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New Rider ForumsJust joining the motorcyclist hobbie? Looking to get some information about a first bike? Or have some newbie questions. Are you new to the website?
Another n00bly question: Downshifting when coming to a stop....
I went out riding last weekend with a bunch of friends. We were cruising back home on a secondary road (paralell to the main highway). Speeds were around 50mph, but every few miles, there was a stoplight.
Now, being a noob, my downshifting thru the gears isnt really up to snuff, so I usually clutch in, brake, and shift down thru all the gears all the way down to 1st (clutch in the whole time). Is this bad for the tranny? I usually get to 1st gear while still coasting at around 30mph, and sometimes here a nice *crunch* when shifting from 2nd to 1st.
Is this normal? Or should I be shifting down a gear ONLY when said gear corresponds to the speed I'm going? (remember, this is only when I hold the clutch in and shift from 5th/6th to 1st, preparing for the stop light. I know how to properly downshift to a lower gear for slowing down/passing etc).
I'm a new rider also, so take it for what it's worth, but what happens if you shift all the way down to first and are still doing 30 the light changes, or you need to react? If you let out the clutch in first you'll over-rev your engine, otherwise you have to guess which gear you need to be in and then upshift accordingly which may take more time than you'll have. I usually downshift through all the gears to slow down without hitting the brakes at all until I'm down to 2 or 3 mph. Often times I don't have to come to a complete stop.
It the same premise on any manual transmission.As your revs drop you down shift.It takes a little practce.if you have a tachometer you see the drop and down shift accordingly
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Joe
I'm a new rider also, so take it for what it's worth, but what happens if you shift all the way down to first and are still doing 30 the light changes, or you need to react? If you let out the clutch in first you'll over-rev your engine, otherwise you have to guess which gear you need to be in and then upshift accordingly which may take more time than you'll have. I usually downshift through all the gears to slow down without hitting the brakes at all until I'm down to 2 or 3 mph. Often times I don't have to come to a complete stop.
-Joe-
Sorry Joe but you really don't know what you're talking about. That's BAD advice. Braking with the engine like that is unnecessary and causes premature wear to the engine.
When you know you're going to come to a complete stop, pull the clutch in and downshift from whatever gear you're in to NEUTRAL, not to first. It's not good to drop it into first when you're going like 30 MPH or so, hence why you hear the loud THUNK. If you feel the need to be in gear at the stoplight (as some people do, so that if they need to get outa there quick they can), then wait till you get to about 10 mph before you drop it into first.
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It the same premise on any manual transmission.As your revs drop you down shift.It takes a little practce.if you have a tachometer you see the drop and down shift accordingly
Exactly what I was talking about. Maybe I wasn't clear but I downshift on my bike just like do in my truck.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Joe
Exactly what I was talking about. Maybe I wasn't clear but I downshift on my bike just like do in my truck.
-Joe-
If you slow down but aren't actually going to come to complete stop, then you should definitely match your speed to the gear. If you're going to come to a complete stop, rowing downward through the gears is COMPLETELY unnecessary!!! I mean this as, clutch-downshift-release clutch for EVERY gear till you get to first.
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I'm going to disagree with Spike here. There's nothing wrong with engine braking, as long as it's done smartly. Even the factories recommend engine braking during break-in. The ONLY way you'll ever get good is to practice, just like any other phase of riding. Also, I'm a firm believer in keeping the bike in gear at a stoplight.
What you're doing isn't going to damage anything, unless you happen to dump the clutch accidentally at the wrong speed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Joe
I usually downshift through all the gears to slow down without hitting the brakes at all until I'm down to 2 or 3 mph. Often times I don't have to come to a complete stop. -Joe-
If you don't use the brakes to slow down, how is anyone behind you supposed to know you're stopping? This is the easiest way to get rear-ended in my opinion. You have to assume the drivers behind you aren't paying attention. Your brake light is your only clear signal to them that you are slowing down. Also, this is what people mean when they say that an engine used to brake is sure to break. The brakes are there for a reason, engine braking can supplement regular braking, especially if you don't use the rear brake.
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I mean this as, clutch-downshift-release clutch for EVERY gear till you get to first.
Not in quick succesion like that. If I see a light and have the time to GRADUALLY slow down I downshift. Also, I don't just let the clutch go when I downshift. Easing the clutch out as well as rev-matching reduce the lash on the engine allowing for smooth downshifts. As I said, often times the light changes and I don't have to stop completely. If I don't have time (i.e. sudden light change) then yeah I'll just pull in the clutch, but I still match speed to gear even with the clutch in (slowly going down one gear at a time as speed decreases) so that if I need to move quickly I can.
After re-reading my first post I see where my wording was mis-leading. I do not just jam down through the gears to stop, but given time (when scanning ahead I often have time) I slowly and smoothly downshift. (again, being that I drive a manual tranny truck, I just use the same principals of downshifting on the bike)
Rear brake use is something I need to work on. I'll practice using it as I'm slowing.
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I disagree with downshifting as you're slowing down in that manner, but I'm not going to argue with ya. If that's what you want to do then I guess you can just keep on doing it lol. I've already stated my opinion...
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THE ECONOMY CAN ONLY BE SAVED IF YOU ACTUALLY SPEND MONEY! STOP HOARDING!
Dont get me wrong, I've been driving manual almost all my life, so I'm familiar with downshifting, and the correct way to do it. But coming from 50-60mph to a COMPLETE stop, I'm not going to downshift thru all 6 gears. I'm just wondering if its bad to shift all the way to 1st while still rolling relatively quickly (I guess outside of 1st gear's speed range).
But I think it makes sense to shift to Neutral, then come to a stop where I can shift to 1st, or at least only shift to 1st at a low speed.
If I know I'm coming to a stop, I'll keep the clutch pulled in and slowly shift down thru the gears until I come to stop (still trying to keep the gear I'm in compatible with the speed I'm doing in case I do need to take off again as I'm slowing down). If I have a pretty good ways to go from the time I start downshifting until I need to stop, I might let the clutch out with each gear.
Or... if I think there's a chance I might not have to come to a stop, I'll shift down through the gears and either let the clutch out with each shift or not (depending on how I feel about it), and once in first try to hover as much as possible in first using clutch/throttle/back brake to keep the bike upright while moving as little as possible so I don't have to put my feet down.
The thing you really need to do is make sure you never put yourself in a situation where you can't take off again if you need to. Don't slam it down into 1st while you are still doing 30mph and don't leave it in 5th as you come to a stop. Even with the clutch pulled in, make sure you are actually in a gear you can use if you need to take off.
I sometimes put it in neutral as I'm coasting to a stop. But ideally you should always leave it in gear at least until there are a few cars behind you and you feel secure enough to be in neutral. Some would say to always leave it in gear, which is really good advice.
Another n00bly question: Downshifting when coming to a stop....
