I've always downshifted and engaged each gear as I slowed, even when coming to a complete stop. I noticed two people today playing with the clutch and shifting down after stopping and was wondering if I was just weird...

I've always downshifted and engaged each gear as I slowed, even when coming to a complete stop. I noticed two people today playing with the clutch and shifting down after stopping and was wondering if I was just weird...

i pull in the clutch and keep it that way, downshift when needed, and apply the brakes (of course)

ex) riding, goin say about 40, in 4th gear, pull in clutch, brake, downshift, keeping clutch in the whole time, once down to like 25-30ish down into 3rd gear, anything around 25 and moving, in 2nd, and if im in a complete stop, i go to first

i figure that if anything should happen, i could just let the clutch go, and i'd be in gear and ready to take off

if im doing anything wrong or dangerous, someone please correct me :)

I'm not sure that it matters a whole lot either way.

If I have plenty of time, I might downshift through each gear before the stop. Sometimes I shift into neutral and coast into the stop. Sometimes I hold in the clutch and shift down through all the gears before stopping fully. Or, if I have to stop in a hurry, I just pull in the clutch and worry about the shifting after I stop. All in all, I guess it depends on the situation at hand. I usually always sit at a stop light in neutral though, so I can take my hands off the levers for a little while.

I've always downshifted and engaged each gear as I slowed, even when coming to a complete stop. I noticed two people today playing with the clutch and shifting down after stopping and was wondering if I was just weird...

Common wisdom says that you stay in first at a stop should you need to move. No, it doesn't take long to shift into first, but in a panic situation, popping the clutch and wheelie-ing out of harm's way might be better than having to remember what three motions get you into gear and moving.

Besides, if it is sometimes hard to shift when stationary, why wait until you stop to shift?

FWIW, I downshift and run through the gears when slowing down, except for I usually avoid first.

I blip and downshift all the way usually, with some brake assist (more to have the brake light on for cagers than to actually slow the bike).

I always like to have it in 1st at a stop, 'cause you never know when you have to pull away in a hurry.

However, if I am coming hot into a 45 degree corner in 4th, I'll double down-shift to second, have the revs up so I can power through.

Downshifting keeps the rev-happy engine... well, er... happy! :wink:

It's a bit of cruiser thing to just pull in the clutch and coast to a stop just using the brakes, no?

I'm inconsistent as heck. Sometimes it's mostly engine braking through the gears, sometimes I hold the clutch and drop it all the way down to first. Just depends on the situation.

I'm torn on the "leave it in first" though. I have people pull up on me very quickly at stop every day and I don't know if I'd be able to distinguish between that and someone about to take me out with enough time to escape. Unless I start playing the escape game every time this happens.

I try to not do engine braking too much, mostly roll off the throttle and apply both brakes at the same time. Try to keep the suspension as calm as possible.

I usually always down shift. I just feel its taking it easy on the breaks and if its a sudden stop I just hold the clutch and break. In traffic I leave it in 1st at a stop but if traffic isn't heavy its in neutral

As per the MSF classes, where i pretty much learned everything, I downshift all the way down, not using the brakes (except tapping so cagers will see the lights, like Skier said) unless i need to. I apply the brakes only when under 25 or 30 mph, and come to a stop already in 1st gear. I used to leave it in neutral, but ever since my 2nd msf class where they made me shift to 1st before my leg goes down, and use my rear brake to hold the bike in place, it just feels weird doing it any other way.

Ive also found that once in a while i have to roll the bike just a little to get it to slip into first if i stop in neutral, and thats a little nervewracking with a line of cagers behind you.

This is a little off topic, but it really doesnt get old being able to take off from a green light, hitting 35 by the other side of the intersection without taxing the bike, and leaving all the jumbled up cars behind you like a slow moving train. :ride

You should be applying the brakes even a little to activate your brake light so the less observant behind you don't run up your tailpipe.

I pray to Chuck Norris, and he rotates the earth in the same direction I'm going until I appear to have stopped.

I guess my question to the OP is why do you do this? Is it a brake-saving issue?

One reason to practice downshifting and engaging gears is for muscle memory and preparation in the situation where you need to slow down quickly and then take off quickly. If you haven't practiced it much and find yourself in an emergency situation, it can be easy to forget about the downshifting. Not a big deal in terms of coming to a stop, but a huge problem with pulling away again.

This is why I'm so 50/50 on my answer. Depends on context so much. Is someone behind me? Is engine/gear matching what I'm trying to work on that day? Is it possible the light's going to turn green so that I won't actually come to a full stop? Will I need to possibly get away? So on and so forth.

I do it as I learnt with the car: downsifht one gear at a time while I keep some pressure on both brakes and rev up just a little bit every time I pull the clutch to make it smoother. Of course, if I'm going too fast, I downshift two gears at a time and brake harder.

As per the MSF classes, where i pretty much learned everything, I downshift all the way down, not using the brakes (except tapping so cagers will see the lights, like Skier said) unless i need to.

Funny.. my MSF instructor said never engine brake. He said that unless you are on the race track, it isn't worth the engine wear, and bike engines aren't made to do it.

I usually pull the clutch and shift down to 1st as I brake with front and rear at the same time. When I first started riding, I would only use the rear brake, because that was smoother and didn't cause the front to dip. The problem was, that trained me to use the rear brake in an emergency - now I use both, or switch back and forth between them as I slow down (for some reason). If the light is red but might change, I try to match the gear to my speed as I slow so I can punch it when I get green. This is probably bad, and will someday result in me hitting someone who is running the end of a yellow light.

Funny.. my MSF instructor said never engine brake. He said that unless you are on the race track, it isn't worth the engine wear, and bike engines aren't made to do it.
This reinforces my theory that MSF Instructor quality and knowledge varies dramatically.

I guess I would be hesitant to be holding the clutch in the entire time. I wouldn't want to accidentally let the clutch out and have the engine jump on me if I am in the wrong gear for whatever speed I'm going. If I shift and let out the clutch each time, then I have a feeling for what the engine and bike are up to as I'm coming to a stop. No surprises are best.

I'm inconsistent as heck. Sometimes it's mostly engine braking through the gears, sometimes I hold the clutch and drop it all the way down to first. Just depends on the situation.

I'm torn on the "leave it in first" though. I have people pull up on me very quickly at stop every day and I don't know if I'd be able to distinguish between that and someone about to take me out with enough time to escape. Unless I start playing the escape game every time this happens.

This is what I do. Depending on the situation, I will lightly apply the brakes as I downshift through each gear so the engine can assist in breaking. If there's no time then I'll pull in the clutch, gear down to first and come to a stop. Some people have said that you shouldn't engine brake at all but engine breaking was actually a part of the MSF course I did. All of the instructors teaching the course recommended that we use it.