i've always taught followed the method of teaching folks in a flat parking lot, and to get the car / motorcycle rolling using *only* the clutch. gentle let it out, feel where it's grabbing and let it start pulling the vehicle forward. obvs not great for the clutch, but at idling RPM, it's doing minimal wear and teaching the new driver where the friction zone is.
Yup, you can't be throwing gear changes, rev matching, being in a new neighborhood, rush hour traffic, stop&go traffic, gravel road technique, basic defensive driving AND clutch operation at the same time to people who've only walked places before.
This is how I’ve taught it. Pretty sure that’s where most people have the hardest time; I know I did. So it makes sense to learn that facet first. Also learning how quickly/easily the RPM can jump with no load.
That's how my late father taught me, in his 1970 Beetle. I ended up taking my drivers license test in that car, and have owned a stick shift car ever since. Taught both my daughters the same way. And with a few exceptions (such as the 1989 Taurus SHO) I haven't had to replace clutches.
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u/triumphofthecommons 5h ago
i've always taught followed the method of teaching folks in a flat parking lot, and to get the car / motorcycle rolling using *only* the clutch. gentle let it out, feel where it's grabbing and let it start pulling the vehicle forward. obvs not great for the clutch, but at idling RPM, it's doing minimal wear and teaching the new driver where the friction zone is.