3rd X: Throttle blipping

[tmoldovan]

I blip when I downshift, because if I don't the engine goes WROAAAMMM and I lurch forward like a noob. When I have plenty of time to downshift, I'll let the RPMs calm down on their own, but sometimes I gotta downshift fast. Upcoming traffic lights and such.



Sent from my Motorcycle iPad app

[SkullCrusher]

Originally Posted by gat803

Hang around a race track for a while. You will certainly find riders blipping, but it won't be the fast guys doing it. It is just a poor riding technique and totally not necessary. Ill repeat, if you need to blip to dcownshift you're going too fast for the gear youre trying to get into.

Gotta disagree. You can look up keith code's "twist of the wrist" if you don't trust my credentials. If your bike isn't equipped with a back-torque limiting clutch or if it is but you've instead heavier springs and effectively disabled it and you're really pushing the bike, you should be blipping on downshifts for decel. Front brake will stand the bike back up and put you wide. Trail braking with the rear is good, but brakes fade. Dragging the clutch just wears it out faster. If you're a skilled rider you can give the throttle an 1/8 second blip while downshifting and if you're really good and have a crisp tranny you can do it without the clutch at all. Failing to blip while downshifting hard will result in wheel hop.

Now you can disagree with that till you're blue in the face but I was taught this by a pro at a track. I've got quite a bit of saddle time in on 120+ hp sport bikes on some damn technical roads and tracks. My tl1000 has a slipper clutch but with the Barnett spring kit I still have to blip, even if I'm only shifting down into 7k rpm. It's a big motor and compression lock happens pretty easily.

[Gruntfish]

I can't believe some of the stuff people argue about here.

Live to ride.

[zilliox]

Originally Posted by Gruntfish

I can't believe some of the stuff people argue about here.

Live to ride.

Amen

[ZackDaniels]

Originally Posted by RIDETHEREJK

From what I understand, the whole reason for a slipper clutch is so you don't have to blip the throttle to match the rpm with the tranny. This keeps the rear tire from chattering as you enter a turn. If that is right, and your bike doesn't have a slipper clutch, then you should be blipping the throttle. While riding hard that is. Correct? Some have said that it isn't needed and there are better ways to match the revs, but no one has said how. I know this is not a "High Performance" forum, but please give advice if you know a better way. I am here to dicuss and learn.

Without a slipper clutch a hard shift that doesn't match rpms can sometimes cause the trans to 'stick' and lock the rear tire. The advantage to racing especially is the need to aggressively downshift in corners where you're leaning way over and a momentarily lock of the rear tire = road rash.

It's useful for everybody, but it's wreck saving for guys leaning a bike over and downshifting at the same time. The slipper clutch prevents the clutch from engaging if the revs are not matched. Matching revs manually is still the best way to downshift, but with a slipper clutch you don't lock the rear when you goof it and can be more aggressive in high speed corners or just more comfortable downshifting into stop lights.