You
might have observed that motorbikes do not get reverse gear. Let us discuss the
reason behind 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 in
motorcycle. The bikes transmission is not designed in similar fashion as that
of car due to the space restriction.
Some heavy touring bikes like 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.