WHEN to change gears on a motorcycle | How I do it as an instructor of 40 years. (Timestamped)

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

So, be honest... Do you already do this form of changing? If not, how do you do it?

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks. Feel free to spread the word by sharing. ☺

[@DevinJuularValentine]

I definitely do a lot of rev matching. I think I'm on the right track, it's all very second nature by this point so I need to think it through next time I ride. Mine is a Vulcan S 650, parallel twin, other owners report / complain of the twitchy throttle, it's definitely got buckets of engine braking that you can't really avoid (although many owners get doodads to tame the throttle or remap it) The throttle is off or on, and mine has disabled subthrottle assembly flaps because of . Cough. User error. Works fine just makes it even more sensitive on the throttle. I am used to it but it is a very different experience to when I did my test on an inline 4, very smooth, much less engine braking. My testament is that my ride is smooth, regardless, and I have had many first time passengers say it was fun and less scary than they imagined it would be. Relaxing even, which is what I want. Thrilling is for alone time. For me, I'm planning ahead so I do not have to brake much, slowing down well in advance of a full stop, the goal being to put my feet down as little as possible (arriving at lights as they turn green, looking ahead at roundabouts, junctions, etc). Using little mix of brakes to smooth it out if necessary. Because of the strong engine braking (it feels like slamming on the front brake if you come off the throttle too fast, in any gear but 6th) I think I've developed the habit of using gears before brakes. I have a long ride tomorrow and will experiment with a different order of operations. After reading other comments I see what you are saying. The bad form would be shifting down into a speed unsuitable for the gear, and the engine roaring in protest. Yea this may slow you down, but it will be harsh and sound bad and feel bad for everyone involved! Plus, you could hardly accelerate from that state, therefore have lost control of one direction of movement for the bike. I think I understand the difference. I had this when first learning to rev match on my big bike when changing up from my 125.

[@wobblysauce]

Depends on the time of day, if in a rush or cruising, if I need to save fuel or for something to do. Nothing wrong with changing gears before you stop, just like changing gears when you are stopped but one might require some more clutch work to get off the line.

[@judgedredd49]

@@Anton_G_604 Braking, slowing and then block changing is how the UK police advise one to do in Roadcraft and therefore as an advanced rider. If one looks in the bikes manual about changing gears downwards and at what speeds to do it at it will surprise you that it's all one speed,generally about and no more than 18 mph so they also recommend the use of brakes, not engines revs and then to block change down as well.

[@judgedredd49]

@@DevinJuularValentine There is obviously a big big difference in chopping down gears on a twin compared with the same on a bike with 4 cylinders. The twin will shut off and slow like heavy braking and that's not being kind to the engine. The 4 cylinder will be more subtle and less sensitive and there will be far less resistance to the slowing effect with it. One rides the bikes accordingly as to whatever suites your style of riding and that of the machine but not only that but also for the safest ride for you and your passenger.

[@freebird2415]

This is what i’ve been looking for all over youtube. No1 even comes close to explaining shifting down gears as you have. Thank you!!

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thankyou and you're welcome. ☺

[@TheRoadWarrior96]

A good tip my instructor gave me r.e. engine braking was to gently use the brake lever to activate the brake lights, just to let others around know if I happen to be shedding significant amounts of speed using the engine. The CB500's we were using could easily go from 70 to 40 on engine braking alone when entering a town etc, no need for brakes.

[@kenwittlief255]

the great thing about motorcycles is the high HP to weight ratio. it lets you accerate quickly, and it lets you slow down under throttle control WITHOUT touching the brakes most of the time. Leaving the bike in 5th gear while you brake to a stop is stupid. if you need to speed up you lug the engine. you can idle down to 40 in 5th gear kick twice to 3rd blip the throttle to rev match and then engine brake down to 20, apply F&R brakes to stop while you kick it into 1st MOST OF THE TIME. your brakes will last 4 times as long, all the energy is from 70 down to 25, blow it out the tailpipe, not into your rotors

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Where does it mention to be leaving in 5th when you stop? Time code please. The gears are changed down latterly to match speed.

[@kenwittlief255]

@@RoadcraftNottingham It hard to see what you are actually doing in this video, we cant see the clutch lever or the throttle in the video. You are riding in 4th gear, coming up to a turn, throttling off and apparently leaving the clutch engaged all the way down to about 20mph while you also apply the brakes. If you are leaving it in 4th and pulling the clutch in and coasting, free-wheeling a motor vehicle isnt just dangerous, its illegal! you clutch in and kick down to 2nd gear somewhere in the turn or just before. What does your tach read when you have slowed down to 20mph while you are still in 4th gear? If you had to bail on the turn at 20mph in 4th the bike would lug if you tried to speed up. and WHAT is going on with the audio when you "show what its like" to down shift and then engine brake?! it sounds like you pushed the starter button at 40 mph. Does you bike really make that loud of a sound or are you screwing with the volume in video?! It sounds like you hit 1st gear at 40mph. You dont seem to understand the HP curve of the engine, or the speed range in each gear. People use to think something like 1st gear 0 to 10 mph, 2nd 10 to 20, 3rd gear 20 to 30..... so if you are going 30mph you should be in 3rd gear, and keep the engine around 2,000 RPM when riding at a steady speed. Thats not how it works, not at all. MOST bikes will putter along just fine at 30mph in their highest gear (5th or 6th) if you are on a level road, not in a curve, and holding a steady speed. As long as you are keeping the engine above its idle speed (1200 RPM for my Vstar 650) the oil pump will do its job, the bearings wont be oil starved, and you can putter along, getting excellent fuel mileage by the way. If you want to speed up from 30 to 80 gradually and smoothly, you can just crack the throttle and the bike will speed up nicely in 5th all the way, again as long as you are not climbing a hill. If you want to speed up quickly you need to kick the transmission down where its closer to its peak HP RPM. An easy way to do this, esp if you dont have tach on your bike, is google the rev limiter speeds for your bike in each gear, make a little label and put it on your handlebar, with the max speed in each gear just below the rev limiter speed. Then when you really NEED to get out of someone way, you can accelerate as fast as the bike is capable of, without hitting the rev limiter. Some bikes will putter along in top gear around 1200 rpm better than others. I think it is partially do to the compression ratio of the engine, maybe the number of cylinders. My Royal Star 1300 V4 has a 25% overdrive in 5th gear (the bike is designed for touring), and 10:1 compression, and it balks if you give it too much throttle at lower RPMs, but the 650 with a 8:1 compression ratio and 2 cylinders handles it just fine. But back to compression braking. The most annoying thing about driving a car with an automatic transmission is you take your foot off the gas pedal, and the car just COASTS - it hardly slows down at all. A manual transmission in a car lets you compression brake to some extent, and with a motorcycle you can ride MOST of the the time slowing down just by closing the throttle, kicking it down to 3rd and... well slowing to a stop if you have to by hitting the kill switch in an emergency. If your bike does not engine brake very well, its possible you have the idle speed adjustment set too high, holding the throttle open too much. Check it when the engine is hot with a tach. If your bike makes wild noises when you compression brake take it to the shop and find out whats wrong with it.

