Perhaps you’ve noticed that motorcycles don’t have reverse gear. Let’s talk about the cause of this in this article.
The front fork of all bikes has an angle and “rake”, which assist in keeping it going straight and make it easy to correct balance without falling over.
This does not work in reverse very well, as the rear wheel is fixed. You can train yourself to ride backwards, but it is very difficult.
In addition, it would be dangerous on a motorcycle and pointless since motorcycles have a tight turning radius and you can simply push it backwards with your feet.
They are not used because you can easily push your bike backwards with your feet.
Reverse gear takes up space and adds weight. Space is limited on a motorcycle.
The bike’s transmission is not designed similarly as that of a car due to space restrictions.
Some heavy touring bikes, like the Honda GL1800 Goldwing and BMW K1600, which weigh over 375kg each and are difficult to push do have a reverse gear, to assist in getting out of parking spaces only.
It uses the starter motor, not the engine, to give it a slow push.
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