Blipping, tell me why I am wrong

[SPP]

I've been wondering how people do clutchless downshifts and blipping. This is too advanced for where I am at, but I can understand how it is done now.

I’m hardly advanced either dude. It’s something I was taught when I first jumped on a bike. I’m not even sure if it’s the right thing to do, just something I kept doing.

In the words of Bruce Lee "don't think... feeeeeel". I think you know what feels right, so just do that.

Bugger it, now that you've got me concentrating on what I'm doing I'll probably start stuffing my changes

[pritch]

I've just read this thread and find some of the replies rather worrying. In old cars (and trucks) that didn't have synchromesh you had to double de-clutch going up and down the gears.

As a rule I try not to be too dogmatic, however much that appears to be a KB thing. To those who don't blip though, may I respectfully suggest you learn to ride your bike properly. Or buy an automatic?

[kwaka_crasher]

I got my ZXR750 in early 2006 and I replaced the fiber clutch plates immediately as they were well shagged and slipping. Since then I've raced an entire actrix series (won championship) raced many other events such as Wanganui and various rounds of other race series setting fastest laps, pole positions and race wins along the way. In addition I've also completed MANY road kilometers and I'm still on the same clutch plates now in 2010 4 years later, so yes I feel I have earned the right to say can say I don't fry clutches. The term frying the clutch insinuates excessive and rapid clutch wear rates over a short space of time. Would you agree on those points professor wordy?

So now you're reversing the position of your last post and saying you were tendering evidence with your statement "I don't fry clutches" within the context of this discussion and you believe that your anecotal evidence suggests that not blipping is no worse for the clutch than blipping?

I just wish you'd make up your mind!

Here's my position: Not blipping on down changes will wear the clutch more. FACT.

[PrincessBandit]

Always had to do it on the ginny; never have to do it on the bandit.

[YellowDog]

If by 'manoeuvre' you include the whole of braking for a corner - then if I'm going to need to change down 2 or more gears, I'm still going way too fast for the lowest one before I've started braking. At the very least, it'll make a hell of a din for a suburban street.

Not saying you're wrong, but interested in clarification.

Richard

Your manoeuvre is your turn for a bend or pull out to accelerate or slow down. You need to be ready for it in good time.

I know my engine really well so i can change up or down without a clutch without any fear of screwing the gearbox. I know I never want to have leess than 5000rpm when I am riding so my brain deals with this by changing gear (usually with the aid of the clutch). I don't need to think about what i am doing because I just do what's needed.

Everyone does this when they drive their cars and I can't understand why you don't expect to ride your bike in the same way.

As has already been said: "Just get on and do it".

[rwh]

Your manoeuvre is your turn for a bend or pull out to accelerate or slow down. You need to be ready for it in good time.

I know my engine really well so i can change up or down without a clutch without any fear of screwing the gearbox. I know I never want to have leess than 5000rpm when I am riding so my brain deals with this by changing gear (usually with the aid of the clutch). I don't need to think about what i am doing because I just do what's needed.

Everyone does this when they drive their cars and I can't understand why you don't expect to ride your bike in the same way.

As has already been said: "Just get on and do it".

Sure, that's pretty much what I do. But if I haven't started braking yet, then it follows that I'm still going reasonably fast. Faster than I'd like for the gear I want to be in when I leave the corner. So I change down while I'm braking. Coordinating my right hand to both brake smoothly and blip the throttle is tricky, so I normally don't bother with the blip, and slip the clutch a bit instead. If I'm slowing down early enough that I don't need to brake, then blipping isn't a problem.

Richard

[sugilite:Me]

So now you're reversing the position of your last post and saying you were tendering evidence with your statement "I don't fry clutches" within the context of this discussion and you believe that your anecotal evidence suggests that not blipping is no worse for the clutch than blipping?

I just wish you'd make up your mind!

Here's my position: Not blipping on down changes will wear the clutch more. FACT.

No where do I say that not blipping does not wear your clutch out, I'm only saying I don't consider I fry clutches and gave an real world practical example to back that FACT up....you seem so intent on putting words in my mouth. Yes, clutches are designed to wear, using them more will wear them faster, i do not dispute that or claim to offer evidence to the contrary. All I'm trying to say, is my not blipping is not frying my clutch!!!! Is that OK with you?

