Proper way to down shift?
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
I leave it in whatever gear I'm riding in as I'm coming to a stop. When I feel the engine start to "protest" I pull the clutch in and start downshifting without letting the clutch out in between gears, using the brakes to stop. As I come to a stop I'm downshifting into 1st.
I always downshift when slowing down....
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
Sitting at a light in neutral is a BAD thing....imagine looking in your mirrors to see that cell phone talking, lipstick applying, wrangle the kids fat lady who has yet to realize you are there and NOT being able to dump the clutch and get at least beside the car in front of you....
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 571
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
Last time I checked....
Last time I checked, the MOCO does not recommend downshifting to slow the bike and I have never done it as the stress on the tranny and engine is not engineered in to them.
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,483
Likes: 39
From: Passaic County, NJ
I've been riding since 91. I've always used downshifting as a means to slow whatever bike I owned at the time. I NEVER had an issue with the motor, tranny, clutches.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 972
Likes: 23
From: NC
The brakes are... but... if you don't use the brakes then they don't wear out either and since you only seem to be worried about saving money how about just don't use the brakes from now on? 
Same for the tires. Better quit riding. And gas? Don't even start the bike up. Might as well sell it. 
Same for the tires. Better quit riding. And gas? Don't even start the bike up. Might as well sell it.
Advanced
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
From: High desert area in SoCal
Lol....well the question was "whats the proper way to down shift?"
Can one possibly glean a sure answer from these posts..... not likely. But thats the good thing about these forums. Lot's of good advice and opinions for you to ponder, and learn from.
From what anyone could gather, it depends on road conditions, your preference, your technical knowledge of the inner workings of a combustible engine/transmission and the proper gear to speed ratios, how much time you have, your experience level, and whether or not you give a crap about the way you stop as long as you don't smash into the object in front of you....
One of my favorite ways to stop is to jam the rear brake...slide about half sideways up to the folks at the corner and as soon as that blue rubber smoke blows past my face I turn with a serious look on my face and say... "****** A"
Can one possibly glean a sure answer from these posts..... not likely. But thats the good thing about these forums. Lot's of good advice and opinions for you to ponder, and learn from.
From what anyone could gather, it depends on road conditions, your preference, your technical knowledge of the inner workings of a combustible engine/transmission and the proper gear to speed ratios, how much time you have, your experience level, and whether or not you give a crap about the way you stop as long as you don't smash into the object in front of you....
One of my favorite ways to stop is to jam the rear brake...slide about half sideways up to the folks at the corner and as soon as that blue rubber smoke blows past my face I turn with a serious look on my face and say... "****** A"
Advanced
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
From: High desert area in SoCal
Sitting at a light in neutral is a BAD thing....imagine looking in your mirrors to see that cell phone talking, lipstick applying, wrangle the kids fat lady who has yet to realize you are there and NOT being able to dump the clutch and get at least beside the car in front of you....
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,435
Likes: 28
From: Living in open carry state :D
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: North Central Texas
All these posts and everyone has failed to mention..."driveline decompression"....After all the accelleration (especially with the big bore bikes exerting even more torque) ever now and then you have to compress the driveline back together to remove the slack from having been stretched...This also allows more oil flow on the contact surface of the moving parts. The only way to achieve this (aside from taking it to a shop with a driveline compressor) is to downshift with force consistent to your accellerating habits.
I recomend downshifting as outlined here for different accelleration condidions;
1. Normal starts when nobody is watching...Downshift every other gear at low range RPM's.
2. Quick take-offs when you want to get somewhere...Downshift all gears at mid range RPM's with slight rev's between shifts.
3. Rapid launches with full throttle (when hot chicks are within earshot)...Downshift all gears at High RPM's with high rev's between shifts.
This seems to have worked with me for many years with no excessive wear to drivetrain and/or especially brakes.
I recomend downshifting as outlined here for different accelleration condidions;
1. Normal starts when nobody is watching...Downshift every other gear at low range RPM's.
2. Quick take-offs when you want to get somewhere...Downshift all gears at mid range RPM's with slight rev's between shifts.
3. Rapid launches with full throttle (when hot chicks are within earshot)...Downshift all gears at High RPM's with high rev's between shifts.
This seems to have worked with me for many years with no excessive wear to drivetrain and/or especially brakes.