[@chrisjames9688]

Yeah depends on circumstances. I find changing down/engine braking best when on small lanes with reduced grip/mud.

[@SongJLikes]

I like to use my rear brake to activate the brake lights while I’m engine braking/rev matching

[@FREE_PUREBLOOD333]

I change gear when I get up in the morning and then again when I get home..😁.. I thannnkyou... we're here all week.😁👍

[@davejohnson1965]

I really enjoy how relaxed your rides are. No rushing, filter when you need to, everything done in advance, it's how bikes should be ridden and I'm still on my way to improving but I take a lot from your videos, thank you

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

You're welcome and thanks for the feedback. ☺

[@matthewkirkland2504]

I did this from of changing gear when I first started riding and passed my test. I then got told by someone not to use my brakes as much and to use the engine. Rev matching to slow down. Ill go back to the way I used to do it, which is the way in the video. Love your videos, taught me a lot. Stay safe and ride safe

[@roycecoolidge9796]

Another high quality upload, thank you. I do have a bad habit of relying on engine braking on my honda msx (as well as brakes) because the engine is a single engine braking is significant. However after watching this I'll change my habits to at least prepare me for potentially upgrading to a bike with more cylinders in the future. I'll come and see you at beechdale motorcycles when I do.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Yes, there's a difference between engine braking and replacing the brakes by changing down gears instead.

[@Theskullcollector1]

Nice to see you out on the pan again, can’t wait to get mine out again.

[@NoDissasemble]

Really helpful video thank you. I did the RoADAR training for car a while back and the first thing I got corrected was "brakes for slowing, gears for going" mantra. Took me the greatest time to stop shifting up too high too soon and being slave to the gear change indicator. My driving is so much smoother on country roads becoming comfortable keeping a lower gear for control where needed. Hopefully will be able to do the bike training when it restarts.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

It's all about forward planning, makes the riding so much smoother. "preact, don't react". ☺

[@kaiserswaghelmii9361]

OHHHHH he's got the big gurl out! There she is. I was wondering when we where going to see your STeed again :D 00:43.... Love that horn use. Very good idea. Especially on a red bike. Behind those dark orange barriers I mean. 15:10 I really like that. I come here specifically to be told off! I have a confession... I use my gears to slow down all the time on my STeed. Now I am going to go out and break the habit.

[@midlandbiker5852]

The Ghurka kitchen! The first place I swung a leg over a 'big bike' thanks to Roadcraft. Great video, as always.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks for sticking with us.

[@itpugil]

I've been scouring youtube learning about what each gear is for since I could not find one or maybe I need to type the right kind of keywords. Like for example, when to use 1st, 2nd, etc gears. What gear is best for downhill, or uphill, or on bumpy roads. This video, although it didn't answer all the questions I had in mind, answered most of it and gave me a better understanding. Like using the brakes first before the clutch, using lower gears when going downhill, what to do on curves, engine braking and rev matching. Thank you. I've been using my younger brother's scooter since august last year, and planning to learn how to use a manual motorcycle because I'm getting one soon. Riding is so much fun and have unlocked multiple experiences for me.

[@Grahamvfr]

was once asked by a young lad, about my thought on best time to change from 1st to 2nd on my old 2004 zx10r.. Tricky as the answer could have been anywhere between 2mph and 103mph.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

😂 Yes. My answer is it depends on how much fun you're having.

[@xMisterDane]

I'm here 2 years later2, but I'm actually impressed at how simple changing gears are, as I've only got an automatic 49cc ET2 Piaggio 2004. You've got me that little bit more confident when it's time to trade it in to upgrade to a manual. Thanks, mate! (I promise I won't change gear to slow down)

[@mackgarrison5107]

bro engine braking is useful, he didnt say not to use it

[@bigcreator]

Moving off in 2nd gear is another interesting technique not covered here but it works on larger bikes when facing a decline really well.

[@frankolwenda5128]

Awesome. Similarly, my instructor taught me. Speed up gear up Slow down gear down

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Gears to go, brakes to slow. ☺

[@bib668]

Marvelous

[@TotalNonstopNiko17]

Going back to road riding after a few years doing solely track days. Finding your tips very informative 👍

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks for the feedback. ☺

[@rumblin_cynth_rampo374]

Excellent "appropriate use of the horn" moment with the red SUV on the left. As a rider of older Guzzis a blip of the throttle definitely required on downshifts just to get that massive flywheel up to the right revs. And it makes a lovely sound :). Im never to happy about block shifting, just doesnt seem natural. Excellent vid

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Any V engine has a place in my heart. ☺

[@motosito4675]

This vdeo is such a gem! Thank you so much! Ride safe brother!