Here's my position: Not blipping on down changes will wear the clutch more, but will hardly fry it. FACT.

[CookMySock]

Not blipping on down changes will wear the clutch more, but will hardly fry it. FACT.

I'll add my support to that opinion, I but I do not think the extra wear will be appreciable.

One thing worries me about clutches, and that is the amount of time and brain power consumed during a long clutch slip. I don't think people should be doing this. There is little or nothing to be gained with a long clutch slip, except to smooth out a badly executed gearchange, and there is lots to be lost. All that time the brain is processing slipping the clutch out gently (can be some 1-3 seconds) is largely unavailable to doing more critical things, such as evaluating stopping distances, re-evaluating braking effort, and checking for other vehicles and hazards around them.

Also, clutch pack rebuilds are one of the easiest things to do on a motorcycle, so undue amounts of effort to preserve them aren't rational.

Steve

[oldguy]

Well I'll just fuck your day completely then. I do both. I always blip on downshifts, I also feather the clutch. In the higher revs I do it a lot.

Buells have huge engine braking, so having braked to somewhere close to the right speed for a corner and shifted down as you’re dropping into it the last thing you want to do is just dump the clutch, revs nicely matched or not. Typically the clutch isn't fully out until I'm rolling on the gas again.

Not sure where I learned it, (probably in the mud hereabouts) but I did the slippy clutch thing going into corners well before I owned a Buell. Once you’ve sussed it I think it’s a useful trick for any bike in some situations.

+1, one finger on the front brake, clutch in, blip and tap the shifter down, it all happens so quickly it feels like its all happening at the same time, still light pressure on the front brake till clutch is fully release. this is under hard braking.

[FROSTY:Me]

OP what I'd like to see is you on a 80/85cc two stroke trailee or a 125cc road race bike. You will then learn something not really talked about much on KB Its called clutch control. I feel that is a heck of a lot more important skill to learn than this whole blipping thing.
Feeling through the fingers of your left hand what the clutch is doing.
I guess I'm from a world where there was a real possibility of a chernoble at any time so learning clutch control was essential. Saved me a truck load of lost skin thats certain

[Coldrider]

I've been wondering how people do clutchless downshifts and blipping. This is too advanced for where I am at, but I can understand how it is done now.

If you started a thread asking how many KBers do clutchless shifts the same respondants would be on it claiming that is all that they do, such is life at KB, pass me the salt.

[AllanB]

To those who don't blip though, may I respectfully suggest you learn to ride your bike properly. Or buy an automatic?

That's the funniest post I have read in a long time!!!!!!!!! Surprising really as I tend to find your posts informative.

Either you lot are riding a hell of a lot quicker than me on public roads or all riding Suzukis with really shit gearboxs!!!

To Blip - hardly under normal riding conditions. I may subconsciously do it every now and then, but to say it is mandatory and part of correct riding procedures is pretty far fetched. If honest I probably only do it occasionally consciously and then do it because it sounds good!

On my list of really annoying things - some arse with loud pipes farting around town blipping on each downshift like some old time race track hero.

And I think that is really where blipping comes from - 50 years ago with shitty old british gearboxes.

Maybe you blippers should respectfully learn to use your clutches properly ...........

And to do it in a modern car - sheezzzzz, a waste of time, energy and fuel.

[Headbanger]

To those who don't blip though, may I respectfully suggest you learn to ride your bike properly. Or buy an automatic?

Pffft, The gear change goes through silky smooth with no input from the throttle, drive to the rear wheel is regulated with the clucth,what the fuck would blips in the middle of that do?

Sound wanky?

How many blips should I do when I drop her two down two gears before re-engaging drive to the rear wheel via manipulation of the clutch lever?

[Kendog]

I don't blip, never have.

[Harvd]

I read this earlier then went out for a ride just before with blipping on my mind, i found out that i do blip, only to the extent that it partially matches the revs and the (sort of) slipper clutch takes the rest of it up. Interestingly i never do this on my rg150 racebike. just bang it down the gears, rear lock ups are pretty rare on it.

I think if you have to change from doing most things like changing down, applying the brakes,etc subconciously to activly having to think about doing things like blipping then its probably not worth doing it. As was said erlier this attention should be better used dealing with the conditions around you. A rear lock up is usually a LOT better than a front...