Bikers who also drive cars - your help please

[Ragdoll]

After having had a "word of advice" from my OH, I have started questioning the way I ride. I change gear the same I would if I was driving, but he has said that I am not using the gears to their best advantage. I'm asking as I started having problems changing down through the gears as they weren't engaging. He said it's cos the revs aren't high enough, so I've tried revving the whatsits off her and then changing down but it's not helping...any advice? (other than "you're a girly, what do you expect?" )
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1st bike - Honda Rebel; 2nd bike - CBR125; next bike - husband's 'blade hehehehe
Lancashire Bikers Facebook Group

[lumphammer]

Did OH say why you were not using the gears to their best advantage? Would be interested to know as I also tend to use the bike gears as when driving.

[DucatiEVO]

Revs got nothing to do with how the gears work (assuming you're not doing like 500rpm etc), that's why there is a clutch

If you've just started having problems changing down, perhaps there is something else at fault, clutch/chain adjustment etc.

Have someone else ride the bike and see if they enounter the same problem, if not you know it's something your doing (or not) and can then work on that area.


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aKa: Ducky

[yambabe]

I think I know what he's getting at.

In the car, your gear changes are very "definite", clutch down & power off, change, clutch up & power on and down to a certain (very slow creeping) point you pretty much control your speed by your revs.

On the bike, especially at low speeds and when I am changing gear a lot, I tend to control my speed much more by slipping the clutch (keeping it just around the biting point rather than fully open) and keeping the revs constant.
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Ragdoll]

He said it was OK when he was riding it (please bear in mind he can't drive a car so can't compare). He said the only way he could replicate the problem was by being in too high a gear when changing down. The only way I can describe it is like having something stuck under the gearstick that won't allow the gear to click into place when changing down. It only started happening yesterday and I wondered if I was just getting too cocky and my riding had gone crap It's fine changing up the gears
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1st bike - Honda Rebel; 2nd bike - CBR125; next bike - husband's 'blade hehehehe
Lancashire Bikers Facebook Group

[lumphammer]

Sounds like the clutch is either dragging or not disengaging properly. Could do with a check on the adjustment. I would not have thought that your riding could change overnight.

My problem is that I am having trouble getting used to slipping the clutch - something which you don't do on a car (unless you like the smell of burning clutch plate )

[BlackSheep]

Pull the clutch in , blip the throttle then change down.
try that and see what happens.
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GSXR 1100 StreetFighter

[Ragdoll]

Slapped a load of WD40 on it last night (the gear stick) and it seems to have helped

Thanks everyone for your advice!
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1st bike - Honda Rebel; 2nd bike - CBR125; next bike - husband's 'blade hehehehe
Lancashire Bikers Facebook Group

[Trixie]

Check your chain adjustment as well, I've been getting a similar problem when changing down on my bike, and it's cos the chain was a bit loose.

As far as gear changes on a bike vs a car are concerned, the amount of revs you give a bike as opposed to a car will be different, and it's easier to do clutchless upchanges on a bike, but as long as you're smooth and making good progress (and you haven't blown the gearbox up!) then I don't really see a problem!
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Dead nobodies in company cars...

[Ragdoll]

Thanks Trixie. Took her out for a longer run last night rather than just pootling to work and back and she's running just fine now. Don't you just love WD40?
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1st bike - Honda Rebel; 2nd bike - CBR125; next bike - husband's 'blade hehehehe
Lancashire Bikers Facebook Group

[ISLAND GIRL]

Ragdoll, I change gear much the same as I do when driving, just by listening to the sound of the engine and have no problems with it, becuase I am a driver too I soon picked up the gear changing on a bike

[Ragdoll]

[map]

FWIW one of my friends is a (car) driving instructor. She tells her pupils when lifting the clutch do it so it's fully up in a slowish count of 2 (as in 1.....2).

Try this sort of thing on the bike, from fully disengaged (lever in) to fully engaged (lever out) in a count of 2. I've tried it and it does make a difference (less snatchy if that's a word ).

Just my thoughts
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
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[impaler]

[Ragdoll]

we just had this conversation again. He said "Don't listen to it like you would a car" and I told him to shut up, I was doing just fine now!
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1st bike - Honda Rebel; 2nd bike - CBR125; next bike - husband's 'blade hehehehe
Lancashire Bikers Facebook Group

[Barker-CBR 600]

I'm with impaler on this,
Wereas people are changing up in cars at relativly low revs, there isnt much need to do this on a bike.

I would happyily take the CBR up to 10k before shifting up, redline is at 13 so i wasnt ragging it despite the noise. The engines designed to take it and your not getting full potential out of it if your changing up too early.

Different to the way most people drive cars, who change up by 4-5. Same with coming down, you can change down earlier on a bike than you can a car (i.e while your going with a bit more poke). Obviously you dont want to be shifting down enough to lock the wheels or have uncomfy engine braking, but if you 'blip' the throttle then theres nothing wrong with changing down onto high revs.

It sounds like (if its not mechanical, which it could well be) you might be leaving it too long before changing down. Try going for a ride and using engine braking rather than brakes as much as you can, this'll encourage you to change down earlier as you'll do so when you need to shed a bit of speed, brakes just encourage you to let the revs drop too low.
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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[Ragdoll]

Yeah, you're right. I've been riding that way since I posted and can definitely feel a difference. Thanks
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1st bike - Honda Rebel; 2nd bike - CBR125; next bike - husband's 'blade hehehehe
Lancashire Bikers Facebook Group

[lumphammer]

[yambabe]

Just to throw a cat amongst the pigeons:

My bike hasn't got a rev counter so I always change up/down by engine sound. Isn't that better once you're used to your own bike?
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[mchaggis]

[Barker-CBR 600]

I rode a cruiser without a taco as well. And of course cant do anything except ride by your ears (and maybe on a cruiser the vibrations! lol)

Still i imagine i wasnt revving it high as i really should have been, but if it aint broke dont fix it.


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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[Annabella]

When you're changing down, the aim is to match your revs in the current gear to what they will be when you hit the next one.

So pull the clutch in, blip the throttle to match the revs you will want next, then change gear.

Rather than the car way where you lift your foot off the throttle completely before you change down.
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