Honda CRF50F 2004 Owner's Manual page 45

Shifting Gears
Learning when to shift gears comes with
experience. Upshift to a higher gear or reduce
throttle before engine rpm (speed) gets too high.
Downshift to a lower gear before you feel the
engine laboring (lugging) at low rpm.
Downshifting can help slow your motorcycle,
especially on downhills. However,
downshifting when engine rpm is too high can
cause engine damage.
To prevent transmission damage, do not coast
or tow the motorcycle for long distances with
the engine off.
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Basic Operation & Riding