Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Downshifting..., down, shift

Question
Hi,

I'm very new to riding, and my main problem has been shifting. More specifically, downshifting is what I'm having the most trouble with. I asked a trainer about it, but I'm still a bit hazy over how it should be done.

The problem I seem to encounter most of the time is that when I shift down a gear, even when I let out the clutch smoothly, the engine seems all of a sudden to rev considerably more than it was in the higher gear. It doesn't sound healthy for the bike, and I know it isn't how proper downshifting should sound.

I am also pretty sure it isn't my bike in particular, because I had the same issue on the bike I used for my license test. What am I doing wrong?


Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

- Clancy.

Answer
It is normal for the bike to rev up when downshifting. You're shifting to a smaller (lower) gear, so it will spin the engine more than the larger (higher) gear. Every bike does this, no matter the speed or from which gear to which you're downshifting.

However, if you're downshifting too early or at too high a speed for the lower gear, things can get kind of squirrely. Doing this puts a pressure exactly like braking on the rear wheel, which, at the extreme, can lock the rear wheel and cause a skid. I assume THAT'S not happening to you.

But if the sound/feel you get when you downshift isn't a good one, that may be your bike telling you you're downshifting too early or your technique needs some help.

(Is it possible you're accidentally shifting down two gears instead of one? Sometimes new riders forget that it's only one-click per gear, they imagine there's a neutral position between each gear.)

Here are some generic gears/speeds and shift points. Every bike is different, but this should give you an idea of when you should be shifting, approximately:

First Gear: 0-10 mph Shift up at 10 mph
Second Gear: 5-25 mph Shift up at 25 mph, shift down at 5 mph
Third Gear: 20-40 mph, Shift up at 40 mph, shift down at 20 mph
Fourth Gear: 35-55 mph, Shift up at 55 mph, shift down at 35 mph
Fifth Gear: 50+ mph, Shift down at 50

Notice that shifting down comes at the very bottom of the speed range for each gear. So, for example, you're riding along in 3rd gear and decide you need to slow down and shift into a lower gear. You decelerate or brake down to about 20 mph before you shift down to 2nd.

So: downshifting later and at lower speeds will reduce the revving.

Another way to alleviate the problem, if you're getting too much engine braking, is "blipping" the throttle. It's an advanced technique that many sport bike riders and racers use ... though I've never been able to master it. While downshifting, after you've shifted and are releasing the clutch, simultaneously do a quick "rev" of the motor with the throttle grip. In a space of about 1/4 second, blip the throttle about 1/4 turn. This revs the motor a little and helps match engine speed to road speed.

Hope this makes sense. Smooth, precise shifting is a skill that takes a lifetime to master. I haven't yet, and I've been riding 20 years. Keep at it.

Pat