Actually it is a 6 speed, or at least that is how many gears I have on my rear cassette. 6 is actually too many in my opinion, the engine has a wider powerband than us humans. I usually shift 2 gears at a time. First gear is so low I can start from a stop with the clutch no problem and at idle is slower than a walk but it will pull any hill you can throw at it. 6th gear is actually too tall. The motor won't pull it on a flat road. I get a higher top speed in 5th. But the extra gear is nice when going down a hill at speed to keep the engine rpm low.