How to downshift im confused

[resage]

First time riding today since i took the MSF course in october.. My question is mainly for down shifting.... say im in 3rd gear and im approaching a stop sign do i downshift to second and let go of the clutch (slowly or do i just let it out) then down shift to first and stop? or should i stop in 3rd then down shift to second then first? im confused lol =[

also learning to ride as a beginner should i mainly just stay in like 3rd gear max? im riding around in a little residential area so =/ thanks for the help

[Thumper]

It depends. You can certainly just pull in the clutch, keep it pulled in, downshift all the way to 1st, and stop...be in 1st before you stop, imo, even with the clutch pulled in. Already being in 1st at a stop gives you that much more wiggle room if you find yourself having to suddenly move.

Or you can match your engine speed to your road speed (this makes much more sense with practice, and you'll probably find yourself riding the clutch coming to a stop more often than not at first...that's all right, the clutch can take it) -- if you're in 3rd gear, you can drop to 2nd as your RPMs drop, using the engine to slow you, then to first... (I hope someone else can explain this better than I...) You'll get to where you know when to downshift and use engine braking, but it won't hurt you to hold the clutch in as you brake, and downshift as you're moving towards where you're going to stop.

As to what gear... That also depends. If you're on a little Rebel, even putting around the neighborhood you'll probably get into 4th gear. If you're on a bigger bike with a wider gear ratio, you might be in 2nd all the way up to 35 or so.

I have a Rebel and a Suzuki SV650. Around the residential streets I ride the Rebel in 3rd and 4th gear; on the SV I'm in 2nd. When I get out onto open roads I can wind the Rebel up by letting the engine rev higher and shifting later than I would on surface streets, and I'm not going into 4th gear until 50-55, where around town I'd be in 5th gear by 40-45. But on the SV, I'm still in 3rd gear at 50...so it depends.

If you're on a smaller bike and sticking to a residential area (props on that, better to get your bearings without a lot of traffic, but watch for cages coming out of driveways and little kids not paying attention) you probably won't go much faster than 3rd gear will carry you. Parking lots are your friend, too...but empty parking lots. That seems kind of obvious, but I've already met one guy who was so excited about riding that kind of slipped his mind, and he was trying to practice in a very, very crowed retail lot.

[jstark47]

As Thumpher said, either way will work. The first way will slow you down more quickly, as it uses the resistance of the engine - called engine braking. However don't "just let the clutch out" (it's called "dumping" the clutch), let it out gently and with control. Assuming your brakes work reasonably well, and you've begin to brake in plenty of time, it is not necessary to let the clutch out as you downshift - it's just an option.

The gear you should be in depends on the speed you want and the kind of bike you have. Bikes are geared differently, and different kinds of engines are "comfortable" at different engine RPM's. A big Harley might be very comfortable in 3rd at 25mph, a sportbike might be in 1st at the same speed.

What kind of bike do you have, and how fast/slow did you want to go?

[Brackstone]

Resage,

My first bike was a Ninja 250 as well.

The best tip I can give you is make sure you downshift while the bike is rolling. It won't change gears if you are at a stop or moving very slowly.

[Hadria]

I just recently completed the MSF course... I never even driven a stick shift in a car before so the whole thing was confusing when I got my bike. At training we didn't go past 2nd gear and didn't really give it a thought at the time (our training was rather fast). Upshifting was easy for me... it was just going back down (like a cat up a tree, hehe). For a while I would downshift at recommended mph by the owner's manual... the opposite tech. of upshifting... Doing this technique when trying to stop quickly wasn't very practical. Searching though this forum these two links below helped me tremendously! Can't believe how hard I was trying to make it... But, going by the owner’s manual as well as listening to your engine it gets easier to know when to shift.

http://totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewtopi ... sc&start=0

http://totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewtopic.php?t=26644

[Hadria]

Forgot to add... do be careful at residential streets. Getting used to my new bike I got bored with the parking lot and thought residential was the answer... Thumper is right... lots of cars pulling out not expecting a motorcycle and people just walking out in the street acting like you can stop on a dime ... not to mention dogs without leashes (got bit once riding a bicycle... the damn thing jumped me). So, I'm going back to parking lots (when stores are closed) and less busy main streets (even though the cagers still terrify me at times).

[resage]

i dont live near any parking lots really =/

[Hadria]

If residential … maybe best at less active times when people are generally at work or avoid times when kids are going or getting out of school and church goers on Sundays. Just try to get lots of practice... each ride gets better

[Dragonhawk]

The best tip I can give you is make sure you downshift while the bike is rolling. It won't change gears if you are at a stop or moving very slowly.

[shane-o]

hmmmmmmm



Braking with the clutch held in will require a lot further distance to stop than braking with the clutch out and in gear.

As previously stated, braking whilst in gear incorporates the engine as a part of the braking equation, but that only really applies if you in the right gear to do so.

As for clutch control, easy cowboy !!!! just dropping the clutch can have some pretty severe consequences especially in the taller gears , nice smoooooooth clutching is the order of the day The clutch is your friend.