Downshifting while braking for a turn

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Nalian · #41 Unread post by **Nalian** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:05 pm

In the scenario we were given we're prepping for a turn. So if I was going from 40 to a 15-20 mph turn I'd be in 4th and drop immediately to 3rd, and right before I engage the turn I'll probably be within a mph or two of my goal and downshift to 2nd. Power through the turn in 2nd and resume normal riding.

That said - even for a normal stop I downshift through the gears typically. Most of the time in the city I'm not usually getting past 4th, so it's more of a 3rd to 2nd right up until the very end.

I'm not saying the way I ride is best or right for everyone - it's just how I prefer to ride. I've also driven stick shift vehicles over the last 12* years. I always prefer to be off the clutch and have the engine engaged as much as possible and thats the habit I've gotten into. So it works for me.

*omg how did I get old enough to be able to say doing anything for over 10 years?!?!

Sev · #42 Unread post by **Sev** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:08 pm

storysunfolding wrote:
Sev wrote: Because if you need to accelerate suddenly (car coming up behind you fast) you're kinda screwed.

You pull in the clutch and bang down through the gears, with the brakes on. I work my way down through the gears in preparation for the turn. If I see said car all I have to do is roll on the throttle and go. You have to hope you're in the right gear, smoothly let out the clutch and roll on the throttle. What happens if you're still doing 50mph but are in first gear? The engine goes VRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE and you go nowhere.
It's not hope, it's experience and I've yet to be wrong. I just don't understand putting all the extra effort into going from 6th to 5th to 4th to 3rd to 2nd to 1st just to come to a stop engaging each gear as you reach it.

Sev wrote:Plus I'm saving my brake pads.
My brakes aren't expensive... and I'm saving gas?

There was something bothering me the whole day. And I figured out on the way home.

How do you go about determining what gear you should be in when you're setting yourself up for the corner? Coming home I take the highway, typically 140km/h+ then there's my offramp that I need to slow down for so that I can typically take at 80+... depending on how backed up the cars are at the stop light at the bottom.

So if you were to brake and click down through the gears (you can't afford to come to a compelete stop) how do you make sure that you're in the correct gear for the turn? Working my way down through the gears across the offramp part I typically find myself in 3rd... but with traffic sometimes it's second and without I might even push it to 4th and take it fast for more fun times.

My point is that if you're braking the whole way, while clicking down... how do you know which gear you're supposed to be in? And how do you decide when to stop coasting and when to get back on the power during the turn?

It all just seems ungainly to me, unless you're racing, in which case you should know exactly how fast and in what gear you want to be hitting the corner at.

Oh, and a full set of brakepads for my bike is worth aprox $250+ 2 hours for someone to install if I weren't to do it myself. Brakes aren't cheap.

MAKER · #43 Unread post by **MAKER** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:15 pm

i dont' have much highway exp. so, what i was talking about was typical turns, not extended curves like and off on on ramp...that said- ( and mind you i have no idea, because i haven't ventured on the highway yet):

should you be shifting gears when you are in a curve? i always heard it's better to shift going straight for some reason...

Sev · #44 Unread post by **Sev** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:22 pm

Yeah, I'll shift in a turn. But I'm not very smart.

MAKER · #45 Unread post by **MAKER** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:24 pm

Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:25 pm

Sev wrote: My point is that if you're braking the whole way, while clicking down... how do you know which gear you're supposed to be in? And how do you decide when to stop coasting and when to get back on the power during the turn?

I've never had a problem, maybe I just ride a lot and I'm very familiar with my bike?

When I'm slowing for a turn I just shift into the gear I need. It's not uncommon for me to quickly bleed off all my excess speed with the brakes while downshifting then giving myself a second to let the suspension settle as I engage the clutch before initiating the turn. If there are cars that are going slow I might take my time. Maybe I'm just assuming a laconic pace on your part... or maybe you're just canadian

(:lol: sorry, I just watched a southpark rerun and can't believe that I found that icon here)

Sev wrote: Oh, and a full set of brakepads for my bike is worth aprox $250+ 2 hours for someone to install if I weren't to do it myself. Brakes aren't cheap.

$50 American for good pads on the Strom

Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:31 pm

No problem shifting up in a turn. Shifting down on the other hand is a bad idea... we've all done it I'm sure but there is more risk.

Sev · #48 Unread post by **Sev** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 5:09 pm

Anything but laconic. My bike loves to be run hard

I've been known to beat liter bikes through what few twisty roads we have around here.

Nibblet99 · Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:04 pm

Sev wrote:There was something bothering me the whole day. And I figured out on the way home.

How do you go about determining what gear you should be in when you're setting yourself up for the corner?

Dammit man, less thinking, more riding

Experience and brains, I guess is the answer

lunchmeat · Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:53 am

Sev wrote:My point is that if you're braking the whole way, while clicking down... how do you know which gear you're supposed to be in? And how do you decide when to stop coasting and when to get back on the power during the turn?

That's exactly why I asked the original question. It can be hit-or-miss. And then there's always that jerk when you reengage the clutch, because of the way the suspension acts when you brake, shift down, coast, and then let the throttle back in.

Someone also mentioned hills - I enjoy having my engine doing it's thing while I'm braking, because it's a lot easier to stop with the engine helping brake than not. If I've got to set up for a turn and I'm going downhill, braking with the clutch in usually results in not-so-smooth timing, because there's that instant when you let off the brakes that you start accelerating, but you've got to lean and let the clutch out and roll on the throttle...I'd rather have the engine behind me keeping me at a speed I control, rather than gravity.

I guess the issue is more with downhill turns than anything else. It applies to regular turns, but downhill is where it really hurts.