Blipping the throttle on downshifts?

[homer]

Yeah like them above... reducing the excess stress of a chunk down-shift and a possible lockup is my main focus... rightly or wrongly. maybe bad habits learned?

When I was driving trucks in the army thats wot they taught us (RL Bedfords mind you circa 60's) hardly a blip... more of a roar...crunch

Cheers

Stu

best way to learn any gear box A

[homer]

I was one of the ones that voted for "don't know what you mean"

Didn't realise it meant doubling the clutch.

So, if you blip whilst braking, would you be using your index and middle on the lever and blipping with your thumb and third finger?

I think i've started doing it without realising it was a good technique whilst engine braking just cos it feels way smoother and sounds less painful for the bike.

yes if it works
I just use the front break and palm the throttle to blip .
you may even find if you dont pull the clutch the whole way in the changes are so smooth you dont even know if it went in or not ...half clutch

[Damantis]

Isn't blipping just about raising your revs as u change down when decelerating quickly, especially under brakes? and helping to avoid a rear lock-up if you're slowiing down urgently? Am only a newbie but I reckon engine braking and the right gear plus acceleration out of the corner is far safer than flying in quick as u can and trying to do 3 things at once... better left for the racetrack in my opinion

[dipshit]

I've never considered not do it..

Me too. I must have started doing it when I first started riding years ago. Even usually heel and toe when driving manual cars as well.

However watching lots of videos on youtube and suchlike of people riding their bikes... it is quite surprising the number of riders you see not blipping on downshifts. i.e...



I see lots of videos like this! Commonly they are being cautious changing down early before corners and never changing down mid corner, even if it means being in the wrong gear and only changing down when coming out on the gas again.

Simply learning to change down smoothly by blipping the throttle would greatly improve their bike handling skills and allow them to change down later and deeper into the corner.

Was wondering how many people around here do or don't blip?

[homer]

yes your very right
the bliping you should do anyways before a corner , before you pass
its just natural after a while
think of it this way
you change down a gear at say 100 km
you clutch and the revs drop to idle you then change down and let the clutch out .
now youve gone from say as an idea 6000 rpm to about 2000 and changing down now you want it to rev up to about 8000 all in an instance .

its quite hard on internal parts

[McJim]

Don' really need to use the brakes if I'm downshifting. The engine braking kicks me in the stones pretty hard as it is. Blipping just makes the next gear mesh a little more smoothly than it would otherwise.

[dipshit]

So, if you blip whilst braking, would you be using your index and middle on the lever and blipping with your thumb and third finger?

The palm of your hand and thumb can work the throttle while your fingers work the brake lever.

I think i've started doing it without realising it was a good technique whilst engine braking just cos it feels way smoother and sounds less painful for the bike.

That's a good way to learn it and get a feel for it. Once you have mastered it when not using the brakes, you can progress to doing it during braking.

Here's a good read here...
http://www.sportrider.com/ride/RSS/1...tle/index.html

[dipshit]

Amongst other things did the SV lose the rather primitive (although works) slipper clutch the TL had?

Nah, the SV still has the basic slipper clutch.

[98tls]

Nah, the SV still has the basic slipper clutch.

Casings aside i wonder if the GSXR one would substitute?

[dipshit]

Isn't blipping just about raising your revs as u change down when decelerating quickly, especially under brakes? and helping to avoid a rear lock-up if you're slowiing down urgently? Am only a newbie but I reckon engine braking and the right gear plus acceleration out of the corner is far safer than flying in quick as u can and trying to do 3 things at once... better left for the racetrack in my opinion

True. But there are still plenty of times in street riding where you want to be a smooth as possible. Bumpy wet roads for example. Or some roads are that winding that it is unavoidable to not change down when banked over a bit.

[trumpy]

Sugilite, I have seen you go around Taupo Track very fast indeed and not once heard you blip the throttle...please explain?

My business partner is an ex national Single Seater champion and he still teaches advanced driving....he never blips the throttle on change down, just changes very late and very quickly instead. I'm am an old heel toe man and it took me two seasons of racing to emulate his technique, but it did get me a trophy or two in the end (on four wheels that is).
On my bike I often blip the throttle but only because I like the sound of my muffler (I'm a 55 year old hoon wannabe!) but often I just change down later and block change if I have to go down several gears.
Probably not the advised (or cool) technique for the faster boys (and girls), but then I'm old and slow so it hardly matters.

[Chrislost]

I see lots of videos like this! Commonly they are being cautious changing down early before corners and never changing down mid corner, even if it means being in the wrong gear for the corner and only changing down when coming out on the gas again.

Was wondering how many people around here do or don't blip?

Judging by your "Chicken Strips" or BGB(Big Girls Blouse) lines you know a thing or two about cornering
That vid looks like a training day...
See how he is cruzing around carefully and hitting those green Xs on the track?
The guy isnt fanging so why would he care what gear he is in?

[onearmedbandit]

So, if you blip whilst braking, would you be using your index and middle on the lever and blipping with your thumb and third finger?

Well for me, my thumb is operating the clutch, two fingers are operating the front brake, and my two other fingers and palm are blipping the throttle. Certainly keeps your mind on the job. Although I can now blip and downshift without the clutch, so that eases things up a bit.

[DingoZ]

Keeps downshifts smoother/quicker, reduces tyre lock up . No syncos in the gearbox like on cars. same reason truckies blip thottle on down shifts in roadranger gearboxs

Used to it from driving trucks. And was also told to do it on a bike, to help prevent the rear from locking up, when downshifting.

[jrandom]

... it is unavoidable to not change down when banked over a bit.

At this point, I would just like to say:

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Thank you. As you were.