Downshifting when Stopping

[Newfie Bill]

Hi Everyone...,

 

I have always shiffed down through the gears when stopping. I was looking through my manual over the weekend and I'm sure I read that you down shift through the gears all the same time just before comming to a stop.

 

What do everyone else do?

 

Newfie Bill

Paradise, NL

99 RSV

[SaltyDawg]

I engine brake, meaning I down shift a gear let the clutch out, down shift again let the clutch out to help slow the bike down. I believe most people here do this also.

 

When I get below 10 I go ahead and shift into 1st.

[RoadKill]

Downshift to slow! Never set in Neutral either at a stop light/sign. Just in case I need to make a fast getaway.

[SilvrT]

I engine brake, meaning I down shift a gear let the clutch out, down shift again let the clutch out to help slow the bike down. I believe most people here do this also.

 

When I get below 10 I go ahead and shift into 1st.

 

 

DITTO!

 

Insofar as "engine braking" goes, it should be taught to drivers from the beginning, even with auto trans .... over use of the brakes causes them to wear out pre-maturely, not to mention possible fading due to excessive heat. I can't believe the numbers of people nowadays who ride their brakes unnecessarilly. Such habits cause confusion and sometimes accidents to the drivers behind. For instance, driving along the freeway the other day, a driver changed lanes from left lane to right lane...as soon as he got into the right lane, he applied his brakes (just enuf for the brake lights to come on)...yet there was nothing immediately in front of him. I was a couple vehicles back, in the left lane... the 2 drivers behind the guy that changed lanes also applied their brakes, just because the first guy did...because, they were confused ...thinking the first guy was slowing down... this caused a bit of a chain reaction whereby the 2 cars behind actually slowed, causing all the other traffic behind to slow a bit... it's like a freight train effect... I've seen the traffic on the freeway come to a complete stop yet there is absolutely nothing hindering the normal flow...and its usually because of something like this.

 

I hate those kind of drivers!

[Bummer]

I definately engine brake. (Careful going into first. It'll stop the rear tire right now.)

 

I'm thinking I remember reading some absolutely silly numbers in the manual about shift points. I sure don't use 'em.

 

Oh, and I agree with RoadKill. Never ever sit at a light in neutral.

[pegscraper]

I will downshift into 4th and 3rd, and carry 3rd up to the stop and shift down all at once right before completely stopping. Letting the clutch out in 2nd and 1st doesn't last long enough to make engine braking worth the effort.

[Seaking]

Hi Everyone...,

 

I have always shiffed down through the gears when stopping. I was looking through my manual over the weekend and I'm sure I read that you down shift through the gears all the same time just before comming to a stop.

What do everyone else do?

Newfie Bill

Paradise, NL

99 RSV

 

I always downshift from 5th to 1st-ish.. how else to enjoy that low rumble even from stock pipes =) I've learned to be careful at the lower gears as I've locked the rear wheel and chirped the tire by being too aggressive.. ouch. But all's good.

[mm482]

Like Pegscraper said.

 

Earl

[Aimhigh]

I will downshift into 4th and 3rd, and carry 3rd up to the stop and shift down all at once right before completely stopping. Letting the clutch out in 2nd and 1st doesn't last long enough to make engine braking worth the effort.

 

 

what he said!

[Squidley]

I have always engine braked for slowing, probably from my dirtbike days to come out of the hole in a powerband for holeshots. It's just carried over to my streetbikes as I also reley on my rear brakes a lot, this also from riding dirtbikes.

[V7Goose]

I almost always downshift through each gear while slowing down just because I have been riding so long it became habit back when it was really necessary. Downshifting to slow down does wear out the rear tire faster, not only from the engine braking, but each shift puts a special load on the tire at the moment of clutch engagement.

 

With modern brakes, downshifting is no longer of any particular value if you are just coming to a stop (but it sure sounds better!). And if you have good braking technique (meaning you use the front brake for about 75% of the stopping power), your rear tire will last longer too.

Goose

[friesman]

I will downshift into 4th and 3rd, and carry 3rd up to the stop and shift down all at once right before completely stopping. Letting the clutch out in 2nd and 1st doesn't last long enough to make engine braking worth the effort.

 

Yeah, what he said.

 

Also I am in not in neutral except at very long lights, I think that if something is coming my way I would rather have an out in a hurry than be in neutral.

 

Brian

[Cerviperus]

I will downshift into 4th and 3rd, and carry 3rd up to the stop and shift down all at once right before completely stopping. Letting the clutch out in 2nd and 1st doesn't last long enough to make engine braking worth the effort.

To echo a few others, "what he said".

[Bob Myers]

I always downshift, every thing I ride/drive. My pickup is a F250 with 276k miles, still has the factory brakes on rear, second set on front. My Vulcan has 24k on both original brakes, wife Vulcan has 22k on original front, rear shoes separated from aluminum backing. Venture has new pads on front because of seal leaks

[BigShell]

I downshift through the gears when stopping. Not so much for the breaking (front brakes do good job), but I always want to be in a gear appropriate to the speed I'm going. If I need to maneuver in a hurry, I don't want to be in so low a gear the rear locks or so high a gear the engine lugs.

[Switch]

I drag my feet...

[BuddyRich]

Always downshift and stay in your powerband. You never know when you might need to suddenly get up and go and there's no time to be tryin to guess what gear your in.

[FozzyUSN]

Downshift to slow! Never set in Neutral either at a stop light/sign. Just in case I need to make a fast getaway.

 

That's the way I do it too!

[bongobobny]

Ditto to what BuddyRich said!!

[PBJ]

Always downshift and stay in your powerband. You never know when you might need to suddenly get up and go and there's no time to be tryin to guess what gear your in.

 

yep thats how I ride too.

[Condor]

I down shift, but I guess I'm different when it comes to sitting at a long red light. If it's gonna be short I'll leave it in gear, but if I'm sitting there for a while I'll put it in neutral, and in 50 years I've never felt the need to 'excape' somewhere by the threat of being rear ended... But then again I'm not much of a night rider so I might feel differently about the situation if visibility were a potential problem....

[autopilot]

I drag my feet...

 

That IS why they call them "brake shoes" isn't it?????

:rotfl:

[AmnChode]

I downshift thru all the gears, as well....more of a thing I carried over from learning to drive stick. My senior year in high school, my dad gave me his '90 Ford Ranger that had a V6 and a 5 speed when he got his new F250. My mom initially taught me how to drive stick, but it was my dad that drove it home about keeping it in gear at all times...well, more like he jumped down my butt when he saw me throw it into neutral coming to a stop. Being he used to be a truck driver, he "politely explained" how to use engine braking and why I should also have it in gear, just in case. I just kinda figured the same applied when riding as well...

[Leo]

I also downshift (engine brake) while slowing. Be sure to remember not to apply the rear brake too much as you may overbrake on the rear tire to skid. This is especially true in wet weather. When I engine brake I let off of the rear brake until the gear has been engaged.

There's my 2 cents.

[hig4s]

I grab the clutch, down shift to third, assuming it is good from 30 to 90mph. If the next gear I'll need will be 1st or 2nd as I get under 30 I shift to it. I use mostly front brake and don't bother to engine brake very often. Left over techniques from racing dirtbikes. Engine braking never worked well on them 2-strokes.