[@novaria]

the block upshifting is real nice!

[@sashaw8236]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Super useful! Thank you for posting

[@BikeandBreakfast]

I love this video. Loads of useful information/instructions but at the same time letting me enjoy the ride with you. My biggest take away is at [Min 11:17] - "Going downhill, the weight is more in your front wheel and early downshifting risks locking your rear wheel up." Though I don't do it often (we lived on a hill 😅) , but sometimes I do and now I know it can be dangerous! Other than that, I've another "bad habit", I tend to coast by pulling the clutch in, then feather it out again, on speed bumps, slowing down or sometimes even in corners... Seeing how you shift, I think my problem is I don't trust my bike enough... I'll keep these in mind from now on. Thanks Russ.

[@zaviahenry3415]

Thanks to your class I’m still riding russ , keep up the good work guys ❤

[@andyhuddlestone9907]

Really enjoy all of your instructional videos and putting the techniques into practice. Thank you.

[@lordfordification]

Thank you. I'm in Florida, great information i will use and come back to.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks. I often tell people to keep revisiting my uploads, they'll see different things as their experience increases.

[@JeppeAchtonNielsen]

I drive a small honda cbr 250r. I only do sequential gear changes using clutchless shifting and rev matching like 90% of the time for both up and down shifting. Essentially 6th gear is pure overdrive and 1st gear is usually reserved for standing starts and slow maneuvering.

[@megamanx2sonic]

Thank you very much for the lesson. About to do my Ls driving test and was unshore about gear changing.

[@RogersPorterie]

This was a good video to learn shifting and braking.

[@tHaH4x0r]

Engine braking performance really depends on the engine. Some engines even have slipper clutches installed, as they have such massive amounts of engine braking in high RPM that otherwise the rear wheel would lock up. Another thing about engine braking, is that you conserve your brake pads. At the same time, it puts no additional wear on the gearbox because you are engaging the opposite side of the teeth as when you do with acceleration, and that side usually wears out the first anyways. The headbutting can be negated with proper down shift technique (throttle blipping/rev matching).

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Slipper clutches are really designed for more extreme riding/track work and aren't needed on road going bikes if you're riding the bike correctly as per my demo. Also, engine braking as I explained in my demo should not replace the brakes, again if being done correctly. Brakes are much more effective and cheaper for anything other than minor speed changes. Try just using your gears on an emergency stop for example, granted it's an extreme example but perfectly demonstrates their real effectiveness.

[@tHaH4x0r]

@@RoadcraftNottingham I 100% agree with you that engine braking can never replace regular braking, especially not in an emergency. But not just in extreme examples as you mentioned. Because engine braking is highly dependent on engine RPM, you cannot depend on it slowing you down in low RPMs. Still, at least for my bike, around town riding engine braking is more than sufficient for 90% of the braking I do, and only when almost coming to a stop I need to add some front brake to come to a halt. I have found my engine braking to give about the same 'braking performance' as most cars do on the road slowing down for roundabouts and other 'obstacles'. I dont remember if you mentioned it in your video, but one 'dangerous' thing about engine braking is that people behind you might not realize that you are slowing down, hence I always have my foot on the rear brake to light the tail light.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

@@tHaH4x0r yes, the brake light is important. The engine braking I'm referring to is also called "acceleration sense" and is usually done in the gear you're already in and if brakes aren't needed then select another gear, that's acceptable but lots of people change down for the purpose of braking, to replace the brakes and that's wrong.

[@bib668]

Masterclass! Whilst out today, I was just thinking about sending a message to request exactly this shifting procedure.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Great minds!... 😉

[@barryconway]

Tons of info there, and plenty of different scenarios. Thanks! Lots to take away, but the first thing I'll be doing is trying to work out what I'm doing now - and then work out if there's something I should be doing differently. THat can be a challenge when it has "all become automatic" - I guess it's fair to say bad habits can be automatic, too!

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Yes, it's worth seeing what you do with what I said in mind then go from there. Good luck.

[@AndeepAcharya]

Hi mate, it’s my pleasure.

[@MachoMadness69420]

I have to admit that I use engine braking and downshifting quite a bit for slowing down. Mostly for a red light or when I enter a zone with a lower speed limit. I just like the sound from my Micron can 😬

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

😂 I gotta let you off if you have microns!

[@agathor86]

This video was way more useful than I expected. I am going to have to use these tips from now on! I noticed something I do when slowing down. If I have an age to slow down, throttle off, barely any braking, then I let the clutch out slowly to get engine braking as I slowly add more brakes in. I am going to stop this habit now. I do it way too often, and I swear my clutch will die sooner or later.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thankyou. Yes, all those resistant reintroductions of the clutch will also put premature wear on the parts. Have fun practising. Pleased this turned out better than you expected.

[@Glasshousebc]

Clear and concise as always Russ... although listening with headphones, there were a couple of instances that led to me involuntarily leaving my seating position... when you switched the sound over to hear the engine... feck me I jumped that first time 😆😆 Cheers again, matey... still winter season over here in BC... but appreciate you keeping my stoke high for the coming season Stay safe, stay sane Steve Mac.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

😂 😂 😂 Sorry, the thought did cross my mind to warn people but.... Well, you know the rest 😂. Thanks for staying with me and not suing for hearing damage. ☺

[@terryblack2219]

Thank you once again .. Really informative and professional like always.. I do slip back occasionally using gears to slow down...it’s the way I was taught on old bikes with all round drums... but you’re quite correct and it’s an helpful reminder to myself. So thank you

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment.

