Took this from another thread (http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=41382) so I didn't derail the discussion:
If you downshift too quick (before you hit the clutch in with your hand) or sloppy sometimes the rear will break loose a bit while the tranny catches up to the engine..
Not saying that's what you did but sounds like maybe close.

So, I'm a noob, just to be clear :o and cornering is still a little hit-or-miss for me. Sometimes when I'm slowing down to make a corner and I downshift it feels like my rear tire is swinging out from under me...am I downshifting too quickly or too far? I know that I should be finished slowing down before I get into the corner, but sometimes right before I turn in I think that I'm going too fast and I try to slow down and/or downshift. Whatever I'm doing, it's a really disconcerting feeling :(

I noticed last weekend that I have a couple of bad habits I need to break NOW, this being one of them (using the clutch to slow down in the same too-fast-for-a-corner situation is the other one).

Thanks for your input!

Personally, I use the brakes to slow down not the engine. Do all your braking (and downshifting) while you are still upright on the bike. One you have slowed down enough, make your turn. Then accelerate coming out of the turn. It is easy once you get the hang of it. It just takes practice.

Personally, I use the brakes to slow down not the engine. Do all your braking (and downshifting) while you are still upright on the bike. One you have slowed down enough, make your turn. Then accelerate coming out of the turn. It is easy once you get the hang of it. It just takes practice.

+1

slow in, fast out.

+2....
And make sure you are NOT shifting down above about 6,000 rpm's until you get the cornering DOWN, then you can learn throttle blipping. Makes life easier... Shifting down in the high rpms WILL make your back end break loose!

I see that I have to work on adjusting my speed earlier than I am right now. I know that I occasionally shift when I'm revving above 6000 and I think this is where things get bad for me.

+2....
And make sure you are NOT shifting down above about 6,000 rpm's until you get the cornering DOWN, then you can learn throttle blipping. Makes life easier... Shifting down in the high rpms WILL make your back end break loose!
Yes, I want to learn throttle blipping and rev-matching, but I think it's a little too advanced for me right now. There was a good article (http://www.sportrider.com/riding_tips/146_1003_smooth_downshifting_riding_skills/index.html) about it in last month's Sportrider that I'm going to practice a little later in the season - this is my first full season of riding.

I appreciate the responses and tips. Thank you!

Try it in small streets, braking with two fingers (your pointer and rude finger) and keep your thumb gripped on the throttle so you can give it a little blip so that the rear won't lock. All you need is a little practise. Good luck!

I'm quite new to riding as well, and I had a question concerning holding the clutch while turning - is that a bad habit? I've found myself a few times holding the clutch in the middle of a (slow) turn, then when I realize this a begin to disengage the clutch which would cause the rear tire to skid (as it was in the middle of the turn).

So at this point, I have told myself not to hold in the clutch, although it does seem to make the bike far more rigid and abrupt when riding at low speeds. right or wrong? :confused:

Try it in small streets, braking with two fingers (your pointer and rude finger) and keep your thumb gripped on the throttle so you can give it a little blip so that the rear won't lock. All you need is a little practise. Good luck!

:whathesaid: When I started braking with 2 fingers it just came easy to me. I can do it while using 4 fingers on the brake but its not nearly as smooth.

Just keep practicing it, its not terrible hard, you just need try to revmatch at every shift until it becomes muscle memory.

I'm quite new to riding as well, and I had a question concerning holding the clutch while turning - is that a bad habit? I've found myself a few times holding the clutch in the middle of a (slow) turn, then when I realize this a begin to disengage the clutch which would cause the rear tire to skid (as it was in the middle of the turn).

So at this point, I have told myself not to hold in the clutch, although it does seem to make the bike far more rigid and abrupt when riding at low speeds. right or wrong? :confused:

I do this too, I have no idea if its wrong or right either, but I tend to do it when doing slow speed corners such as U-turns.

I'm quite new to riding as well, and I had a question concerning holding the clutch while turning - is that a bad habit? I've found myself a few times holding the clutch in the middle of a (slow) turn, then when I realize this a begin to disengage the clutch which would cause the rear tire to skid (as it was in the middle of the turn).

So at this point, I have told myself not to hold in the clutch, although it does seem to make the bike far more rigid and abrupt when riding at low speeds. right or wrong? :confused:

I would say its a bad habit. If your going very slow, like in a parking lot, you can ride the clutch(hold it in the friction zone), but other than that you should keep power to the rear wheel.

