Blipping the throttle while downshifting

[denhaus]

In my CMSP course they taught that you should let out the clutch with 4 fingers slowly in order to downshift. But I am finding that in some situations, no matter how slowly I roll it out, I'm occasionally being jerked forward by a downshift.

I've seen more advanced riders "blip" the throttle to downshift smoothly, where they quickly roll on the throttle, change gears, and roll back off, but doing this is difficult because I often wind up speeding up...

Do any experienced riders on here have any tips to help a newbie learn this technique (and/or just downshift more smoothly in general...)?

 

[Kawikiwi]

Learn the basics, then worry about blipping the throttle.

 

[Pking]

Learn the basics, then worry about blipping the throttle.

nuff said :thumbup

 

[Aware]

It's a timing thing. And a feel thing. I'm not sure anyone can "painting by numbers" describe it.

The blip comes a tiny fraction before you grab the clutch then snag a lower gear and release the clutch instantly.

Engine config, feel, current speed, feel, engine characteristics, feel, rpm, feel and feel all contribute.

Once mastered, it is a beautiful thing.

But don't rush it.

 

[Sofa88]

You’re probably letting the clutch out too far too soon. Learn to feather the clutch and ease out slowly. Find the friction points on the lever of where the clutch starts to grab and where it’s fully engaged and that will be the sweet spot of where you’ll control the clutch on smoother down shifts. Be patient, this takes some time to gain the muscle memory to become smoother at it. You’ll be jerky at first but just keep practicing.

Blips help but don’t mess with it yet as a beginner, learn friction points on your clutch first. Hope this helps some.

 

[stangmx13]

if u can't downshift smoothly with only the clutch, a blip isnt going to help just yet.

a few tips:

u don't need to pull the clutch lever all the way in for any shift. the appropriate amount for the smoothest and fastest shift is somewhere btw 1/3rd to 2/3rd of the lever pull depending on the bike. the clutch doesn't even need to be fully disengaged for a smooth shift, just most of the way.

when letting out the lever, that last 1/3rd is where u gotta be smooth and possibly slow. the rest of it can be quick. I can pop 4 downshifts in ~2seconds because I don't pull the lever all the way in and everything but the last release of the lever is fast.

the appropriate time to start your shifts depends on what rpm u are at and how hard u are braking. if u are at a low rpm or you are braking hard, u can start shifting almost right away. if you are at a high rpm and/or you aren't slowing much at all, u should delay your shifts to reduce any jerk.

 

[DataDan]

In my CMSP course they taught that you should let out the clutch with 4 fingers slowly in order to downshift. But I am finding that in some situations, no matter how slowly I roll it out, I'm occasionally being jerked forward by a downshift.

I've seen more advanced riders "blip" the throttle to downshift smoothly, where they quickly roll on the throttle, change gears, and roll back off, but doing this is difficult because I often wind up speeding up...

Do any experienced riders on here have any tips to help a newbie learn this technique (and/or just downshift more smoothly in general...)?

It's a technique you can master with practice.

My preference (probably a lot of others, too) is first two fingers on the brake, the other two on the throttle. While applying brake pressure, twist the throttle just a little as you downshift. Then, roll off as you complete the shift. One thing that helped me at first was keeping a firm grip on the throttle with opposing pressure from the thumb. That makes it easier to control.

You don't need a lot of gas to match revs, and it doesn't have to be a noisy, show-off blip. Just enough to smooth clutch engagement as you complete the downshift.

Find a straight, flat, vacant piece of pavement where you can practice. A big parking lot is best. Repeat going up and down the gears, accelerating then braking. An extra benefit is the opportunity to smooth your upshifts.

 

[Spencerjo]

Eric Trow of Rider had a great column about shifting smoothly and it helped me with this. While I agree with others here that taking it slow and mastering the basics should come first, I admit that I got impatient and start practicing blipping pretty early in my riding.

As I recall it, Eric's advice that helped me was:
- clutch pulls light, only as far as needed, with two fingers (not necessary, but I found this easier)
- as you prepare to downshift, left foot ON the shift lever, resting gently with a little weight, but not enough to force a gear change
- clutch in and minor blip, not showy, in rapid succession. When the clutch goes in, the weight of your foot leads to a smooth and fast gear change and your blip makes you ready to smoothly (but quickly) let out the clutch.

I found this helpful, but will leave it to the much more experienced rider base here to correct if this is flawed.

 

[Hooli]

Autoblipper FTW. :teeth

 

[afm199]

I grew up driving non synchro transmissions and learned to blip then. When I got my first bike it wasn't even a problem.