[@pawelbroniewski7100]

I have to admit that your videos are top level in any subject. Keep it up and stay safe👌👌👌

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks

[@Grahamvfr]

All good stuff there, particularly brakes for slow gears for go etc. Could I just say, it's useful pupils know why we have a gearbox (some fall asleep some get it) in that it's sole purpose is just to keep the engine in an efficient zone hence no gearbox needed on electric motors due to constant torque. Apologies if you covered that on your zero vids .oh that engine noise made he jump with headphones on lol

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

😂 😂 😂 Sorry. Good point on the gears. Thanks... And sorry again.... WAKE UP 😂

[@TheOmniscientAtheist]

Just bought a Honda Varadero XL125 (after riding scooters for a few years) and I love changing down gears one at a time, in conjunction with the brakes - completely different from my Speedfight2 2stroke that had no engine braking at all and brakes made out of chewing gum - it smelled good though.

[@TheTypeRTheory]

I think a video on parking/stopping on a hill, stopping on steep junctions, poor cambers, things like that could be useful. It was something I found missing during my training, it was skimmed over and I struggled with it for a while after passing my test. That could just be me though! Thanks for the vids.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Good call. I'll see what I can do.

[@Christian-ve1wi]

Nice one Russ something for me to practice when I go out next. Also interesting reading the comments I ride a 650 single and found I got into the habit of uses gears and engine breaking to slow my bike down, I think I understand why now. But to make my riding smoother I feel more use of my brakes would benefit me..Naughty little habitses sneaky blighters they are..🤣 I really enjoyed the format of the video and the presentation was great, perfect camera setup and audio spot on.. Thanks for the upload hope you have time to do more and best of luck with your business mate.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Yes, people with large capacity singles/twins do have more engine braking and that can be used to their advantage. My main point was to dissuade people from replacing their brakes by changing down gears for the purpose of braking instead but I think some people may skip watch it, missing some important phrases. Thanks for the kind words and feedback. Much appreciated.

[@Christian-ve1wi]

@@RoadcraftNottingham yeah that is a habit I got into, dump a gear and slow down with engine. Slap on my wrist and brake brake brake so I'm glad I watched your video.. Shhh but don't tell anyone I told you my bad habits I'm a good boy really 🤣

[@gregoriousgilbert519]

thanks for the tutorial very informative, and for the word "twichy" that my bike is very twichy... Practice every time on the road.. cheers

[@Ashrune]

I’m a learner and this video helped me a lot

[@johnhowells-vaughan5519]

Hi Russel. Just watched this video again after some time because I wanted a bit of a refresher. Still found useful tips and why we do certain things at certain times. Most excellent video - just wanted you to know that. :-)

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks. ☺

[@simonjones1108]

Hello i love the videos makes me a better rider i live in Sweden and here they teach us to use higher gears when we can lower rpm good for the environment.

[@SR1Records]

Love that horn use at 0:43 . I think I would have double beeped though, maybe even 3 short beeps. I'm a big fan of 2 quick beeps, a very short delay, and then a 3rd beep (Just to be clear, all 3 beeps happen within a second). I've just found that using multiple beeps gets the attention easier and allows the other road user to zone in on where I am a lot better than a single beep. For a single beep, the other road user could be thinking who beeped then, and why? 2 or 3 quick beeps makes it obvious that it was me beebing, just letting you know that I'm there. P.S. This only applies when I'm on a bike. If i'm driving then i very, very rarely beep to let people know that I'm there because they probably saw me because car drivers are looking for other cars. But on a bike it's a life saver because car driver's aren't looking for bikes!

[@carsyoungtimerfreak1149]

Nice video. I'm from The Netherlands and I have watched a whole bunch of IAM Roadsmart videos. Very useful, I have certainly learned a lot. Yet I have also found out that some of the correct ways do not suit me. I like to do engine breaking, both on 2 wheels and inside 4 wheels. It is not so effective on a bike, with the exception of a BMW R1100RS I used to have. But then that powerplant is constructed as a car engine. I also tend to approach a red traffic light in neutral, I call it the lazy way. That suits me, I'm a lazy and extremely relaxed (some people call it slow 🙂) rider/driver. I do get very good MPG numbers... Not unimportant today.

[@SolanoBouvie]

Hi, I'm in Brazil watching your videos! Very nice videos. Congrats! I ride a Honda CBR 600 F..

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks. Lovely bike.

[@MrMannakin]

Changing down on a big v-twin makes significant change to your speed, so it depends on your engine type/size the technique you can use.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Maybe I should have mentioned the difference in normal engine braking on big singles and twins.. There's always something! 😂 *But* my point is to not change down *in order* to slow, ie, replacing the brakes with the gears. use the brakes if needed

[@alst4817]

@@RoadcraftNottingham I know that this topic has been done to death - in cars as well as bikes - but it seems to me that the reasons for not using the gears to slow down are very flimsy indeed. Firstly you claimed that gears don't make a 'massive difference' to braking- this is highly debatable, as noted by Edward above. Secondly, you said an advanced instructor would call it 'unprofessional, and doesn't sound right'...this is just circular reasoning, as I'm sure you would admit. Thirdly, the gearbox issue (which you admitted yourself was bogus). Fourthly, you said 'if you have a passenger, you will get headbutted', meaning that the bike will become so unstable, that it will produce fork dive - obviously this is only true if you bugger up your downshift. Now, you can argue that it is a lot easier to mess up a downshift than it is to mess up braking with front brakes...again, that is highly debatable. Lastly, you flashed up onscreen text saying that downshifting may cause you to 'lock up the rear wheel', which is certainly true, but again similar to your point about making the bike unstable - this would only happen if your downshift raised the revs so high that the rear lost grip when you released the clutch. This is very possible on a racetrack ('backing it in'), but requires much higher speeds and block shifting a few gears (you will know of course that racers do use downshifting to wick off speed, so it is useful, but only produces a small part of the braking force compared to front brakes). So, I'm agreeing with you on points 4 and 5 above (with caveats!). The problem I have is that the above points (I hope are not too controversial!) doesn't get you to 'you shouldn't use gear shifts to reduce speed', its more like 'braking on a bike is hard! downshifting and front braking (and rear braking!) should be used at the correct time and place, with a good understanding of the dynamics of your own bike and the road conditions'. Am I wrong?

