Blipping, tell me why I am wrong

[vifferman]

The only exception now would be newer bikes with slipper clutches, otherwise blipping is almost mandatory, innit?

[slofox]

with slipper clutches...

Those are those little strap thingies that stop your slippers falling off aren't they...? Like on jandals?

[p.dath]

The only exception now would be newer bikes with slipper clutches, otherwise blipping is almost mandatory, innit?

I thought a slipper clutch saved you when you changed down and the rev difference was so great that the rear wheel was going to lock up. If that was the case, wouldn't you still be wanting to blip, rather than relying on being "saved"?

[Ender EnZed]

There are also some notable experienced riders who don't do it, and some go so far as to recommend not doing it (once again, only talking about on-road riding here).

I could be wrong in this instance but it seems to me there is at the very least potential for confusion over the terminology. Are these people reccommending against matching the revs on a downshift or lust being a loud wanker unnecessarily? There are those that exaggerate the "blip" to the extent that they're just cranking the throttle with the clutch in for no reason other than they think it sounds cool.

[Cayman911]

Haha i dont blip on down shifts. i just slow down enough so that im not tossed from a untamed stallion. but yeah its smooth for me without doing it.

ive tried doing it, feels weird to me. almost as if the gears havnt changed. that smooth. and to be honest i find that odd. so i stuck with not doing it often.

i only do it when the change in RPM is higher than it should be. or in higher gears sometimes.

[kwaka_crasher]

Let's put it this way. If you don't blip you'll have to either change down at lower rpm or slip the clutch for longer during the change to give the back torque more time to accelerate the engine to a synchronised rotational velocity to prevent rear wheel chatter.

[hayd3n]

I could be wrong in this instance but it seems to me there is at the very least potential for confusion over the terminology. Are these people reccommending against matching the revs on a downshift or lust being a loud wanker unnecessarily? There are those that exaggerate the "blip" to the extent that they're just cranking the throttle with the clutch in for no reason other than they think it sounds cool.

harley riders??

[avgas]

I could be wrong in this instance but it seems to me there is at the very least potential for confusion over the terminology. Are these people reccommending against matching the revs on a downshift or lust being a loud wanker unnecessarily? There are those that exaggerate the "blip" to the extent that they're just cranking the throttle with the clutch in for no reason other than they think it sounds cool.

There are also those that think "engine revs increased as I changed down......they blipped". Another misguided disillusion.
Note : Blipping does not mean the revs went up.......engine will do that when you change down regardless. That is the glory of a gear box......

[avgas]

harley riders??

Nah all sorts. Seen a few 2-smoke riders do it too.

[ckai]

Always done it - from the GN250 up to the R1200S
I do it in the car too - heel and toe.

Do you double "de-clutch" or blip during the heel-toe? It's interesting because on a bike I merely blip but in a car I double de-clutch (I think that's the term for it). Meaning during downshifts the car goes into neutral, clutch out, rev match, clutch in to finish the shift. Done that for 10+ years now all because I had a car that was an asshole to down shift.

Blipping in a car seems like it's not achieving anything.

But blipping on the bike in mandatory if you have a boom-boom pipe

[Toaster]

Drop the clutch as you blip.... saves on front tyre wear and tear.

[YellowDog]

Let's put it this way. If you don't blip you'll have to either change down at lower rpm or slip the clutch for longer during the change to give the back torque more time to accelerate the engine to a synchronised rotational velocity to prevent rear wheel chatter.

Well you could just let the clutch out slowly to use the engine as a brake so that it is all nice and smooth.

If you don't mind replacing your clutch before you should then go for it!

The only people I know who do not increase the engine speed to match the bike speed when changing down are those who are new to riding and have yet to master the basics.

[sugilite:Me]

Picture this, your racing on a fully worked superbike at one of the actrix rounds, looks like it might rain, you punt on it staying dry, then it starts to rain on lap one! Your on slicks and your motor has sky high compression (read lots of engine braking) your bike was made just before slipper clutches were common place. You come screaming into the corners at the end of 3 very fast straights lap after lap, it would be suicide not to blip in these circumstances, I mean it is not possible to be smooth enough to haul the bike down from well over 200 kph with slicks in the rain without blipping, right? WRONG! Oh, and I won the race. Yep, I use my clutch hand as my slipper clutch, match revs, change down multi gears at a time, and NEVER lose traction and no, I don't fry clutches or blow gearboxes apart. OK, it 'may' be a little harder to learn matching revs that way, but really, truly, blipping is not mandatory to smooth down changes by any stretch of the imagination. Most riders are told to do it from the get go, and then keep believing the myth.

[p.dath]

Picture this, your racing on a fully worked superbike at one of the actrix rounds, looks like it might rain, you punt on it staying dry, then it starts to rain on lap one! Your on slicks and your motor has sky high compression (read lots of engine braking) your bike was made just before slipper clutches were common place. You come screaming into the corners at the end of 3 very fast straights lap after lap, it would be suicide not to blip in these circumstances, I mean it is not possible to be smooth enough to haul the bike down from well over 200 kph with slicks in the rain without blipping, right? WRONG! Oh, and I won the race. Yep, I use my clutch hand as my slipper clutch, match revs, change down multi gears at a time, and NEVER lose traction and no, I don't fry clutches or blow gearboxes apart. OK, it 'may' be a little harder to learn matching revs that way, but really, truly, blipping is not mandatory to smooth down changes by any stretch of the imagination. Most riders are told to do it from the get go, and then keep believing the myth.

You say it is possible not to blip, but don't say why it is wrong to blip, or why you don't do it. Any chance you have exceptional bike handling skills that my be mitigating whatever the reason is why you have chosen not to blip?

Your the first post in 27 replies not pro-blipping, so your way out in the minority ...

Pretty much the vast majority of riders are pro blipping. It is confirming my original beliefs (that blipping down is the right thing to be doing).

[kwaka_crasher]

Well you could just let the clutch out slowly to use the engine as a brake so that it is all nice and smooth.

If you don't mind replacing your clutch before you should then go for it!

Exactly my point. Longer slip duration + greater rotational velocity difference = shorter clutch life. A blip minimises both factors.