. B). Do not ex-
ceed the recommended rpm, see p. 53
(RUNNING-IN).
To engage second gear:
 
CAUTION
Shift gears fairly quickly but without
great force. Develop a "feel" for shift-
ing with your left toe. Never lug the en-
gine, that is, running it at too low an rpm
which can damage the motorcycle's en-
gine, and causes rough and juddering
acceleration.
Rotate the throttle grip (2) clockwise
(Pos. A), pull in the clutch lever (3) and
lift the shift lever (4) straight up. Release
the clutch lever (3) gently, and rotate the
throttle counterclockwise to accelerate.
Repeat the last two operations to shift
from second, to third, to fourth, to fifth, to
sixth.
 
CAUTION
If the 2 stroke oil warning light "
comes on, this means that the 2 stroke
oil is being used. In this case, top up
the 2 s troke oil tan k, see p. 36 (2
STROKE OIL TANK).
Shifting from higher to lower gears, that is,
downshifting, is accomplished as follows:
Rotate the throttle grip (2) clockwise
(Pos. A), slow the bike with the brakes,
pull in the clutch lever (3), depress the
shift lever (4) with your toe, release the
clutch.
 
CAUTION
Shift gears one by one. Simultaneously
downshifting more than one gear may
cause the engine to exceed its maxi-
mum rated rpm (red line). This can seri-
ously damage the engine.
Before and during downshift, rotate the
throttle clockwise to decelerate in order
to avoid overspeeding the engine.
Downshifting should be carried out in the
following situations:
When riding downhill or when braking, in
order to increase the braking action by
using the compression of the engine.
When riding uphill if the engine lugs
down (rpm decreases).
use and maintenance RS 50

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51