500 Twins - Engine braking.

[TheShaggyDA]

As I don't want to hijack the CB500 thread, I'll post the question seperately

Since I've not ridden a 500 twin (apart from a quick go on a GS500 about 12 years ago, and I wasn't paying much attention) I was wondering on how they feel from an engine braking point of view, as in how does it compare to, say, a 500 single and a 600 inline 4? I'm guessing it'll be somewhere between the two, but am interested in hearing of people's experience.
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Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[tony532]

from my experience of riding a gs500e if you turn the throttle slightly the bike jumps into life.. not to be confused with torque

as soon as you let off the throttle the bike tries to stop dead.

i.e it stops and starts with a jolt.

nothing like the engine braking of an inline four.



just my experience of course and each to their own but i would not like to ride one ever again

[instigator]

Rode an er5 for 8 months, now on a 600 hornet (stop gap bike)

Er5's engine braking is stronger, and you will notice it. Will slow you down quicker and for in town riding, it's better like that. However, for quicker riding, inline 4 is much smoother and not as sudden, like a light bulb.

Still...I'd take a twin parallel over a inline 4 for a commuter.

[iCraig]

Having owned 500's from 2001 till just this year having swapped to an Inline4, I can say the engine braking on the 500cc twins is alot more apparent.

I could slow down quite quickly on a 500, just by shutting the throttle and going down the gearbox, though on an inline 4 its less noticable and I seem to be using the brakes alot more than I am used to.

That said an inline 4 has more torque, and a smoother powerband than the said 500's.

[JonB]

One thing I don't like and it is a slight thread hijack is if you go up to high revs in first and just let off the throttle, I nearly get chucked forward all the time. It's great, also like the sound it makes.
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[JonB]

It started and then it made me smile as I thought about it some more. Progressive emotional typing, you may experience it someday.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[fuzz]

[Keen]

[cunni]

CB500 has dam good engine braking, oes quite compare to a 1000 v-twin, but dam good either way.

If you are hrd on the brakes on the CB and then go down a few gears and dump the clutch lever, you will go sideways with the rear wheel, but it soon slots in again. It's quite fun, Kyonari style!

The take up on the throttle is a bit sudden, as is the introduction of engine braking when the throttle is closed, but it's soon got used to. You can ride the clutch to cut this down or progressively close the throttle to control it. As said in another reply above, you can use engine braking to slow down without touching the brakes in alot of situations. I was using the engine to slow from 120mph to around 90mph when first trying to negotiate gerrards on the cb5 and managing to do it inside 75 yards or so.

They are really simple bikes to ride and quite fun at times.

All in all, I find engine braking to be one of the best things with riding/racing. The more the better. Thus why my road bikes are always big 1000cc V-Twins!
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