Newbie needs advice on downshifting

[Kitri]

Hi Everyone,
I'm an newbie rider with a 2007 Ninja. I've taken an MSF course & I've been riding for about 3 - 4 weeks now. I feel pretty comfortable shifting gears as I accelerate, but I'm having trouble downshifting. I can do it, but the bike lurches a bit, and I'd like to make the transition smoother. When I downshift I usually roll of throttle, brake, then downshift, then release clutch (think I'm releasing slowly, but maybe not slowly enough), then a little throttle, but still get the lurch. I would like to downshift as I approach a light, stop sign, and slowing for a corner from 4th speed up.

I've read about blipping, but I'd rather not do that if I don't have to. Being middle aged, my mind-hand coordination aren't that great, plus, in my MSF class, the instructor was all over me about not completely covering the front brake when I was braking (hard to do when you blip).

So what I'm looking for is some advice about downshifting, when & how.. I know it will require practice, but would like a little advice from you all

Thank you - thank you for considering my newbie question!!!

Kitri

PS - I probably should've posted to riding skills forum, sorry about that - next time I will

[CThunder-blue]

Hi Jane and welcome to the forums!

The lurch is from not having your RPM's match your speed during the downshift, aka rev matching. If you want to completely eliminate the lurch, blip the throttle just like you've read about. You want to apply throttle before letting go of the clutch. When you blip, you can release the clutch a bit faster. You can keep on the throttle a bit as you release the clutch as well. It will take practice and learning what RPM's you need to be at for whatever gear you want to be in. It's the same principle when/ if you drive a stick shift car.

There's really nothing wrong with covering your front brake as you learn low speed maneuvers, but I wouldn't do it while on the highway. You'll eventually be comfortable w/o covering it at all. It's not mandatory to always cover your brakes. I never do it unless I'm in traffic at low speeds.

[Cali619]

if you dont want to blip just wait till your rpms get down to around 4-5k then shift down, that should be low enough to not disrupt the bike.

[coondog]

that lurch you speak of comes with all ninjettes due to lack of forks compressing as much as on many other rides. many people upgrade but i sort of follow tri down to 45 or so and then ryams advice takes over. I blip down through 4th or 3rd gear, then downshift and brake til stop or turn. I never even thought i blipped until there was a long discussion about how to use it riding. things become second nature eventually. took me like a year to where i would counter-steer by rote instead of always having to be aware of it and even practice. you seem patient, that's what you need and checking out your tach and speedo when going through the process, they can then guide you as to when to shift and blip or shift and brake. Peace out fellow old dude.

[rockNroll]

Without seeing your shifting, it sounds to me that you're letting the clutch lever out too quickly after letting the rpm's drop. Try releasing it slower and smoother

[blink]

Originally Posted by Kitri

Hi Everyone,
I'm an newbie rider with a 2007 Ninja. I've taken an MSF course & I've been riding for about 3 - 4 weeks now. I feel pretty comfortable shifting gears as I accelerate, but I'm having trouble downshifting. I can do it, but the bike lurches a bit, and I'd like to make the transition smoother. When I downshift I usually roll of throttle, brake, then downshift, then release clutch (think I'm releasing slowly, but maybe not slowly enough), then a little throttle, but still get the lurch. I would like to downshift as I approach a light, stop sign, and slowing for a corner from 4th speed up.

I've read about blipping, but I'd rather not do that if I don't have to. Being middle aged, my mind-hand coordination aren't that great, plus, in my MSF class, the instructor was all over me about not completely covering the front brake when I was braking (hard to do when you blip).

So what I'm looking for is some advice about downshifting, when & how.. I know it will require practice, but would like a little advice from you all

Thank you - thank you for considering my newbie question!!!

Kitri

PS - I probably should've posted to riding skills forum, sorry about that - next time I will

You can release the clutch quickly, you can just tap it in as fast as possible, just while your releaseing give the throttle a slight twist.

[JeffM]

During the downshift are you pulling the clutch lever in all the way. If so, you are letting the rpm's drop to low and the back wheel then cannot spin up fast enough and will shudder. As a suggestion, only pull the clutch lever in just enough to get into the friction zone. I leave two fingers on the bar as a "clutch lever stop" and only pull it in all the way at a stop.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[Kitri]

Yep, I do pull it all the way in. Can I downshift in the friction zone?

[gfloyd2002]

Yes, you should be able to downshift without having the clutch lever pulled all the way in. Like Jeff, I only pull in part way for most shifts, reserving full pull for stops. You may need to adjust your clutch cable so it is tighter, and to allow a smaller pull to change gears more smoothly. Here is one of kkims excellent DIYs on Clutch cable lube and adjustment that shows the factor spec 2-3mm gap with photos (you can skip the lube part and just turn the little knob you'll see - very easy to do - until you are down to 2mm.)

I suspect this issue is really just one of practice though. If you pull the lever in less, shift quickly, and get back into the throttle more quickly (all which will happen with practice), there will be less lurching. To put it another way, don't be afraid as you let out the clutch, and give it some beans! More gas will speed the engine up to catch up with the tranny and you'll not lurch.

[LazinCajun]

Another thing: the MSF preaches using a 4 finger braking technique, and never covering the brakes whenever you're not actively using them.

I use 2 fingers on the brake lever, and leave my ring finger and pinky on the throttle. It makes blipping a lot easier for sure Also, I cover the brake lever when approaching potentially dangerous situtaions, like intersections etc. etc. I think the main reason they don't want you to cover the brake is to avoid peole braking during turns and accidentally dragging on the brakes. This reduces reaction time in case a hairy situation crops up. If you do this though, you should practice quick stops with 2 fingers obviously

[Alex]

/moved to riding skills forum

[Havok]

as a new rider you need to try and do as little as possible to get the results you want. practice blipping and it will soon become second nature, i do it often but if done wrong (too much throttle) it can send you forward so please practice this in a parking lot first then work it into your skills.

Most of the time if i am slowing i just feather the clutch. Problem is as jeffm said if you pull the clutch all the way then let it out slow your rpms will be so low it will have a bad time. Its a matter of timing and practice. Modern clutches and 6 speed gear boxes make this method a usable and viable one, Blipping is old school as the gears use to be so far apart it was all most mandatory, It is also a very useful skill for advanced riding and for racing but for me on the streets and as a new rider it might be asking a bit much till riding becomes more second nature.

[Kitri]

Hi Everyone,
Took the bike out this evening and practiced some of the techniques you suggested & low & behold, things were smoother!! Many thanks for all of your suggestions. I've been spending more time in parking lots, just seeing what the bike does and then taking what I've done out on the road, and my downshifting was much smoother. You guys are super & I appreciate your advice.

Practice, practice, practice.

Jane