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

@@alst4817 Great comment, thanks... The easiest way to put this across is don't bother *replacing* the brakes by changing down gears *in order* to lose more than minor speed. It's much easier, more effective and sounds better to brake correctly *then* choose appropriate gear for the speed achieved. Of course, if you want to make your bike sound like mine when I twice demonstrated the downshift by gears alone, it's your bike. ☺

[@kenwittlief255]

@@alst4817 good post, I was going to reply something similar but didnt want to type it all out. I have 2 cruiser bikes: Vstar 650 and Royal Star 1300 (V4). I commute on the 650 when its not snowing or raining, ride on secondary roads, and I blip the throttle and jump from 5th to 3rd at about 40mph when slowing down for a corner or stop, and then kick it down to 1st as I brake to a stop. So Im only blipping the throttle to rev match once, and burning off most of the kinetic energy, from 50 down to about 25mph, before Im on the brakes to stop. This is reducing my brake wear by a factor of FOUR at least. My 650 has 54k miles on it, still has the original pads and rotors, and they are no where near needing to be replaced. Im not racing, Im not riding fast and hard - Im commuting to save miles and fuel on my car, and to enjoy the ride twice a day. There is nothing wrong with engine braking. BTW, when you are slowing down, engine braking or not, you are SUPPOSE TO be down shifting AS you slow down, so you are always in the correct gear for your speed if you suddenly need to speed up again.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

You're missing the point. Using the gear you're *already* in to slow, then selecting the new gear if you reach the speed you want without braking is fine. Changing down gears *for the sole purpose of braking, instead of using your brakes* is wrong, whatever configuration of bike you're riding. Saving a few £ on brake pads will offset the increased rear tyre wear and risks skids for the less experienced riders who change down too early. This isn't the way us qualified instructors/police riders teach it. But of course it's your bike, you do what you want with it. 😉

[@Biggerbadwolf]

My gear shifting technique differs from most people, after throttle closed, clutch in I shift the gear, but maintain the pressure on the shifter until I have fed out the clutch and got power on. My way of avoiding a missed shift. Down shifts the same, accompanied by the instinctive and measured blip of throttle, you get to know exactly how much to match the next gear by experience. Properly done there is no lurching or loss of rear end traction. Getting donked by your pillion is a reminder you got it wrong!! Pillion should be stirred by motorcycling, not shaken. If I see a problem developing anywhere around me (360 deg awareness, at all times, guys!) I will drop a gear or two. This has the advantage of a bit of engine braking (on a 4 stroke, the only engine braking you might get from a 2 stroke would be from the friction in the rev counter drive cable!) with the throttle closed and if you need to power yourself out of trouble, you are already in the juicy part of the power band. The clutch should only be in when stationary and in gear, or changing gears, avoid the habit of coasting with the clutch in. Just keep it smooth. Use of engine braking along with planning your stop to be a smooth gradual action will go a long way for the brake pads. Check your brake light comes on before the brakes start to take. At 10:01, the pedestrian is aware of you but generally I try go a bit wide where possible, they are almost as unpredictable as children, dogs, cats and squirrels!! I enjoyed just relaxing and watching your ride, Thanks for that.

[@seton3342]

Really enjoying the videos. I’ve just got back into riding after a 12 year break and these are really helping 😊

[@razu1976]

Good riders have all the time in the world. Aspirational stuff 👍

[@BikingAdventuresandRoutesNI]

Perfect video for training

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks 👍

[@matthewtranter3525]

Really needed this thank you!

[@PadHicks]

This is a brilliant video! Thank you so much

[@najaziz08]

Thank you Russ. Learnt a lot as always.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks Naj. Let me know when you're ready for that polish up.

[@Lyrix559]

Thank you so much for explaining.

[@mistonhillsnepal7996]

Top quality stuff from you as always....

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thank you.

[@nsbutler1]

That was very helpful, thank you!

[@judgedredd49]

Great video, executed and explained very well. Good ride as well. Some would argue that at times when you didn't change up that you would be using too much fuel in a lower gear but at higher revs as opposed to moving into a higher gear with lower revs and using less fuel use but you explained it well and its all to do with forward vision, forward planning ,greater safety and smoothness in mind and that the engine is always at it's most responsive to the throttle and road speed required. Nice one..

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks. Funny you should mention it but on my first upload attempt I mentioned "eco riding" but the revs on the pan weren't that high to mention it really. I'm not sure if you're using any more fuel by going up in one movement like that or doing open, close, change, open, close, change again. Thanks for the compliments. ☺

[@judgedredd49]

@@RoadcraftNottingham I don't disagree but I would have thought that its not just whether one block changes or does it sequentially. It's whether one wants to be travelling any distance in a lower gear and at higher revs on a regular basis as opposed to being in a higher gear but with lower revs. Some could argue that by being in a higher gear with lower revs one is riding with greater importance to economy as opposed to engine and bikes response and thus safety. A friend of mine had a big heavy 1200cc custom and on narrow roads and tight bends he always said that the brute wouldn't do as it was told ie he had difficulty in managing it and actually fighting with it and that was painful at times to him.. Then I found out that he was in a relatively higher gear with lower revs. as he said not to waste on petrol ie have greater economy.. I suggester that he might try dropping down at least one gear on the narrow and tight bendy roads and he may find riding easier and he did. He did find it having a better response with less ache in the arms and back.and less stressful. However he did find a very slight reduction in his mpg but nothing really to complain about. He is certainly a happier chappy now.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

@@judgedredd49 Yes, being in a more responsive gear without revs too high allows fine steering on bends by throttle as opposed to a much higher gear possibly having unburnt fuel/lugging problems. We need to be in that sweet spot as much as possible.

