I want to make sure I understand correctly. Do you always pull the clutch in every time you let off the gas? If so, you're losing the braking power of the engine, wearing out brake pads unnecessarily, and increasing the chance of a wreck, especially if you slow way down quickly with the clutch pulled in, and then try to find the correct gear for that speed. You should always downshift as your speed decreases, in conjunction with the brakes if they are being used.H-Town X said:Is it not a good thing to slow down the bike without using the clutch. Going 60mph and just releasing the throttle without the clutch, I do belive its called "engine braking" is it or will it do future damage to the bike?
I decelerate exactly as Eddie does. However, I give a cursory blink of the brake light ( tap the rear brake enough to light the brake light for a second) so that whomever is behind knows I am slowing down. You never know who isn't paying attention behind you.eddiecohen said:I want to make sure I understand correctly. Do you always pull the clutch in every time you let off the gas? If so, you're losing the braking power of the engine, wearing out brake pads unnecessarily, and increasing the chance of a wreck, especially if you slow way down quickly with the clutch pulled in, and then try to find the correct gear for that speed. You should always downshift as your speed decreases, in conjunction with the brakes if they are being used.H-Town X said:Is it not a good thing to slow down the bike without using the clutch. Going 60mph and just releasing the throttle without the clutch, I do belive its called "engine braking" is it or will it do future damage to the bike?
I routinely go from 5th to 2nd gear (sequentially) without ever touching the brakes. For example, I'm cruising along at 60 MPH, see a light change to red a half-mile ahead, and let off the throttle. As the bike slows, I downshift at the appropriate time. Just as I reach 2nd gear, the light changes to green, and I begin accelerating, having never touched the brakes, nor having strained the engine or clutch. You need to always be in the correct gear for the speed you're running. If you're routinely riding along at 20 MPH in 5th gear with the clutch pulled in, you may not be able to get it into a lower gear fast enough, thus preventing you from accelerating out of a dangerous situation.
Eddie
Yes - eddie has described it perfectly.H-Town X said:..is it proper to just roll off the throttle let the engine slow the bike and then roll back on to maintain speed.
I think what the MFS course taught that way is emergency braking.I was taught in the MSF course to apply clutch and then brake
I took the MSF (NJ) in April of 2003. The DID teach us to use "engine braking" to slow down.Bouxdaddy said:I was kinda shocked to see that people ride pulling in the clutch whenever they decelerate. I can't believe MSF teaches that. :shock:
I have the Signal Dynamics BrakeLight Modulator, too, and I tap the brake when I'm slowing as I'm downshifting in order to alert the drivers behind me that I'm slowing. However, the modulator doesn't begin the blinking cycle until the brake is depressed for a couple of seconds. When the brake is just tapped, the brakelight responds as it would without the modulator; it blinks once each time the brake is tapped.GoldenKnight said:As far as the brake light flashing, this little addition is fantastic.
http://www.hondadirectlineusa.com/store ... =698765819
I have one and love it. I don't have to think about tapping for the light to blink.