Ok.. another stupid beginner question from me....... lol

When I am emergency stopping (i.e in 3rd gear and slam on my brakes)... when am i supposed to shift to 1st gear? immediately when i start braking..... right before i stop.... or after i stop - before i get going again? (im not sure if it would stall if i stop in 3rd?)

 

as long as you watch your RPMs and brakes so you don't blow something or flip yourself over with a front brake, you should be ok to downshift to first, but watch speed.

 

well... If thats how you do it..... which speeds do you usually shift at? I have just been doing it by feel not by the spedometer

 

alright, i've brought this up before on another thread but i'm going to say it again, LEARN TO DOWNSHIFT. i'm surprised that not everyone knows how to do this, it doesn't take long to learn. Have you ever shifted into a lower gear and when you engage the clutch the rpms go up and kind of jerk you back? that's downshifting or engine braking. now if you've ever watched motorcycle racing pay attention to when they enter a corner, you see their right hand flip up and down. they aren't just holding in the clutch and braking, they are downshifting, and they "blip" the throttle a little bit as they are switching between gears (more if you're at a higher rpm than if you are at a low rpm). what this does is gets the rpm's up so when you release the clutch, you don't get that jerkiness. PRACTICE it, when you can, just use your rear brake and practice downshifting, clutch in, blip the throttle while switching down a gear and release clutch, if you do it right you won't get that jerkiness when you engage the clutch again, get it down smoothly. When you're more comfortable, try using the front brake AND blipping the throttle at the same time. Practice it as much as you can until it becomes habit (I do it all the time now). But keep in mind I don't do it into first much because it's such a short ratio and is hard to get smoothly.

Why is this important? If you learn to downshift properly it could save you from a crash, say your braking for a light and someone splits into your lane, you don't have to fiddle with the gears and find the right one to scoot around (if there isn't enough braking distance). You're already in a suitable gear most likely and can easily jet around him. It's saved me numerous times and in other situations, too. It's helped me to brake quicker and keep from hitting someone in front of me when they cut you off. I can't stress it enough, learn to do it. Maybe watch some video's of motorcyclists doing it and get comfortable with how to do it before you try it. And I HATE seeing guys who do 180 mph blasts and then pull in the clutch and coast to a stop, it unstabilizes the bike and you shouldn't have somethign that fast if you don't know basic facts like this. I hope this helps and take it into consideration.

To answer your question though, as long as you're clutch is in, it doesn't matter.

 

thanks Mott Power... I understand what you're saying about the importance of being in the right gear... (say when im stopping at a stoplight or slowing down...)

But say you emergency brake when youre in third.... would you immediately down shift as well as braking, or would you wait untill after youve stopped? Is that what you mean that it doesnt matter as long as the clutch is in?

I just dunno if i should practice doing both - braking and downshifting while "slamming" (without locking) both brakes... Is it just personal preference when it comes to emergency stops? it seems to me that i should be focusing all my energy on braking and not hitting the object and then down shifting when im already stoppedinstead of doing the 2 things at once????

 

Meh, I've had both occurances happen, where I had to stop so fast that I didn't have time to downshift through the gears. But I'm not saying you SHOULD do it, just keep it in mind and begin practicing if you want. And it's weird, but you get used to the braking and throttle control at the same time if you practice enough. But yeah, it doesn't matter what gear your in, if the clutch is in while you brake then it won't matter, just be in first when your ready to scoot off again.

 

I totaly agree with mott power on this one. if you have time to down shift then do it but if you don't just stop and then make sure you put it in first when you take off again.

 

Yep, Mott Power summed it all up in that long post.....i learned to downshiftcuz:

It doesn't hurt the motor at all

It'll save ur brakes

Can be VERY effective to slowing you down and if throttle is needed quickly...aka red light turns green....you're powers ban is there already......

Besides that, i'm not sure how many ppl know this or not, but your front brake on your bike is OVER 70% of your braking power.....true. LOL read that one in the manual...yes i AcTuAlLy read the manual before taking the written test....geek? i dont know...

 

you should take the safety course (if you havent) cuz they tell you that like 50x throughout the day

 

LOL safety course to ride a bike....haha that's about as funny as me actually reading the manual....i still need to get my motorcyle license...another 2 weeks and i turn 21...then i'll get it....