Shifting down
#21
09-10-2013, 09:25 AM
The biggest con to engine braking is tire wear. For the fellas that ride only when the sun is up on the weekends and park it when temps get below 70 will most likely get tired of a rear tire or it will age out before it wears out. Everyone I know who engine brakes get half the tire life. For me that would be an extra 1-2 tire changes a year. If you have an EFI bike with a rear disc brake its also pointless. Older carb'd bikes will have a greater engine brake effect, add in a drum rear brake and it just might be smart to engine brake. I have noticed new EFI bikes, they do not engine brake as well and the rear disc brake is many times over better than a drum brake. Making engine braking almost dangerous on an EFI bike because it really dont slow you down much, its just a hold over from older days.
I have also noted that grabbing a hand full of brake has never made the bike go much faster, if at all. In reality engine braking dont slow you down much, might feel like it, but you are still covering some ground. Rolling to a light with the nearest cage behind you being half a mile or more it might be safe, but them heffers always complain they never see us. Safest thing to do is flash that brake light.
On a sunday stroll I guess its ok, but if you bike all the time year round its a tire burner, less safe, and really dont stop you that much anyway. I would love to see a 60 to 0 engine brake test, its going to be over a mile on an EFI bike compared to 124' when you use the foot and hand lever.
I have also noted that grabbing a hand full of brake has never made the bike go much faster, if at all. In reality engine braking dont slow you down much, might feel like it, but you are still covering some ground. Rolling to a light with the nearest cage behind you being half a mile or more it might be safe, but them heffers always complain they never see us. Safest thing to do is flash that brake light.
On a sunday stroll I guess its ok, but if you bike all the time year round its a tire burner, less safe, and really dont stop you that much anyway. I would love to see a 60 to 0 engine brake test, its going to be over a mile on an EFI bike compared to 124' when you use the foot and hand lever.
Engine braking is for slowing down, not stopping.
Could you explain how slowing down with the engine wears the tires more than slowing down with the brakes?
#22
09-10-2013, 09:42 AM
Road Captain
Every motorized vehicle I own is a manual transmission. I engine brake with all of them, the only thing I caution is by not using your brake at all you will not notify the drivers behind you that your changing speeds. So for me while down shift i'll blink my brake lights a few times just to let people know I'm slowing down. Bikes slow down better that cages so the visual que's help keep you safe.
#23
09-10-2013, 09:55 AM
When braking you use the front and back tire to slow down, when engine braking you only use the rear. As to exactly how much difference it makes i don't know.
#24
09-10-2013, 10:23 AM
Banned
thats what I said, and also said its not a very good way to do it. A 2 second light squeeze on the front brake, clutch in will transfer weight to the front and slow you down much more efficiently. And one more time, experience on the road tells me this. Flower sniffing pace need not apply to me.
I do not engine brake, guys that ride with me that do burn through tires faster. One more time again, on the road experience will trump any snazy one liner you come up with.
Here is a one liner for ya.
Confucius say, man who stands on toilet, high on pot.
#26
09-10-2013, 02:56 PM
Outstanding HDF Member
#28
09-10-2013, 03:12 PM
The biggest con to engine braking is tire wear. For the fellas that ride only when the sun is up on the weekends and park it when temps get below 70 will most likely get tired of a rear tire or it will age out before it wears out. Everyone I know who engine brakes get half the tire life. For me that would be an extra 1-2 tire changes a year. If you have an EFI bike with a rear disc brake its also pointless. Older carb'd bikes will have a greater engine brake effect, add in a drum rear brake and it just might be smart to engine brake. I have noticed new EFI bikes, they do not engine brake as well and the rear disc brake is many times over better than a drum brake. Making engine braking almost dangerous on an EFI bike because it really dont slow you down much, its just a hold over from older days.
I have also noted that grabbing a hand full of brake has never made the bike go much faster, if at all. In reality engine braking dont slow you down much, might feel like it, but you are still covering some ground. Rolling to a light with the nearest cage behind you being half a mile or more it might be safe, but them heffers always complain they never see us. Safest thing to do is flash that brake light.
