Help the scrub who can wheelie but cant Rev Match Downshift | GTAMotorcycle.com

Help the scrub who can wheelie but cant Rev Match Downshift

How much do you practice wheelies vs downshifting?

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1. Its easier to downshift from higher gears(Dont try rev matching from 2nd to 1st...i still cant do it..bike doesnt like it)

2. Either via the sound of the bike, or the tachometer, you will know where the revs need to be for a smooth downshift...discover where that is, and practice keeping the revs there as you downshift.

3. Rev match for one gear at a time(not several downshifts at once)

4. Some bikes are easier to revmatch than others....my bike i have to blip the throttle twice, its a lazy bike that doesnt like to rev....on the fz 09 i test rode..it was a breeze, light blip and the revs jumped halfway to redline, smoothest revmatch i have done till date
 
Rev matching is harder than wheelies (coming from a guy who doesn't know how to wheelie).

Agree with only doing it from high gear, one at a tme, but you're not actually trying to hit the 'right' RPM to downshift. Just whack that throttle open on your downshift and dump the clutch. You actually have to over-rev a bit to get it right.
 
What issues are you encountering?


I can see some people having issues with this due to 2 main reasons.

1. Control movements and isolation. Every bike operates differently but I suspect that an FZ07 (never ridden one but would love to) would be ideal for this . Adding the right amount of throttle and letting out the clutch at the correct rate should yield simple and consistently repeatable downshifts on your platform.

Turning the handlebars, working the levers, accelerating and braking all need to work independently of each other. Even when threshold braking, you will need to be able to blip that throttle or modulate the clutch. This is best done with as many fingers on the grips as necessary. One can't steer the bike or work the throttle effectively if all 4 fingertips on the right hand cover the front brake lever and yet I see it often. I see it with bicyclists but should not be seeing that with motos.


2. Fear of getting tossed, pitched around or destabilized if you give too much throttle (front end unweights) or let the clutch out too quickly without enough throttle (rear wheel may try to or actually lock)

Solution: grip the tank tightly with your knees so you can engage your core to help isolate upper and lower. Don't practice downshifting on broken, uneven, dusty or icy pavement. Wet smooth pavement is fine.

Since you can already wheelie, these probably don't apply to you.
 
fastar1 said:
Rev matching is harder than wheelies (coming from a guy who doesn't know how to wheelie).

Agree with only doing it from high gear, one at a tme, but you're not actually trying to hit the 'right' RPM to downshift. Just whack that throttle open on your downshift and dump the clutch. You actually have to over-rev a bit to get it right.
Click to expand...

Except if his throttle is open too wide and he dumps the clutch, the bike instead of smoothly downshifting will accelerate forward.

The order of throttle is: Closed, open, closed. Done correctly, its a quick, smooth motion

Its a balance you have to strike OP, practicing and getting a good feel for it are really the only solutions. After enough practice you know exactly how much you blip the throttle to get it to rev match smoothly.

For me the key was finding out where the revs need to be approximately for the me to dump the clutch so the bike rev matches smoothly(can be done audibly or visually as well). On the Fz 09 for some reason i didnt even have to try, it was super easy for some reason....
 
bigpoppa said:
Except if his throttle is open too wide and he dumps the clutch, the bike instead of smoothly downshifting will accelerate forward.

The order of throttle is: Closed, open, closed. Done correctly, its a quick, smooth motion

Its a balance you have to strike OP, practicing and getting a good feel for it are really the only solutions. After enough practice you know exactly how much you blip the throttle to get it to rev match smoothly.

For me the key was finding out where the revs need to be approximately for the me to dump the clutch so the bike rev matches smoothly(can be done audibly or visually as well). On the Fz 09 for some reason i didnt even have to try, it was super easy for some reason....
Click to expand...
Yes, I see now I wasn't clear but the clutch dump comes after the throttle whack, not during.
 
- practice rolling off the throttle while simultaneous applying increasing front brake pressure (two finger)
- Practice in an empty parking lot going from second down into first. The other gears will be a breeze compared to that.
- the throttle blip/close throttle, downshift and clutch in/out occur in a seemingly simultaneous 'twitch' motion (both hands and foot), ideally while keeping the brake lever pressure even
- assuming you know the correct sequence, it can be practiced with the engine off
- braking will compress the forks a little giving some added shock absorption to the shift
- braking will also absorb any over revving
 
Don't try to downshift from 2nd to 1st. Change from 2nd to first only when coming to a complete stop - when basically at a complete stop. If you're trying to sound like a racer and blip the throttle and do a down-shift rev-match super quick then stop. If you're clutch hand has muscle memory of how and when you clutch engages then a smooth rev-match down shift is not rocket science.

As you're deaccelerating (with throttle closed), clutch in completely. Change down a gear. Now begin to slowly release the clutch and apply throttle slowly. If you hear the bike rpms race, ease of throttle. If you feel you're bike pitching down like the engine is trying to catch up to rpms, then add a bit of throttle. Same as in a car.
 
