Spider, need some riding tips

[broken robot]

So when I downshift the engine starts over revving. I briefly looked at some google answers and it mentioned closing the throttle?* What I've been doing is letting up on the throttle, pulling the clutch in and downshifting, but when I (slowly) release the clutch the engine revs up almost as if I'm getting pulled back a little bit. Am I downshifting at too high a speed?

In terms of shifting up, I've been getting better. Basically I pull the clutch in and shift up and then slowly release the clutch, giving a little throttle as I release, although sometimes I "jump" forward a bit. I'm assuming it's because I'm still letting the clutch out a little too fast.

Finally often times say I'm in second gear I just roll to the stop but because traffic sometimes gets moving quick again I don't always shift back down to first. Is this an issue for the engine, should I always shift down the moment my speed gets low enough?

*My understanding is closing the throttle just means letting up on it.

[The Comrade]

did you try doing a wheelie?

[Spider]

[broken robot]

On a cruiser?



That would be very bad.

I think you're thinking of this:



Sportsbike, one which I do not own.

[The Comrade]

but did you even try? don't give up on yourself.

[Spider]

Its the same. The transmissions work the same way.

Its actually more important on a cruiser, since they are less stable, and have very unbalanced traction and weight distribution.

[Spider]

...that said, a lot of cruiser guys don't bother, since they have very large engines that are running low RPM's anyways, and they rely on all that extra mass to drag the RPM's up for the lower gear. This creates drag on the rear tire though, and reduces traction. IIRC, you're on a 250cc honda twin. A big V-twin cruiser this is not. Blip it.

Regardless of what you ride, don't get in the habit of robbing yourself of precious traction to make shifts easier. Just rev match, the same as you would in any other vehicle. Soon, it becomes muscle memory and you do it without thinking.

[broken robot]

Wow okay first of all thank you Spider, you're awesome! Several things I picked up just from reading that and watching the vid (and yes these are beginner mistakes that I'm going to freely admit):

1) I've been pulling the clutch in pretty much the entire way when shifting up/down, but from what it sounds like when I'm at speed I just need to pull it in just a little and then release. That's slipping the clutch, right? I think I've already practiced it when I'm on hills. Say I'm going uphill, usually what I do is pull the clutch in, bike starts going backward, then I slowly release the clutch while giving a little throttle until I find a sweet spot that keeps me in place with the gravity and the pull of the engine. I tend not to use the brake, unless of course I'm stopping on a downhill stretch.

2) I've been holding in the clutch while in 1st or 2nd gear at stoplights. Didn't even know I should actually be in neutral. I'm pretty sure they didn't teach us that at MSF, or if they did it went by in a blur.

I'm going to practice blipping the throttle when downshifting on a safe stretch to see what it's like. I guess for some reason I've been a little nervous about shifting in general because of the problems I mentioned above, but I can see it actually isn't an issue once I rev match. Also, I've been downshifting/shifting up when going straight, I thought it was a big no no to switch gears in a turn?

Anyways, more practice. And yes, I've only driven automatic (whoops didn't mean manual), so this is quite an experience.

[broken robot]

[The Comrade]

i am always sincere in my encouragement for people to recklessly endanger themselves.