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Downshifting/"blipping" question

planegray said:
I'm sad that I really don't understand the question... :(

Growing up, I got to drive numerous vehicles that either had no syncro's or bad one's. If you wanted shift, either up or down, you had to learn to work the clutch/gas/ shifter just right...or suffer the indignity of gnashing gears.

Now, I have no clue what I'm doing, I just do it.

My advice, if you really want to learn how to "blip"; find an old vehicle with no syncro's...practice until you can shift up or down with nary a sound from the transmission.
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Right there with you on this Porkchop. Sounds like a lot of over thinking and a lot less of just doing.
 
Lumberjack said:
I see - think I get it now - another question though - is this blipping just for when you're in the process of decelerating/not using the throttle for forward power? Like when slowing/braking for a turn at the track or approaching a light?

When you're downshifting just because you want some more juice on hand you wouldn't blip, right? - you'd never let off the throttle since you're trying to accelerate? Only blip when you're not wanting forward acceleration after the shift?

Also, on the track, is it best to downshift one gear at a time, using this method, or can you drop from like 5th-->2nd all at one, just doing a mega-blip to match the high rpm of the incoming 2nd gear?

My bike is 1000cc but doesn't have a slipper clutch so I want to get this thing down for the track..
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Shift every gear. You can possibly not fully engage clutch for some or the downshifts but don't skip gears. For nore power I just wack the gas on and snap down a gear quickly.
 
Angel-be-Good said:
OMG the old people found this thread.
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yep let's see if you can translate,
Banging gears, three on the tree, four on the floor, straight cut gears (not just for trucks) Daddy's Lambo had them.
 
What can you tell me about carburetors and drum brakes? Oh wait, I still have one of the two...
 
:facepalm



blipping....can't you get an app for that ? you know, 'cause it's all hard 'n stuff :dunno
 
jraice said:
Shift every gear. You can possibly not fully engage clutch for some or the downshifts but don't skip gears. For nore power I just wack the gas on and snap down a gear quickly.
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I've been doing this a bit - downshifting quickly with the clutch but not rolling off the throttle - didn't know if it was ok or not in terms of wear on the parts - much smoother than rolling off/on the throttle during the downshift..
 
Hard for me to 'splain it, but you'll know when you're doing it right, will just feel right. Takes practice.
 
The reason for blipping is to take as much load off of the clutch pack/plates as possible by making them seperate. This in turn lightens the load on the whole drive train, allowing the gear change to be seamless.

Also, useing a high quality synthetic motor oil will help too.
 
I key point whether it be cars or bikes is that it doesn't have to be perfect. A lot of people trip out and overthink it like they have to be spot on. In reality you can be off by a few hundred (maybe thousand on a high revving bike, never watched the tach enough) RPM and never notice. The point is to get it closer then it would be without blipping, and from there you can work on fine tuning.
 
I would be very surprised if this is not a thread built entirely around trolling. If I am wrong I'm sorry, but a quick look at most of his posts seems to suggest it.
 
Well Happy Hornet is just taking up space in the thread but mostly there's been some good advice, no? Certainly has helped me anyhow...
 
SMOOTH

Angel-be-Good said:
Why You Blip
When you downshift, your engine will be turning higher rpm for the same speed--moreover, your engine will drop rpms naturally as you let out the throttle to shift. You blip the throttle just before letting the clutch back out to raise the rpms to match your speed.

Why Not Just Hold the Throttle?
You'll get a forward surge as the clutch re-engages. When you blip, the idea is to raise the rpms and then let them fall as you re-engage the clutch. Because you're not on the throttle as the clutch engages, you don't get forward power. Because you've raised the rpms, the lower gear engages smoothly without jerking the bike or locking the rear tire.

What's the Order of Operations?
Pull in clutch and let off throttle together (throttle slightly later)
Down shift
Blip throttle
While revs start to fall, release clutch smoothly

Approx time: .10 seconds
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Blipping throttle is done primarily as prevention to upsetting chassis. By matching engine speed to gear speed this eliminates "jerkiness" when downshifting and allows you to be in the proper gear for corner entrance and exit. At least on many cars, when you get really good at matching engine speed to gear speed you can by pass the clutch altogehter, but don't try it until you get it perfect otherwise "gnash".
 
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I never used to blip on downshift. In fact, I had no idea exactly what it was. Then I got Twist of the Wrist 2 recently, and saw them describe it and demonstrate it. Finally got it. Since then I've been practicing. Definitely makes things more smooth. At first, it takes a little bit of thought, but like anything else, with a little practice it'll become more natural.
 
jraice said:
Shift every gear. You can possibly not fully engage clutch for some or the downshifts but don't skip gears. For nore power I just wack the gas on and snap down a gear quickly.
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Why is it bad to skip gears? Is it bad for the tranny or something? I've been trying to figure it out for a while, and through just riding and observing how my engine feels, I've taken to skipping gears. Example: I'm approaching a corner, want to be 2 gears lower for the drive through, let's say, from 4th to 2nd. I could begin braking, then shift to 3rd, and then to 2nd, all the while modulating the brakes and rev-matching so the suspension doesn't buck through the shifts, OR I could just brake in 4th all the way smoothly, then once my entry speed is right, pull the clutch in, *click* *click* down the gears, blip the throttle, and let it out smoothly into 2nd gear in the power. The second option just feels more efficient and smooth on the engine, what am I missing?
 
Its not "BAD" as long as you match the downshift (RPM / WHEEL SPEED) so as not to get wheel hop or slide.
 
Ok...so it's only "bad" in the sense that you could get in the habit of it, and then accidentally overshoot your ideal gear and lock up the wheel? Makes sense, like saying you shouldn't cover the brake with the left foot in an automatic car. Right?
 
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