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You will often hear people talking about getting the bite. What do they mean?
Well, let’s keep it simple; to get the bite or biting point you only need the clutch.
Check your gear lever is in neutral / out of gear and that the handbrake is applied / pulled up. Start your engine and put your car into first gear.
Remember, it’s the clutch that makes the car move, not the accelerator. The accelerator only makes your car move faster. So let’s not hear the car roaring, OK?
Allow the clutch to raise little by little with your foot, until you feel the car wanting to move or pull away. (There are three little tell tale ways of telling when it’s at the bite. You may see the bonnet raise a little, you may hear the car beginning to grumble and you must feel the car wanting to pull away.) It very much depends on pedal height in a vehicle, as to whether or not you can keep your heel on the floor while raising the clutch.
At biting point, make sure to put your heel is on the floor of the car. It is easier holding your foot at the same point if you are grounded with your heel. Try holding your foot in the same place in mid air for a few seconds, it’s very difficult.
When you feel the biting point, keep your foot in this position and let down the handbrake. Your car will start to move, with a see saw movement press a little on your accelerator gently and slowly as you allow your clutch to come up gently and slowly. Imagine you’re swapping the clutch for the accelerator.
Problems that may occur;
Why did my car roll back when I let down the handbrake? It happened because you didn’t trust your foot to hold the biting point. You dipped your foot back down on the clutch, bringing the car below the bite while letting down the handbrake.
Why did my car cut out when I let the handbrake down? You brought the car above the biting point too fast. Allow the car to move smoothly before letting go the clutch completely. This really only takes a couple of seconds.
Remember, have fun with this, using the bite you can yes, make the car move but also make the car hold an on the spot position without the handbrake. When you are practising make sure it is in a safe and legal place.
I have often been asked by pupils at the learner stage, why it is necessary to move off using the bite every time. It is very necessary for safety reasons when moving off and for moving off on hills. Have you ever been behind a car and thought it was going to roll back into you? Remember, your car cannot roll back if it is pulling to go forward. It is a physical impossibility.
For anyone who wants to know the technical side of this, Here is a very brief explanation. There is a bar connecting to the front wheel axle which is stationary and a bar attached to the clutch that rotates and moves forward when you are bringing the clutch up to biting point. The rotating bar is moving forward to meet the bar attached to the wheels. When the two meet, it's love at first sight. The rotating bar makes the stationary bar rotate with it. This is the biting point which from then makes the wheels move.
Think of it in simple terms the engine is telling the wheels to move.
