Engine braking

[Lakes_Puma]

Sorry if this has been answered before I have had a bit of a search.

I test rode a SV650S this weekend and found the engine braking very aggressive at low speeds, the difference between some throtle and no throtle was like jumping on the back brake.

Is this normal for a Vee twin?

[hovis]

yes

[fizzwheel]

Is this normal for a Vee twin?

Yep its normal.

[MiniMatt]

My opinion is yes, this is pretty normal for a twin. You get used to it after a while :)

Depends what you've come from, if you were on a 2-stroke before then any 4-stroke will appear to have massive engine braking, but big pots = big braking.

[Alpinestarhero]

Yea, its very normal. There are two benefits:

1) you dont need to touch the brakes mid-corner

2) you (should be able to) learn good throttle control, since you can use it more effectivly to adjust speed in the corners AND you have to be smooth.

If you come to buy one, its really usefull to get used to "blipping" the throttle on downchanges, just before you re-engage the clutch - this'll take the harshness of the engine braking away, and in wet condidtions lower the risk of a rear-wheel slide

Matt

[Pedrosa]

The problem is not the throttle, it is the throttler! HTH:cool:

[Tim in Belgium]

At very low speeds a little massaging of the clutch can also help like your instructor used to teach you. You soon adapt though and find it second nature to deal with.

[thedonal]

Yeah- engine braking is great. It's really helping me eke out the last of my back brake until Friday when I get the bike to my mech. (posts have well seized, not comfy splitting the caliper meself- bugger! Another 20 minute job converted to paying a mechanic to do it!).

I also use it on corners- really teaches you throttle control as harsh changes in twist can make a big difference.

[toonyank]

My opinion is yes, this is pretty normal for a twin. You get used to it after a while :)

Agreed, it's normal and before I got used to mine, at low speeds it was even the feeling of engine stall. No probs now though.

Greg

[ejohnh]

If I change down from 5th to 4th at about 50 without matching the engine speed I can slide my rear wheel in the dry. I used to do that - bloody scarey at the times I did it unintentionally.

[kcowgergmm]

yeah i always use engine braking and balance my brakes for a good slow down passenger sometimes look at you funny for doing this.

[CSpronken]

How do you guys handle hard braking before a corner, when re-engaging the clutch after down changing might be to much for the rear wheel?

[Alpinestarhero]

How do you guys handle hard braking before a corner, when re-engaging the clutch after down changing might be to much for the rear wheel?

Before re-engaging the clutch, "blip" the throttle to help the engine speed match the rear wheel speed :) it might take a while to get it right at first, but give it some practice!

Matt

[MiniMatt]

What Matt said :)

EDIT: That Matt, not this Matt. Well, this Matt too, but I'm just copying what that Matt said. Make sense? Good :)

[Blue_SV650S]

Its only a problem at low revvs, and yes it makes the bike a bit more tricky to use at low speed and RPM than an IL4 or a Parallel twin #-o

[Alpinestarhero]

What Matt said :)

EDIT: That Matt, not this Matt. Well, this Matt too, but I'm just copying what that Matt said. Make sense? Good :)

The same Matt would like to add the idea of feathering the clutch, allthough I suspect to both Matt's this may be a theory neither have tried, unless the other Matt is very clever. This Matt is not clever with the clutch, but is gentle.

Matt

[CSpronken]

Before re-engaging the clutch, "blip" the throttle to help the engine speed match the rear wheel speed :) it might take a while to get it right at first, but give it some practice!

Yes, that's what I normally do as well, but it's kinda hard to do with your hand when breaking heavily (practise perhaps?). I mean normally I would break earlier and do the "blib" after just before the corner, but I mean if you're really moving fast on a circuit for instance, do you just subtly re-engage the clutch mid corner?

[fizzwheel]

You can brake really hard and blip, its just practice, you should aim to get into the gear you want and at the speed you want, before you enter the corner, then hold a constant throttle to the apex and then drive the bike out of the corner on the throttle.

Going into a corner with the throttle shut or the clutch in, or clutch engaged mid corner is not IMHO what you want to be doing.

A small whiff of throttle will help to keep the bike balanced, opening or shutting the throttle mid corner, or pulling in the clutch is going to make the bike pitch around on its suspension which means that instead of absorbing the bumps on the road whilst corning the suspension has to also cope with weight transfer from front to rear which unsettles the bike which mean you'll mess your line up through the corner possibly running to wide etc etc.

[CSpronken]

You can brake really hard and blip, its just practice, you should aim to get into the gear you want and at the speed you want, before you enter the corner, then hold a constant throttle to the apex and then drive the bike out of the corner on the throttle.

Going into a corner with the throttle shut or the clutch in, or clutch engaged mid corner is not IMHO what you want to be doing.

A small whiff of throttle will help to keep the bike balanced, opening or shutting the throttle mid corner, or pulling in the clutch is going to make the bike pitch around on its suspension which means that instead of absorbing the bumps on the road whilst corning the suspension has to also cope with weight transfer from front to rear which unsettles the bike which mean you'll mess your line up through the corner possibly running to wide etc etc.

Thanks, I'll see if I can get my right hand to brake and blib.