Another suggestion: practice it in a chair. Not joking
 
There is no subtlety or delicate control involved in rev match downshifting, except for holding the brake pressure steady throughout. Other than that,

- clutch in
- slam shifter down while briefly snapping throttle open
- dump clutch

Any overrev will be easily dampened by wheel speed. Also I almost forgot, the higher your RPM when you start these steps, the easier it is. Then you can get better at lower RPM, but since the whole point is to stay in the engine's powerband why bother.
 
fastar1 said:
There is no subtlety or delicate control involved in rev match downshifting, except for holding the brake pressure steady throughout. Other than that,

- clutch in
- slam shifter down while briefly snapping throttle open
- dump clutch

Any overrev will be easily dampened by wheel speed. Also I almost forgot, the higher your RPM when you start these steps, the easier it is. Then you can get better at lower RPM, but since the whole point is to stay in the engine's powerband why bother.
Click to expand...


You forgot closing the throttle before releasing the clutch.
 
When practicing on a stationary motorcycle, engine off, you should hear an audible 'click' (or 'thwack') sound when you snap the throttle back to the closed position. If you can't hear the click, then you haven't fully closed the throttle.
 
Sorry I missed this thread, it's good entertainment.

I wonder about some of the "experts" on this forum. When riding a motorcycle, one should never dump, slam, whack, snap, or chop anything. Ever. It's about being smooth. All inputs must be smooth, always.

OP, do some reading, check YouTube, consult your buddies. Then get out and practice. Done correctly, the downshift will be a quick, singular, fluid motion. You'll know when you get it right, and it will be a very satisfying moment. Soon enough, it will become second nature.

With regard to first gear, the downshift is simply not practical on bikes with a short first gear, small displacement bikes in particular. Other bikes, my Thruxton and Tiger for example, have very tall first gear ratios, making it easy and quite useful to downshift to first.

Let us know of your progress.

via Tapatalk
 
Jayell said:
Sorry I missed this thread, it's good entertainment.

I wonder about some of the "experts" on this forum. When riding a motorcycle, one should never dump, slam, whack, snap, or chop anything. Ever. It's about being smooth. All inputs must be smooth, always.

OP, do some reading, check YouTube, consult your buddies. Then get out and practice. Done correctly, the downshift will be a quick, singular, fluid motion. You'll know when you get it right, and it will be a very satisfying moment. Soon enough, it will become second nature.

With regard to first gear, the downshift is simply not practical on bikes with a short first gear, small displacement bikes in particular. Other bikes, my Thruxton and Tiger for example, have very tall first gear ratios, making it easy and quite useful to downshift to first.

Let us know of your progress.

via Tapatalk
Click to expand...
You think too highly of me, I'm no expert.

But smoothness only matters when it comes to inputs to the contact patch. Since the clutch is disengaged during the downshift, being snappy with the shifter or throttle has no downside.

The whole point of rev matching is to get down a gear fast. It's not called a 'blip' for nothing. The whole thing should never take more than half a second. If you want to do a gradual downshift, just use the clutch slip to bring the engine up to speed rather than the throttle. Watch the pros do it. There's no smoothness relating to the downshift, only smooth brake and steering inputs. On the downshift there's just sharpness and speed.
 
Jayell said:
Sorry I missed this thread, it's good entertainment.

I wonder about some of the "experts" on this forum. When riding a motorcycle, one should never dump, slam, whack, snap, or chop anything. Ever. It's about being smooth. All inputs must be smooth, always.

OP, do some reading, check YouTube, consult your buddies. Then get out and practice. Done correctly, the downshift will be a quick, singular, fluid motion. You'll know when you get it right, and it will be a very satisfying moment. Soon enough, it will become second nature.

With regard to first gear, the downshift is simply not practical on bikes with a short first gear, small displacement bikes in particular. Other bikes, my Thruxton and Tiger for example, have very tall first gear ratios, making it easy and quite useful to downshift to first.

Let us know of your progress.

via Tapatalk
Click to expand...
And here we have the classic "expert" saying to 'be smooth' without any explanation on how to do it. Watch youTube, really? Lol, well done.
 
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its kinda like telling someone how to brush their teeth

just ride the bike and figure it out
 
Jayell said:
Sorry I missed this thread, it's good entertainment.

I wonder about some of the "experts" on this forum. When riding a motorcycle, one should never dump, slam, whack, snap, or chop anything. Ever. It's about being smooth. All inputs must be smooth, always.

OP, do some reading, check YouTube, consult your buddies. Then get out and practice. Done correctly, the downshift will be a quick, singular, fluid motion. You'll know when you get it right, and it will be a very satisfying moment. Soon enough, it will become second nature.

With regard to first gear, the downshift is simply not practical on bikes with a short first gear, small displacement bikes in particular. Other bikes, my Thruxton and Tiger for example, have very tall first gear ratios, making it easy and quite useful to downshift to first.

Let us know of your progress.

via Tapatalk
Click to expand...

didnt you know that you dont actually need to ride a motorcycle to be an expert on how to ride it?
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