On a sunday stroll I guess its ok, but if you bike all the time year round its a tire burner, less safe, and really dont stop you that much anyway. I would love to see a 60 to 0 engine brake test, its going to be over a mile on an EFI bike compared to 124' when you use the foot and hand lever.
I have also noted that grabbing a hand full of brake has never made the bike go much faster, if at all. In reality engine braking dont slow you down much, might feel like it, but you are still covering some ground. Rolling to a light with the nearest cage behind you being half a mile or more it might be safe, but them heffers always complain they never see us. Safest thing to do is flash that brake light.
On a sunday stroll I guess its ok, but if you bike all the time year round its a tire burner, less safe, and really dont stop you that much anyway. I would love to see a 60 to 0 engine brake test, its going to be over a mile on an EFI bike compared to 124' when you use the foot and hand lever.
If you have an EFI bike with a rear disc brake its also pointless
I'd like to hear your professional explanation on this one, I could really use a good laugh
Older carb'd bikes will have a greater engine brake effect.
Please explain this one too, after reading a reply from above my sides will probably be hurting lol
I have noticed new EFI bikes, they do not engine brake as well.
Why... EFI bikes also have compression (really, Im not making this up) and closed throttle bodies, not open like a diesel
I have also noted that grabbing a hand full of brake has never made the bike go much faster, if at all.
Now this is one Brilliant observation, I'm not going to argue with you on this one.
I'm not arguing that brakes are not better for stopping but if I'm in 4th gear or above I will be dumping down at least a few gears before coming to stop (including panic stops) All my feet and hands will be busy and I can do this all while chewing gum.
Ride safe, may your tires last forever.
#29
09-10-2013, 03:15 PM
If your "buddy" is a guy, you've got bigger issues to deal with.
Just say in'...
#30
09-10-2013, 03:18 PM
Outstanding HDF Member
I think we may also be overlooking the most compelling reason to engine brake: If you engine brake down through second gear, you will always be in the right gear if you need to make a sudden, evasive maneuver.
I know that engine braking (and the resulting habit of always being in the right gear) has saved my *** more than once when I had to get out of the way NOW and didn't have time to click-click-click down from 4th gear just so I could effectively apply throttle.
If you are so concerned with tire life that you are never engine braking, I ask you: Why even ride? You are not only depriving yourself of one of the most fun aspects of riding (downshifting and engine braking), but you are potentially putting yourself at greater risk for what? One extra tire a year?
I see guys on baggers do this all the time...they chop the clutch in at 4th gear and coast to a stop, then they have to click down, let the clutch out a little, click down again, etc....I have even seen cases where a guy needed to go, but had the bike get "stuck" in a gear because he was trying to downshift while stopped (also not ideal) and it was an embarrasing moment for him as he was being honked at for not knowing how to ride his damn bike.
Seriously, the arguments against downshifting are really, really thin.
I know that engine braking (and the resulting habit of always being in the right gear) has saved my *** more than once when I had to get out of the way NOW and didn't have time to click-click-click down from 4th gear just so I could effectively apply throttle.
If you are so concerned with tire life that you are never engine braking, I ask you: Why even ride? You are not only depriving yourself of one of the most fun aspects of riding (downshifting and engine braking), but you are potentially putting yourself at greater risk for what? One extra tire a year?
I see guys on baggers do this all the time...they chop the clutch in at 4th gear and coast to a stop, then they have to click down, let the clutch out a little, click down again, etc....I have even seen cases where a guy needed to go, but had the bike get "stuck" in a gear because he was trying to downshift while stopped (also not ideal) and it was an embarrasing moment for him as he was being honked at for not knowing how to ride his damn bike.
Seriously, the arguments against downshifting are really, really thin.
Last edited by parabellum_9x19; 09-10-2013 at 03:20 PM.