[@Rebecka_J]

I ride in as high a gear as I can, partly for the reason of it being cheaper (an important consideration for some of us!) but also it just feels better to me. However that "as I can" obviously includes choosing an appropriate gear for the conditions. I have a 500 and will go up to third gear at 30 (fourth at 40 etc.) but come down ten lower, so will stay in third in a 20. Which is fine when easily passing though a straight-ish road through a village, but I will go down if traffic or hazards start to build up and I need to change speed more regularly. Conversely if on a long quiet road in an urban 20 I will go up to third early. You can proritize economy without sacrificing safety.

[@judgedredd49]

@@Rebecka_J As u say one gets to know ones bike and so long as the bike is as responsive as it could be to throttle and braking changes then its ok. unfortunately there are some bikers out there who don't put safety as a priority. Some who would coast or cruise and being in too high a gear and lacking the understanding that if anything un-towards happens they may not be able to call on the bike to be as responsive as it could be. When that is happening and before its corrected they and sometimes others may suffer as a consequence.

[@BlakeLarsen3]

good video, thanks for taking the time.

[@Roy_Godiksen]

I think the main reason people does the "Bad Downshift" is that it sounds cool when they "blip" down. I know that's why i do it. Never even considered that the engine was breaking, as i'm always on the break anyway. I don't do it when it rains though, as the ABS doesn't prevent wheel lock when you engine break (learned that on my own. Not by crashing, but still a lesson learned)

[@Big_DT]

Brilliant! Thanks Russ.

[@keithahlstrom176]

That was well helpful. Thanks.

[@snatr]

Nice! But I wanted to say that when I'm about to stop- and especially if someone is behind me, I always apply a light back brake to activate the rear light just before closing the throttle for some engine braking 😉

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Agreed, this is just about changing gears but check out my how to avoid being rear ended upload. ☺

[@snatr]

@@RoadcraftNottingham Will do. Thanks 👍

[@kevinmobile]

All good stuff and I must write a thousand times do not substitute a (down) gear change for braking. As more bikes get auto-blippers that are tempting to play tunes on (I'm not admitting to anything!) it clearly is easy to acquire some bad habits while having fun...

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

They just wanna sound like motogp riders but to pros, just sound inexperienced.

[@Roy_Godiksen]

It's weird. I kind of miss riding a 50cc moped. I had a Yamaha TZR50 (a sport bike moped) and although it didn't have enough power to keep up with traffic. The joy of reving the engine to 10,000 + RPM doing like, 9 mph is just too much fun.💖🏍💨😎

[@rookielicence1212]

Russ keeps it easy and simple when it comes to riding bikes. Even if I don’t agree with his electric motorcycle views, I’m still watching every video without fail. Keep up content brother 👍

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks for the feedback you caveman! 😂 😉

[@paulsmyth497]

Superb Russ 👍

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks. ☺

[@paulsmyth497]

@@RoadcraftNottingham Bloody hell. That’s the fastest reply EVER. FIFTEEN seconds. I,m about 4 years younger than you, and bikeless for 37 years until 2018, so delighted to find your channel. I am also 3000 miles from my bikes in Cairo, till I retire in 4 weeks. As Arnold said ....... I’ll be barrrrrrrk 👍😊

[@paulsmyth497]

@@RoadcraftNottingham Oops. I mean, 4 years older than you. Child of 1961. I’ll have a look on your website when I’m back in Blighty Russ, as I seriously want to do some further training, and would like to do my advanced at some point, maybe a year hence. Being home rarely since acquiring a few bikes in 2018, it surprised me how much skill I’d lost / forgotten, and it was second or third trip out when my mojo started to return, and it started to be fun again. Cheers 👍

[@paulelverstone8677]

This is the lovely thing about vee engines: for any given speed you'll have one gear for the sweet spot and two more perfectly adequate to cope :o) I normally change between 4-6k but had the viffer750 in for a service so they gave me a Fazer6 on loan for the day. Handled beautifully but forget changine at 4-6! Can't say I've habitually block changed on the way up - down, plenty of times. No mention of clutchless changes?...

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpXVhp1ngNaBiKs

[@mikeroberts]

Nice one Russ. 👍 All good advice for nice smooth riding. Both models of Pan are awful for natural engine braking of the gear you are in. Other bikes, my Triumph Explorer for example, are much more receptive to slowing in the gear you are CURRENTLY in (acceleration sense). One tip/trick you missed, is going from 2nd to neutral when coming to a stop (rear observation allowing).

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Yes, I missed the differences in singles/twins etc too. Popping the bike into neutral whilst still rolling was something I've always not recommended although it's not the end of the world.... Although I don't *teach* it, I sometimes do it 😂

[@mikeroberts]

@@RoadcraftNottingham I wouldn't do it while rolling much, more like just at the point of stopping. 😉

[@barryconway]

@@RoadcraftNottingham hahaha. You have the knowledge, my friend, so I'll not argue with you, but let's just say that **some** bikes don't reward you with a shift from 1st to Neutral when you're (finally) at a stand-still, and so you learn to tap it into the green from 2nd, if you're already at an appropriate speed, and in a suitable situation. But you have to teach the right way, huh?

