Downshifting

[chunkygoat]

I had an experience today that got me thinking, and I wanted to come on here and ask for anybody else's input.

I was behind a rider today on a gsxr and as we came to the light, he downshifted from 4th all the way to 1st, rather quickly. CLICK CLICK CLICK.

When i slow down, i use the engine and downshift accordingly to my speed. I've felt this saves my brakes, helps me keep my throttle response time at a minimum, and helps me keep track of what gear i'm in.

Are there any advantages at all shifting all the way down to first RIGHT before you stop? Because if there are, i can't think of any. Just wanted to know if he's the idiot...or me.

 

[Gosling1]

Being ready to react in a split second comes to mind.

I had to take off from a red light one evening. A drunk had hit two other cars behind me. If I wasn't watching my mirrors and in 1st gear he would have hit me. His vehicle was finally stopped by the car in front of me. If I wasn't able to launch and get away quickly, I would have been one ugly hood ornament.

 

[bluenova]

opcorn:

These threads always get interesting.

For me: NO, you should always be in the correct gear, and engage each gear as you change down. Saying that on a bike it's possible to do it very quickly, perhaps he did?

 

[chunkygoat]

Well no doubt you can do it quickly on a bike, but he didn't engage each gear, he was in 4th all the way til he was ready to put his foot down and shifted all the way to first. If the light went green or somebody flew behind him, he'd have to down shift 3 times to get to first before he had any power. Thats why it got me thinking.

 

[DefyInertia]

It depends if you have the 5 speed or the 6 speed FZ6.....

 

[DefyInertia]

No, really though, I try to downshift to match my speed on the street for safety reasons. If i'm humming a long in a high gear and relatively low speed and need to stop quick, I'll generally need to drop a few consecutive gears without engaging the clutch. I often skip from 5th to 3rd in my truck....it all depends.

Blipping your downshifts while braking smoothly...done really well...takes practice, especially at pace.

 

[Cuba]

If I'm traveling at 40mph and come to a stop sign generally I don't shift, engine brake, shift, engine brake, shift, engine brake, shift, engine brake. I use my brakes and immediately shift to the appropriate gear- 1st. Sometimes I down shift, sometimes I coast, sometimes I'm accelerating towards a stop sign and hit the brakes. In traffic I'm more sensitive to this and wouldn't be caught in 5th a 5mph but when no one's around who cares? Sort of like pulling up next to a guy in minivan with a roll cage, 5 point harness, wearing a full faced race helmet and fireproof suit calling you reckless for not taking the same precautions. You can't really prove him wrong but you sure as hell can call him paranoid.

 

[adavi491]

I always downshift through the gears to make sure i have power. When it comes to stopping quickly i try to find at least 2nd and release the clutch to have engine braking along with my brakes. One of my buddies said that downshifting puts ware on the transmission and i shouldn't do it. I don't believe that at all, downshifting is fine if done properly and with respect to RPMs. I usually have my bike in 1st gear when i stop... sometimes i find myself after long rides letting the clutch out (neutral) and giving my hand a break. Ultimately as mentioned by others you should probably be ready for anything.

 

[CrazyBiker]

I usually decelerate by downshifting first and then apply the brakes. Saves fuel.

 

[RyanK]

I"ll usually shift to the appropriate gear per my speed as well.

As for shifting all the way at once right before stopping, that is what the owners manual says to do . I don't like it, and sometimes it'll get stuck kinda until you move the bike or let the clutch out a little... That's not safe...

 

[Smittyboy]

OK, wait... engine breaking SAVES fuel? Now I'm lost, can somebody explain that to me?

 

[VDITRAINING]

as long as you're off the throttle and rolling....you're saving fuel, but i agree, to think engine braking saves fuel over regular braking, I don't buy it either.

 

[bigdog9191999]

i do some sort of combo to all these.. i try to speed match most of the time, but sometimes if am rolling through town luggin some, then as i come up to a light or sign i will kick it down to first or if i stop quickly i will try to keep the gear close to the speed i would be if i had to "jump" out of the way for something.. (meaning that if i am cruizing 60 in 6th and i come up to a sign unexpected i will jump the brakes quick and down shift multiple gears to kinda match were my speed/rpm should be so if i have to take off i can do so and be fairly close to what i need to be )

 

[VDITRAINING]

One of my buddies said that downshifting puts ware on the transmission and i shouldn't do it.

so does upshifting...maybe he shouldn't do that either

any rotation of engine parts creates wear whether it's upshifting, downshifting, accelerating decellerating etc.....thats why they created oil to minimize the detrimental effects.

Tell your friend you have two faces to your gears and you're wearing them both evenly for balance reasons then slap him up side the head.

 

[Smittyboy]

Tell your friend you have to faces to your gears and you're wearing them both evenly for balance reasons then slap him up side the head.
...
TOO GOOD...

 

[necrotimus]

Here is why I think you should downshift through each gear:

In my MSF course it was not discussed that downshifting could cause the back wheel to lock. They did of course mention that braking could lock the back wheel and downshifting is basically braking but they did not specifically link the two. So even though it makes sense I never made the connection until I was downshifting and accidentally went from third to first and let out the clutch way too fast. Although I scared the S out of myself and it would look like this is a reason not to downshift through each gear this is a reason to downshift.

Practice makes perfect and downshifting correctly through each gear to a stop is practice downshifting. Downshifting during riding is a normal occurance for anyone riding in traffic or who plans to turn. And as others have mentioned being in the correct powerband when you need it can be a life saver.

 

[Tremulant]

I try not to do a lot of engine braking, so I'm probably a little too heavy on my brake pads, but even as I'm slowing I shift down gradually into the appropriate gears to match my speed. It's just a matter of being ready to start up again. I don't want to be traveling at 5mph in fourth gear just because I'm about to stop...always be ready to bolt out of a bad situation!

 

[Shinn]

As previously mentioned, sometimes our bike has the tendency to get stuck in a higher gear when slamming the gears down 3 or more at a time. I've been stuck in 4th and had to let out the clutch in order for it to go down any further.

Though most of the time, unless I am emergency breaking, I keep the bike around 6000rpm in the appropriate gear.

 

[gearheadstu]

I consider my typical approach to be a blend of laziness and pragmatism.

I will begin slowing by using both the brakes and engine compression. Eventually I'll de-clutch and downshift, but I find the higher gear that I was in, the more gears I'll skip in the downshift process. I always engage 1st while still rolling. I'm about 50/50 whether I come into 1st directly from 2nd or if I skip down from 3rd.

 

[opds9091]

I always down shift while coming to a stop. Whatever gear I am in as i come up to a traffic light or stop sign or railroad tracks i downshift not by speed but by the feel of the bike and ounce I get to 2nd i will ride it for a little then go into neutral.