.. let the clutch out slower (give engine more time to catch up to transmission speed) or rev match smoothly to prevent the rear breaking loose at downshift.

I'm quite new to riding as well, and I had a question concerning holding the clutch while turning - is that a bad habit? I've found myself a few times holding the clutch in the middle of a (slow) turn, then when I realize this a begin to disengage the clutch which would cause the rear tire to skid (as it was in the middle of the turn).

So at this point, I have told myself not to hold in the clutch, although it does seem to make the bike far more rigid and abrupt when riding at low speeds. right or wrong? :confused:

This is pretty much what's happening to me; if I'm not downshifting too soon, or I'm riding the clutch and when I catch myself I go oh crap, I'm riding the clutch!...then I let it out and the rear tire says "uh, no, that's not right".

When I checked in with the instructors where I took my lessons they indicated that it's not a great thing to be doing unless it's at low speed in first gear, like in a parking lot or a U-turn. I don't know where I picked the habit up from, they definitely didn't teach me to do it.

I would also bet that I'm letting the clutch out too fast a lot of the time. My instructors were constantly yelling "SLOW HANDS, WIFEY!" when we were doing parking lot maneuvers, and on our road rides over the radio. :redface:

I am a little quick releasing the clutch sometimes as well. I keep focusing to make my hand release the clutch slower and I think i'm starting to notice I'm getting smoother with my shifts. I'm sure its is something that will improve the more you do it and then become second nature.

What helped me achieve smoothness while downshifting and blipping was only using a light squeeze and release of the clutch. There is no need to pull the clutch in all the way. Just enough pull to let the rev's up. Try to be smooth and practice, practice, practice (safely).

any aftermarket slipper clutch for this bike?

I'm quite new to riding as well, and I had a question concerning holding the clutch while turning - is that a bad habit? I've found myself a few times holding the clutch in the middle of a (slow) turn, then when I realize this a begin to disengage the clutch which would cause the rear tire to skid (as it was in the middle of the turn).

So at this point, I have told myself not to hold in the clutch, although it does seem to make the bike far more rigid and abrupt when riding at low speeds. right or wrong? :confused:

As others have said, parking lots are about the only place you want to do this. I don't suggest having the clutch out in a turn. You lose the stability of speed and as you proceed through the turn, you continue to bleed speed without power to the rear wheel. Trying to re-engage the clutch in a steep turn is tricky at best, especially for beginners.

The way I was taught and seems to work for me is: Maintain some throttle opening and smoothly 'roll on' throughout the turn

As others have said, parking lots are about the only place you want to do this. I don't suggest having the clutch out in a turn. You lose the stability of speed and as you proceed through the turn, you continue to bleed speed without power to the rear wheel. Trying to re-engage the clutch in a steep turn is tricky at best, especially for beginners.

The way I was taught and seems to work for me is: Maintain some throttle opening and smoothly 'roll on' throughout the turn

This is the ONLY way to keep the chasis AND suspension working the way it should... If you are holding in the clutch while making your turn, NEITHER are doing what they should be doing.

There is a great article in the May issue of SportRider Magazine by Andrew Trevitt called "Throttle Control". It touches on why rev matching and throttle application are SO important in cornering. Check it out for some Great Tips!:thumbup:

Personally, I use the brakes to slow down not the engine. Do all your braking (and downshifting) while you are still upright on the bike. One you have slowed down enough, make your turn. Then accelerate coming out of the turn. It is easy once you get the hang of it. It just takes practice.

+5....at least I think we're up to 5.

Anyway, the only time I hold the clutch in a turn is when I'm turning into a driveway....or some other place where I do NOT want to be accelerating out of that turn. Things get weird and unstable when that rear wheel is left to coast through a quick turn.

Also, the fact that you have "oh crap, I'm going too fast" moments kinda tells me that you're still looking at the curb or down AT the turn when you begin turning. Forcing yourself to look UP through the turn where you want to go will alleviate that gut wrenching feeling. I used to do the same thing. As CC and everyone one else has already mentioned...just keep practicing, making sure that you're covering all of the basics of a turn that they taught you at the course.

And if downshifting before the turn is causing you a little grief, then downshift earlier, WELL before the turn and even before u start braking (odds are if you downshift early enough, you won't need to do a lot of braking). This way, you can focus entirely on braking before the turn, then on the turn itself. And start off by downshifting one gear at a time as well.

It's all about the baby steps. :D

err rwrong thread