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

I'm with you on that Barry although increasing the revs whilst stationary helps that selection

[@barryconway]

@@RoadcraftNottingham (smile) I'll try that, Russ. I'll come clean: old 850cc Moto Guzzi V-twin. Sometimes, when stationery, you can go from 1st to 2nd, from 2nd to 1st, and back again until cows come home, and not find the neutral that's **supposed** to be in between them. That 'other neutral' further up the range, though, that's well easy to find! But that's wry humour, none of which negates from the value of this lesson which I am going to take away and use to consider my current habits...

[@DaveWuzHere]

I need to get my bike out again... I like to stay in the power band so 3000+ unless I'm cruising. In line four screamer

[@guywolff]

You can almost hear the 96 ft lbs of touque in that V4 (126 HP) .No wonder you can pick 2 or 3 gears at a particular speed .. A V4 and Shaft drive .. It is a class act if not a little porky ... I would love to see what Hoda would do with this idea in this decade :)

[@davesmc1]

Interesting stuff.What camera are you using as the quailty is excellent and helps with what you are saying and doing.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

The sound is from my drift ghost s and the picture is a gopro hero 8 Black.

[@musiccylinderK6]

Nice video, thanks! But on my 600 cc single cylinder enduro from the early 80s, downshifting to slow down works really well and sounds really nice, what can I say :)

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

What can *I* say?...... Hooligan! 😂. Normal "acceleration sense" is fine but using gears instead of the brakes isn't looked upon kindly by us "proper riders" 😉 Think of an emergency stop, you'll use your brakes then won't you? ☺

[@musiccylinderK6]

@@RoadcraftNottingham True! To be fair, it's usually more just closed throttle engine braking rather than downshifting. Those thumpers sure slow down! But yes, if proper slowing down is needed, brakes are applied (also since brake lights turn on, and you surely don't want to be any more invisible than we already are to cars!). All the best!

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

@@musiccylinderK6 exactly. Thanks for the comments buddy. Nice to interact with people. ☺

[@NVK85]

Also some bikes like mine (big V-twin, suzuki v-strom 1000) has such strong engine braking that i may hardly need to use brakes. On 3rd gear when i close throttle it may stop almost to 10 km/h. I assume inline 4 will not have such strong engine braking.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Yes, there's differences in the strength of engine braking. My point is not to replace the brakes by changing down gear early.

[@robertbates1079]

Yes I find the same, if you ride smoothly with plenty of forward planning, hardly need to brake...😁 on a big v twin that is..

[@Glories999]

My manual recommends another gear for every 10 mph, on a gsxr 750, which works pretty well, for a 50 average speed, I'll sit in 6th. When filtering I'll sit in 2nd up to bout 35 mph, just so the bike is a little bit louder.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Yes, you also just get to know what the bike feels happy with.

[@dangenders]

Very useful - thank you. An advanced instructor once told me to aim to hold revs in any given gear at roughly halfway through the rev range- e.g. if you’re riding along at 30mph, pick the gear that ticks the engine over at 5k (presuming a 10k readline). Just wondered your thoughts on this?

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

It all depends on the type of bike and engine configuration. Just feel what your bike is capable of and experiment.

[@Icybanana8]

Got my cbt tomorrow. If I downshift into 2nd coming up to a a red light but it changes to green right before I would have stopped , say at this point I’m doing 3-4 mph, do I leave it in second and accelerate away or do I need to go into 1st with me going so slow? Hope that makes sense, thanks mate. Your videos have been priceless.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

@@Icybanana8 at that in-between point which we all get to sometimes, it may be best to treat 2nd as 1st and use the clutch to help pull away more smoothly in 2nd.

[@FluffyViper]

Is rev matching basically the same as double declutching?

[@Clonewars56]

Great video as always . I was wondering if you can comment on the issue of 2 fingered braking? It seems that alot of instructors in the US swear by it where the UK instructors that I have spoken to said that its dangerous and would be grounds for failing a test.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

There's nothing wrong with two finger braking and you will *not* fail for braking like that. One or two old school instructors or examiners don't like it because we were told years ago to use 4 fingers but braking efficiency has come on massively since the 70s. The bottom line is "has braking with two fingers had a detrimental effect on the bike's control or your safety?" I once told an examiner he shouldn't have mentioned the two finger braking to my pupil on test and we had a little argument... I then went to the big boss who said" examiners can't mark what they don't like "which is an excellent response.

[@Clonewars56]

@@RoadcraftNottingham Thanks Russ, I've learned to ride outside of the UK and had to do my test again since my license was not from an EU country. I was brought up with 2 fingers on the brakes at all times and I had to in a sense relearn how to ride when it came time to do my test.

[@stephengibbons4828]

I know you have done a video riding in the rain but could you do another one pin pointing hazards with arrows as your talking about it so we know what your talking about

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

So riding in the rain with arrows?

[@DeiseRebel]

That's my practice sorted for the next few days, rev match is one of the pieces I've enjoyed on this video most, thanks I really enjoyed this video and it's going in my playlist. What's your thoughts on progressive braking? I use both brakes together after lowering throttle and engine braking?

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Progressive braking is best. The front is your main stopping brake with the rear being for slower speed control. Search my channel for Diavel and braking.

[@DeiseRebel]

@@RoadcraftNottingham Thank you, I’ll check that out today :) 🏍✊🏻

[@richb6872]

Great video. Can I ask, are you letting off the brakes before selecting the correct gear or chaging as you are still braking? I’ve done a response course in cars and brake gear overlap was a no no. We’d shed all of our speed, come off the brakes and then select the correct gear. I didn’t know if this was the same for motorcycles.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Good question .. Sometimes I'll slightly overlap the brakes and gears which is fine. Have an experiment both ways as there'll be loads of different scenarios, see which feels better/smoother for you.

