Blipping the throttle - I know, it's been done...

[Thom]

I've been trying this blipping the throttle on the downshift lark to try and make my downshifting smoother.

Previously i wouldnt do this and could unly let the clutch out very slowly so the gears/engine could catch up with one another - kinda like i was slipping the clutch.

Now, having tried blipping the throttle ive noticed it certainly does make the downshifts smooth and sweet, but i only get it right maybe 1 in 10 or even 15 times.

How do you do it?

Currently my 'technique' is:
Roll off throttle, clutch in, 'blip' throttle (Although its more like rev the engine?), clutch out and repeat if neccesary.

Does this sound right?

When you guys say 'blip the throttle' if if coming down from high revs, a small twist of the throttle doesnt seem to be enough and i need to rev the engine more for it to be smoother.

Maybe i should try using my brakes more to help?

Maybe you lot should just teach me how to ride again

Any advise would be great, and if it makes a difference its a xj600s divvy i ride (Of which wont shift up or down without clutch)
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Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)

[warped one]

I always blip it, just give it a little, 'ped flick' then release the clutch, but flick down when the revs hit the peak of your flick.

Does take a while to get used to but I do it now without even thinking.

Cheers

Warped
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amnesia - Never in the history of usernames has one been more accurate. Warped indeed. You sir are a fecking oddball.

[Thom]

this may sound stupid but how soon quickly should i release the clutch?

I mean if i do it slowly surely it defeats the object of blipping and if i do it quickly it would probably still feel jumpy?

Im considering this an 'advanced' technique so that i dont sound such a twat!
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Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)

[warped one]

Well I have to it on my bike because the clutch needs adjusting, and that means taking the basket out to wind a screw.

I do it at varying speeds, if i'm following someone it is just a nice smooth movement. If i'm braking quick hard i'll still do it but throw the clutch out to the end of the bite point and keep doing it right through the gears. then do it in 1st to ease the rear locking up.

Cheers

Warped
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amnesia - Never in the history of usernames has one been more accurate. Warped indeed. You sir are a fecking oddball.

[DEN MONKEY]

for me it's all at the same time.... blip, clutch in, change down and then clutch out.

Kinda hard to know how you do something when you do it all the time.

The timing isn't so much the clutch but when you actually push down to change the gear and blip at the right time.

Just take ya time you will get used to it.

Be prepared to look like a nonce though if you try it in front of a girl and don't quite have the clutch in. Lurching forward like a maniac with eyes wide open like you're about to shit yourself.
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meh

[Hetzer]

[Hetzer]

[Kickstart]

Hi

I am not sure I can say anything useful as I have done it so long that I do not think about it (car or bike). Indeed have to think about not doing it.

However I would just say practice. Point of doing it is to even the engine and road speed up for the new gear so that you can just let go of the clutch.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Welshd1k]

like others have said its just something you do >< dont even think about it
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Current >Cb600fx hornet, ns125rk90 21.7bhp@wheel<
Sold >,zxr400 h2 (33bhp kit) rd350 n1 rd350 lc2<

[KevTM]

Hard to say the process because it all happens very quickly, as if you do everything at the same time.

Just keep practicing and listen to how the engine sounds, you'll find it'll come naturally.

[Hetzer]

How's it hard to say the process? It's not facking rocket-science, is it.

Unless a normal gear-change is "hard to say" too? Think 'normal gear change', then just add 'blipped throttle' into the mix.

a) Roll off throttle.
b) Pull in clutch-lever.
c) Select gear down.
d) Blip throttle (OPTIONAL EXTRA).
e) Let clutch-lever out.

When you let the clutch-lever out you are feeding the rear wheel into the engine.

How fast do you want the engine to be going when you feed the rear wheel into it? If the engine is going too slowly the rear wheel will lock up. If the engine is going too fast the rear wheel will flip the bike. If the engine is going just right the rear wheel will cuddle it.

