Starting Off And Shifting - Suzuki 2004 VL800 Owner's Manual

Riding this motorcycle at
excessive speed increases
your chances of losing control
of the motorcycle. This may
result in an accident.
Always ride within the limits of
your skils, your motorcycle,
and the riding conditions.
AWARNING
Removing your hands from the
handlebars or feet from the
footrests during operation can
be hazardous. If you remove
even one hand or foot from the
motorcycle, you can reduce
your abilty to control the
motorcycle.
Always keep both hands on the
handlebars and both feet on
the footrests of your motorcy-
cle during operation.
Sudden side winds, which can
occur when being passed by
larger vehicles, at tunnel exits
or in hily areas, can upset your
control.
Reduce your speed and be
alert to side winds.
Make sure that the side stand is in
the fully up position. Pull the
clutch lever in and pause momen-
tarily. Engage first gear by
depressing the gearshift lever
downward. Turn the throttle grip a
little toward you and at the same
time release the clutch lever gen-
tly and smoothly. As the clutch
engages, the motorcycle will start
moving forward. To shift to the
next higher gear, accelerate gen-
tly, then close the throtte and pull
the clutch lever in simultaneously.
Lift the gearshift
lever upward to
select the next gear and release
the clutch lever as you open the
throttle again. Select the gears in
this manner unti top gear is
reached.
NOTE: This motorcycle has a
side stand/ignition interlock
switch. If you shift the transmis-
sion into gear when the side stand
is down, the engine will stop run-
ning.
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