Stopping at a light without downshifting | GTAMotorcycle.com

Stopping at a light without downshifting

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gtarider6

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I am a new rider so this will sound like a really amateur question.
If you are approaching a stop light in second or third gear, do you always downshift?
Sometimes when I'm approaching a light that I know will change shortly, I let off the throttle and hit my rear brake so the brake light goes off, but sometimes I don't downshift so that I can take off in second or third once traffic starts moving again.

Is this a bad habit, and will it cause any kind of damage to the bike?
 
gtarider6 said:
I am a new rider so this will sound like a really amateur question.
If you are approaching a stop light in second or third gear, do you always downshift?
Sometimes when I'm approaching a light that I know will change shortly, I let off the throttle and hit my rear brake so the brake light goes off, but sometimes I don't downshift so that I can take off in second or third once traffic starts moving again.

Is this a bad habit, and will it cause any kind of damage to the bike?
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If you're coming to a complete stop you should be in 1st gear. If you can manage to not stop and the rpms aren't so low that you're going to stall or you don't need to overly abuse the clutch then that is perfectly acceptable.
 
What you describe is a judgement call and timing a light is a decent skill but basically you need to always be in the gear that gives you full control over the bike. If you try and accelerate in 3rd on a smaller bike you may bog or in worst case stall. Smoothly downshifting is a skill very much worth learning and practicing at every light.
Careful with the back brake...just tapping is okay but you want both brakes in play.
 
MacDoc said:
What you describe is a judgement call and timing a light is a decent skill but basically you need to always be in the gear that gives you full control over the bike. If you try and accelerate in 3rd on a smaller bike you may bog or in worst case stall. Smoothly downshifting is a skill very much worth learning and practicing at every light.
Careful with the back brake...just tapping is okay but you want both brakes in play.
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Some bikes wont go unless in 1st gear(Ninja 300 i hear)
 
If you are actually going to stop, then you should always be in first. If somehow you miss it, then once you are stopped, you should kick it down into first while waiting for the light to go green.

Now if you playing the 'do I need to stop or will the light change before I get there' game, then typically I'll go off-throttle and engine brake on approach, downshifting as required. If light goes green, I'll go back on throttle and go on my way, and if not, I'll kick it down into first just before stopping. That said, if you are ever engine braking and feel the engine about to lug, you really need to drop a gear, and you should also never be slipping the clutch at high RPM vs doing it in the proper gear as well.

Maybe I'm wrong, but post sounds a little like a new rider that wants to shift as little as possible. If that's the case, I really suggest getting used to having a manual transmission and using it properly/being comfortable shifting. Nothing irks me more than when I see new SS riders who seem to just leave a bike in 2nd gear 99.9% of the time (refusing to shift down into first when stopping and/or refusing to shift up once they've finished accelerating).
 
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Q: What does an elephant eat? A: Anything he wants. That also applies to torque. If you're riding a Boss Hoss leave it in any gear you want. Anything else, learn to use the gear selector.
 
bigpoppa said:
Some bikes wont go unless in 1st gear(Ninja 300 i hear)
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???

Harder for smaller bikes to start (when you're not in the proper gear), but starting in 2nd from a stop is entirely possible. Third from a stop would be a bit of a struggle, but it'll get there..
 
PLau said:
???

Harder for smaller bikes to start (when you're not in the proper gear), but starting in 2nd from a stop is entirely possible. Third from a stop would be a bit of a struggle, but it'll get there..
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The question though is....why? Assuming you have a working transmission there's no reason to not be in the proper gear, especially if you want what's good for the bike. Only time I ever really did otherwise was with my old car when the transmission cable snapped while in 3rd gear....limping it home 20-30km away was...interesting to say the best, especially any hill starts.

As for not going into first, I've never heard that. I've heard some bikes can't find neutral while running (the course 125 was that way), but assuming the bike is still in motion 1-6 should work fine, unless there is a clutch or transmission issue.
 
If you come to a complete stop in second you'll probably have to rock your bike back and forth to shift back to first (doesn't answer question just a side tidbit)


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What Conundrum said....learn to shift down smoothly to come to a stop.....always. Your bike should be in the correct gear and under control for engine braking and acceleration at all times....period and it's vital for a new rider.

Starting off in second happens once in a while due to rider error ( me too ...the CBF1000 has so much torque the difference between 2 nd and 6th is not much ) - many put a gear indicator on for just that reason.

Bottom line to go back to the thread title .....Stopping at a light....downshift to first as part of a steady progression down the gears. Good practice, correct practice.
 
mistersouthpaw said:
If you come to a complete stop in second you'll probably have to rock your bike back and forth to shift back to first (doesn't answer question just a side tidbit)


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Or just let the clutch out slightly while putting pressure on the shifter. It will slip into gear everytime. Have to do this all the time when stopped and going N to 1st
 
JP0160 said:
Or just let the clutch out slightly while putting pressure on the shifter. It will slip into gear everytime. Have to do this all the time when stopped and going N to 1st
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Never have an issue with neutral on my CBR650F, but my CBR250RA had issues going 1st to 2nd. Fix was to actually shift up to 2nd then weight the lever a little and it would click down into neutral. Just passing that along in case other bikes are similar.

That said, if following what they teach in the course, you should always be in gear with the clutch in while stopped on the road. Neutral is really only for when you will be stopped a while, or your left hand needs a quick break in never-ending traffic.
 
You should always be in the appropriate gear for your speed. No matter what you are doing.
 
This is why we ride motorcycles, to shift them up, then down, then up again....and then down. As we do this we strive to do it without changing the balance of the bike, to be smooth, as Jorge Lorenzo says...like buttering bread with a knife. It is a joy to figure out how you need to ride to best control your bike, in every situation.

M
 
These guys are giving solid advice.

Be in the right gear for your speed.

You need to be ready on the gas just as much as the brakes.
 
Don't time lights too close. Eventually you will be collected by someone who was timing other side and failed.
People blow through early red all the time. I always take second to look both ways before taking off at the light.
 
Germax said:
Don't time lights too close. Eventually you will be collected by someone who was timing other side and failed.
People blow through early red all the time. I always take second to look both ways before taking off at the light.
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Good point, especially considering a bike can get off the like much faster than a car. I usually go into the intersection with the car beside me, so I am not exposed, then take off a bit so I can ride above the traffic a bit.

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CalamariGSX-R said:
Good point, especially considering a bike can get off the like much faster than a car. I usually go into the intersection with the car beside me, so I am not exposed, then take off a bit so I can ride above the traffic a bit.

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If you mean using a car as a 'blocker', I tend to do this as well. Typically not a great idea to ride beside a car/SUV/van/etc, but while going through an intersection it does make sense, so long as you either accelerate or decelerate afterwards (depending on how fast the other vehicle is going).
 
conundrum said:
If you mean using a car as a 'blocker', I tend to do this as well. Typically not a great idea to ride beside a car/SUV/van/etc, but while going through an intersection it does make sense, so long as you either accelerate or decelerate afterwards (depending on how fast the other vehicle is going).
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Well all that traffic must be good for something.

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