Stopping/slowing with the clutch in. Bad form?

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

I don't see any benefit of other method compared to this one except in certain racing situations.

There is, you save tyre wear, if you use brakes you wear pads, if you use engine breaking you wear extra on the rear tyre.

[NTECUK]

You still need to transmit the stopping torque to the road.weather its brake or engine .

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by speedyandypandy

There is, you save tyre wear, if you use brakes you wear pads, if you use engine breaking you wear extra on the rear tyre.

How much wear on rear tyre from gentle engine braking while maintaining a "correct" rpm, say 4000rpm for sake of argument, nice and responsive if power is needed...

Versus not smooth, poor rev matching etc. For example a block shift done wrong, which you will if you do them enough, there is too much concentration needed to count gears.

I would suggest case 1 has minimal tyre wear, case 2 has lots.


Alternatively batter it into the corner downshifting to bring revs up to 8000 or so by time of corner exit, maximum front brakes meaning back is unloaded and "loose" all the way in.

Far more fun, and my opinion is that when riding in this style tyre wear is not my main concern

[widepants]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

IMO, no.

It's something that's drifted in from them making the car test easier for spastics to pass!


Doing this on V twins or singles especially with heavy engine braking may well be fine when you have pre-planned, learned sequences of events. Approaching a red light, approaching a "stop" junction, approaching a known corner...

What happens when a car is pulling into the side of you and you need lots of power NOW? What happens when the light changes green when you thought you needed to stop?

You're in the wrong gear, taking a guess, did I click down 3 times or 4? Result... engine trying to do 5000rpm over the redline, back end fishtailing everywhere, knackers embedded in tank.


Solution, change down gears smoothly matching revs as you decellerate. There is no concentration required as you are never guessing gears, you are just always in the right gear, and it's the smoothest manner with least clattering in the gearbox.

I don't see any benefit of other method compared to this one except in certain racing situations.

give this man a prize.Change gear to appropriate gear as you slow so that you know you have the power when you need need it .I may stop bits of your engine flying through the engine casing when you hit the wrong gear

Time spent trying to figure out which gear you're in could be far better spent watching for road hazards and ****s in their own little world who end up endangering your life. In my opinion. I'd rather let the engine dictate when I need to change gear.

I personally prefer engine braking and going through the 'box.. I find that cars braking don't slow down as much as I do without braking. I then use the brake at about 10mph to come to a stop. I've block changed once and it sounds horrific in the gearbox so never done it since.

As for blipping, I personally dont do it from 2nd to 1st because of the change in revs and the immense engine braking that happens in 1st.

2 question for everyone.... Does engine braking: 1) damage your engine? 2) increase fuel consumed?

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by BlackFlag94

2 question for everyone.... Does engine braking: 1) damage your engine? 2) increase fuel consumed?

I've a 105,000 mile SV that suggests 1) NO

2) marginally, depends on rev range used, probably as much indicative of general style than braking method. MYC gets 65mpg and she almost exclusively uses engine braking.

Originally Posted by widepants

give this man a prize.Change gear to appropriate gear as you slow so that you know you have the power when you need need it .I may stop bits of your engine flying through the engine casing when you hit the wrong gear

What happens when you get this wrong = Your back wheel locks up or you get thrown onto your your handle bars. Either way its a situation you don't want. Blipping is the way forward. I've never heard of engines blowing up due to this either. If you do hit the wrong gear your bike will let you know esp when you are still letting the clutch out to its full range and the revs are still going up. If this happens pull the clutch back in simples

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191

[Mark_h]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Originally Posted by Mark_h
Modern teachings say ... "gears to go, brakes to slow" ie, do not slow using the gears. This is also what is now what is coached in both bike and car advanced driving. However personally I use a mix of both but never coast with the clutch in.


Disagree here too.

Not sure how they get to this conclusion though, imagine a big straight where you're flat in 6th... then try and get down to 1st before the corner at the end of it... No idea how doing this "safely" is anything to do with changing down AFTER you've done all the braking. Surely that leaves a massive gap where you're solely downshifting.

Hey, never said I agreed with it, it's just what ROSPA, IAM and roadcraft promote these days. Personally I prefer to be in the right gear all the time which involves changing down while slowing down. I really don't agree with the "block change once you've got to the correct speed" school of thought as if/when stuff happens you'll be in the wrong gear to immediately do something about it. However I do stand by the point of never coasting with the clutch in.

[NTECUK]

Originally Posted by Mark_h

Hey, never said I agreed with it, it's just what ROSPA, IAM and roadcraft promote these days. .

Well it goes against there other teaching of being in the right gear to accelerate if needed.
So I'v done just fine in the last 33 years blipping and I'm Blipping well going to keep doing it.