[@SongJLikes]

Yup, watching the front wheel of cars tells you tons

[@iananderson6750]

Thanks Russ, Another well informed vid. I recommend to my students to subscribe. Quick question: what is your opinion on riding with balls of feet on pegs or arches? Cheers.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks for the recommendations. I don't mind how someone rides as long as they are in control and safe. Different bikes, peg positions and heights and rider sizes make things different. If they're riding with balls of their feet on the pegs but then move to cover the brake when required, I'm happy. One of the problems with arches is they have what I call "clown feet" and there's a danger of toes scraping the floor on bends or clipping test cones. Also a danger of slightly applying the rear brake without knowing. What do you think?

[@iananderson6750]

Thanks for the reply. I had it beaten into me about arches only. But the IAM teach balls of the feet and I may well have been converted. I don't like the " clown foot " either .. looks messy and balls of feet offer more control. Over the years I know I was moving my inside foot back for clearance on bends. So I am now on the balls and practising that. One of my instructors used to call the arch position a lean angle sensor,,,,!! Lol. I like to arrive home with both feet still attached. CHEERS AGAIN for all the great posts.

[@georgeconnett7812]

@@RoadcraftNottingham I did this on my CBT, I had to wait in a queue with a police car behind me, when I could go, I just kept stalling, stalled like 3 or 4 times before I realised my foot was on the brake.

[@aidebethune]

Another good vid.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Thanks

[@bryancardenas-qs4ig]

So I’m lost how should u downshift then

[@ktkace]

My 150 starts to chug at 5500 rpm... so 5500rpm minimum it is!! (i usually change at 8000(water temp at 1-1.25 )-11000 (temps at 2 and up))

[@peterkenworthy9219]

I’m a new rider on my 125 , on L plates .. finding it difficult at times to sort out junctions , giving way . I’m slowing as you say , then sometimes as I need to really look and almost stop at the giveaway lines as I go into gear 1 to set off I sometimes have found I’m in neutral which is bloody bad as when I try to accelerate away nothing happens !!! Then I’ve got oncoming traffic to get away from . I’m trying to make it smoother and not unecesarally stop .

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

After making sure you completely release the gear lever after each change to make sure it's selecting properly, Try 3 things, firstly changing down ever so slightly earlier, try giving a little rev to match your foot movement and try letting your clutch out a little between each gear. Good luck.

[@peterkenworthy9219]

@@RoadcraftNottingham I’m improving, that’s the main thing

[@seton3342]

What about slowing down from 6th gear? That’s a lot of gears to get through at the last minute 😮

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Just start the changing down process slightly earlier and time the changes to correspond with the speed of the bike without causing that rev surge, I can get through 5 gears in about 3 seconds or practise timing it. It's not that often you'll have to go straight from 6th to 1st.

[@AdrianM1k]

When rev match during downshift the gear change is smooth but when rev match from 3 to 2 the bike mostly tend to jump

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

That sounds like you need to work on your timing a bit.

[@bryancardenas-qs4ig]

On part 4:42 when downshifting u say throttle braking what do you mean by that then u say engine braking do you mean downshift a gear the. U said brakes

[@marissamcknight3835]

So pull the clutch in, go all the way down to first without letting the clutch out. Till your at the stop? Correct? That's how I've been doing it but I always wonder if I'm doing it right or if you should do one at a time. But that would take much more time

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

You can do that or release the clutch between changes, whichever works best for you. The key is to experiment, it's part of the fun. Just be careful not to change down too early or you risk either locking up the rear wheel or at best, making the gearbox bang.

[@nuttypigeon]

When i'm riding I have it in my head not to block shift down, so i'm letting the clutch out in between each down shift. But listening to this it seems i've been using the clutch unnecessarily and engaging each gear when i didnt need to.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Go to 9:04 and next time watch it all 😉 😂

[@nuttypigeon]

@@RoadcraftNottingham :( i did watch it all, must have missed that bit but thanks for the timestamp

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

@@nuttypigeon I'm a bit of a skipper too (sshhh)

[@sdq7806]

This is a great video! I have a question, what’s the proper technique when I find myself going too fast downhill thats also a bend? I usually downshift and use rear brake if the engine brake is not enough to slow down but I’ve been reading that this will cause the rear wheel to lock up? Will applying the front brake cause me to slide? Thanks in advance for the advice!

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Always smooth, progressive braking first, followed by gear to match the speed. You won't lock up then.

[@commonsense769]

Engine braking prior to corners ensures your rear wheel is making contact to road surface and slows your bike whilst dropping acceleration and front braking before you enter the corner then when you come out of the corner you can apply acceleration and up shift! I don't understand why you don't recommend engine braking?

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

I *DO* Recommend engine braking, just not changing down gears *solely* for the purpose of braking as that can brake rear traction if done wrong/too early. Gears shouldn't *replace* brakes. This isn't just my way, it's the official police way to ride bikes. Watch the upload fully without skipping and you'll see it explained properly... The order for slowing is throttle/engine braking.... Brakes if required... Gear to match the speed you've chosen (read motorcycle roadcraft, the police riders manual)... Or just do it your way, it's your bike. ☺

[@rhy691]

doing a good job

[@keithahlstrom176]

I live in a place where I’m constantly having to go from 100km to 20km to make 90 degree turns (no turn lanes and huge trucks coming in hot behind me) and needing to roll off the throttle, brake, gear down, etc. but I don’t have time/space to run through the gears so I batch gear down, but I keep messing up and going down to first instead of second! So instead of locking up the rear, I end up pulling the clutch in and coasting around the turn. Anyone got hints?

[@thegamingbiscuit6407]

Unrelated topic but is roadcraft going to be opening any time soon? My CBT runs out soon and I need it for work. Also would like to do my A2 test whenever possible. Thanks

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

We're taking bookings now for April 22nd ish onwards

[@loooooopy]

i have always engine braked, then braked. i will try it the other now.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Nice one. Keep an open mind and let me know how you get on.