The gear you're in plays a part too, IF you go down more than one gear but don't slow the bike with the brake too. The rear wheel can't do 100mph if you feed the clutch back into too low a gear, it will lock up the rear wheel. Opposite to that, if you rev the motor too high and feed a slower rear wheel into it the wheel will try to catch up with the motor and flip the bike (or do a nice wheelie if that was your intention, though usually that's achieved without changing down a gear).

If you can't understand the simple mechanical processes at work you're more likely to fack something up. Understand why and how something does the thing it does before trying to make it do it, you'll live longer (or whatever).
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"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[Hetzer]

Audible cues:

If you feed the rear wheel into the engine where the rear wheel is going SLOWER than the engine you will hear the revs fall.

If you feed the rear wheel into the engine where the rear wheel is going faster than the engine you will hear the revs rise.

Ideally you want the rear wheel going a bit faster than the engine, such that you get a nice bit of engine-braking going on. As you feed the clutch in you'll hear the engine revs rise slightly (or a lot, depending on your aggression of the moment, outside the school that needs to be a fair bit) and then fall as the closed throttle/engine slows the rear wheel.

Remember, you are BLIPPING the throttle and then closing it, not blipping it and then holding it open. Holding it open on a down-shift is another thing entirely (wheelying or coming out of a corner with lots of gas and energy for max acceleration).

Once you have become a riding god and all these things come without conscious thought you'll have mastered your bike and all good things will follow. Some bad as well, like going up the front of a truck at 120mph. See 'good cornering' for that one.
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"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[KevTM]

^hard to say as in that you start to do one before you're finished doing the other..

Dunno about you but when I do the whole process is probably under 1 second. I start to roll back on the throttle for the blip at the same time as I start to pull in the clutch. I would say I hit peak 'blip' as I stick it down a gear - one fluid motion, not singular steps - they all sort of mingle in together.

[Smooth]

[Paulington]

Once you get it it does become second nature.

It is just as Hetzer described.. no secret science or anything, just practice.
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"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[s44678]

[The Tot]

You get used to the motion after a while. I find it steadies the bike nicely when setting yourself up for a corner.

My sequence goes like

1) Clutch in
2) Blip
3) Snick it into the next gear down the same time your wrist opens your throttle
4) let the clutch out "progressively" when your wrist is at 80-90% open throttle position

It takes some feeling but after a while, you just get used to doing it. I picked it up when going on a ride out with Swaffs 5 years ago! and noticed how much smoother the XR125 was during braking.

In those 4 steps, the more experienced you get, the more of a blurr those steps become until they end up as one fluid motion. The quicker you blip the throttle ( combined with a larger throttle opening), the quicker you can go down the gearbox without unsettling the rear end. It's good if you want to really attack a favourate corner and be as late as you dare on the brakes.. or can be used in emergency situations, such as a car pulling out 100 yards away when you're going faster than you originally thought

Due to the way i hold the throttle and brakes, i have the front brake engaged with my ring, middle and pinkie and use my palm to blip (index and thumb are gripping the throttle). I've grown used to braking like that and it's very smooth, especially with pillions.
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[yuri2085]

Think of them as eyes.

[Thom]

Yuri, What the fuck!?
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Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)

[Faraz]

[5v3d3b0]

The only reason for doing this that I can see is when you're braking hard?
How do you blip the throttle when you're fingers are grasping the brake lever? Surely it's uncomfortable to say the least...
What's wrong with regular brake plus engine brake? Or when changing down normally just let the clutch out slow.
I'll definitely try it on the zxr when I get it cause the engine braking is pretty brutal compared to the rs 125

[colin1]

I'm with titz on this one. I dont think you need to throttle off. You just clutch in, and match the revs to the engine speed and wheel speed for the gear you are changing to.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Faraz]

Double post.
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'56 Yamaha MT-01
'05 Nissan 350z Roadster GT
3 words dude.. Fvck. Yes.

[Faraz]