[El_Shorto]

Easy's right, you can start the bike up in 5th as long as you have the clutch in, just like a manual transmission car. The bike doesnt care about the gear so long as the transmission is disengaged. After that, shift away. Also, an easy thing to do if you ever have trouble downshifting (which happens periodically on my GZ if I forget to downshift while i'm coming to a stop) is to press the shifter, then let the clutch out just enough to where you feel the transmission engage then reapply the clutch and continue downshifting. Works like a champ.