36 miles and counting...& need tips on smooth gearshifti

[VermilionX]

im really having so much fun w/ my bike.

i wish my friend would use his bike again, he bought it last year... and it only has 36 miles on it since he didn't use it a lot. while me on the other hand also has 36 miles just w/in the 1st month.

still not going to freeways, since i can't yet (only have a permit for now) plus im not ready for it yet.

and i only go to roads that are familiar w/ me. i think i need slope practice but i wanna do that w/ supervision.

for my question, sometimes, my gear changes feel abrupt... is it bec i release the clutch to fast?

and you do have to totally release the throttle when you change gears, right? bec i read that you can use the throttle to slow down your speed, so i was wondering if maybe that's also why my shifting up on gears feel abrupt.

how do you slow down using the throttle, is it just the obvious, i mean do you just release it?

also earlier, i encountered a red light, i was going a little fast but i remebered to not break too hard ...so i pressed the brakes slowly and harder gradually to stop. i did go over the white line but at least i didn't lock my brakes.

i know i didn't do a lot of research when i bought my bike but i did research on how to ride in general. so it was a great help that i knew that i could lock my brakes.

i can't wait to take the MSF course next month and get my DL389 form so i can practice at night and be able to bring the bike to work since i leave there at 6pm, night time already here in LA during winter.

[Sev]

Usually a bad idea to just release the throttle, sudden change in rear tire speed can mean the tire will lose traction, especially in slippery conditions.

To be totally honest, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be pracitising on a bike that expensive without having taken the MSF. But it's your money to drop as they say.

You get rough gear changes because you aren't matching the engine speed to the wheel speed. When shifting up do the following.

Accelerate to the point at which you shift
Pull in clutch
Release throttle
Toe up to next gear
Rev up to a higher RPM then what you were at before you started
Smoothly release clutch


Downshifting works the same way:

decelerate by slowly backing off throttle
one the engines starts to bog pull in clutch
release throttle
toe down
rev up to higher rpm then you started at
smoothly release clutch
back off throttle smoothly

Your bikes brakes are excellent and have a LOT of stopping power, the key is to be firm, but not abrupt. If you grab them the tire will stop, if you pull them, the whole bike willl stop.

[VermilionX]

i see, i should slowly release the throttle instead of just plainly releasing it.

thanks...it makes sense to me now. i'll keep this in mind for next time.

i learned a lot of things from here.

i remember you empasized how important it is to look where i want to go. and that's what i did on my 1st corner attempt and it worked. my body moved on its own.

thanks Sevultrus!

i also learned here that it's better to push the handle bars instead of shifting your body weight if you want to lean the bike. i also keep this in mind.

[sapaul]

Sev has that spot on. You will find differences from bike to bike, generally racers like to change at high revs, you can not believe how clunky my BM is at low revs. As you get better you can use the full rev range and your changing will get smoother. Also after your first service when all the shavings have gone and your oil has been changed it will improve.

[bikeguy joe]

Smooth shifting will come with experience- try not pulling the clutch allthe way in when you shift, just enought to unload the gearbox.

My Suzuki V-twin (cruiser) likes to be shifted at higher RPM's. Shifting it at low speeds makes it "clunky".

[VermilionX]

i see... that's makes a lot of sense too... i am shifting at lower rpms since im not yet past the break-in point. they told me not exceed 6rpm, but im actually shifting even at 4-5rpm just to be safe

on my owner's manual, it says...

1st-2nd - 12mph/20kmh
2nd-3rd - 19mph/30kmh
3rd-4th - 25mph/40kmh
4th-5th - 31mph/50kmh
5th-6th - 37mph/60kmh

if i follow this, i'd be shifting at an even lower rpm that i already am. i guess i don't have to follow these and just keep in mind not to exceed 6rpm until after 600 miles.

thanks a lot sapaul and bikeguy joe

[-Curly-]

Don't follow the owners manual on shifting points. If you do, you will have minivans passing you up.

[VermilionX]

yep, im not following it but i still keep in mind not to exceed 6rpm until i get past the break in point.

for now, i don't mind people passing me, as long as they don't cut me.

but some day when im good enough, i will zoom past them.

[Sev]

Break in Secrets

I find if I follow the manual for shifting it sounds like I'm constantly bogging.

One of the things to keep your eye on is that if you constantly run the engine at low speeds/rpms during break in you're going to glaze it. Basically means that things don't seal quite right and you're going to be losing power over time.

God, everything I'm saying is burried under about 3 months of no-riding. I'm tweaking here, someone start posting some good ride stories.

[VermilionX]

Break in Secrets

I find if I follow the manual for shifting it sounds like I'm constantly bogging.

One of the things to keep your eye on is that if you constantly run the engine at low speeds/rpms during break in you're going to glaze it. Basically means that things don't seal quite right and you're going to be losing power over time.

WHAAAAT!!!???

are you 100% on this? why would the dealer and the bike manual say otherwise?