 

[dravnx]

Seat time will teach you to shift smoother. Don't worry too much about blipping. It's a bit more of an advanced technique to learn. You might be downshifting at too high a speed for the gear you're downshifting into.

 

[Ocho]

Is this needed with a slipper clutch?

 

[kuksul08]

Is this needed with a slipper clutch?

Yes, but you can be more sloppy with it.


How to blip:
1. Pull in the clutch.
2. Blip the throttle as quick as you can. At the same time, downshift.
3. Let out the clutch.

If you time it just right, you will feel nothing. Suddenly you will be at a slightly higher RPM and be in the next lower gear. It's such a satisfying thing to nail

The challenge increases when you're also trying to do this while braking, because your right hand has to use the brake while also blipping the throttle in a controlled manner. Practice! :ride

 

[stangmx13]

blipping is a pain in the butt if you are trying to do some mild braking at the same time. the lever is far away, giving your fingers less distance to work with. as your hand rolls back, your fingers must extend to keep the lever in the same position - all while keeping the same amount of force on the brake lever. if your fingers have very little bend in them while braking, a smooth blip is near impossible. blipping is easier if you are hard on the brakes because the lever is closer and your fingers can uncurl more to control their position and force. and of course, blipping is easiest when u arent braking at all.

i used to position my brake lever far out to allow for tons of braking force with no chance of ever crushing my others fingers (i brake with 2 fingers). but i didnt blip back then. now, my brake lever is as close as it can be without crushing my fingers under hard braking so that my blips can be on-point. it took about a year of track riding to get used to the new lever position.

Is this needed with a slipper clutch?

an OEM slipper, yep. a race-tuned OEM or aftermarket slipper with good engine braking control, not really.

 

[budman]

Practice without braking. Too much going on there.

Just let the bike decelerate a bit (back off the gas).
Pull in clutch
Blip throttle. (if higher in the RPM a bigger blip is required to match the new higher RPM expected when the lower gear is engaged)
Downshift and quickly let the clutch out. If the RPMs match you won't feel that jerk or additional slowing than just decelerating.

Learning how much blip is needed is a factor of feeling the RPM (experience really).

For practicing try keeping the speed you decelerate a constant and just trying different amounts. (Don't blip before the clutch is in).

When you get it right the motor will feel the same RPM and won't rev up. You don't have to down shift and let the clutch out super fast when practicing. Work up to that.

When RPMs are higher as you begin deceleration then the blip will be bigger.

That is why racers tend to have bigger blips.. Wackaaaaa.... Wackaaaa.. going through several downshifts. The goal being the bikes forks are not going up or down... they stay the same basically.

When out riding do the clutch / blip /down shift before needing to brake.

Once you get better at the whole thing adding brakes into the equation is easier than trying to learn it all at once.

 

[Aware]

I blip a hair before I pull in the clutch. If I even pull in the clutch at all.

 

[flying_hun]

It's a timing thing. And a feel thing. I'm not sure anyone can "painting by numbers" describe it.

The blip comes a tiny fraction before you grab the clutch then snag a lower gear and release the clutch instantly.

Engine config, feel, current speed, feel, engine characteristics, feel, rpm, feel and feel all contribute.

Once mastered, it is a beautiful thing.

But don't rush it.

This

It's a technique you can master with practice.

My preference (probably a lot of others, too) is first two fingers on the brake, the other two on the throttle. While applying brake pressure, twist the throttle just a little as you downshift. Then, roll off as you complete the shift. One thing that helped me at first was keeping a firm grip on the throttle with opposing pressure from the thumb. That makes it easier to control.

You don't need a lot of gas to match revs, and it doesn't have to be a noisy, show-off blip. Just enough to smooth clutch engagement as you complete the downshift.

Find a straight, flat, vacant piece of pavement where you can practice. A big parking lot is best. Repeat going up and down the gears, accelerating then braking. An extra benefit is the opportunity to smooth your upshifts.

And this

 

[budman]

I blip a hair before I pull in the clutch. If I even pull in the clutch at all.

So do I but we are talking about how a newbie applies it.

I think basics first. Bad ass. Second.

If not a hair then the bike lurches. That is not conducive to learning.

 

[afm199]

So do I but we are talking about how a newbie applies it.

I think basics first. Bad ass. Second.

If not a hair then the bike lurches. That is not conducive to learning.

This. New guys don't need to try advanced techniques. It will just screw them up and slow them up. And scare them.

 

[Butch]

Match revs to minimize upset of the chassis...