@svjhonda

I do use the clutch while downshifting . I have tried the quick rpm increase and move down in my bullet .... But not doing it now as city traffic demands more attention on the road and a slight miss can damage the clutch plates ...

on the TVS Flame ... well its brand new ... so i use clutch as much as needed to ensure no damage goes to engine nor plates ...

Nevertheless i guess I am learning to live with the "engine braking" noise OR audible grunt of the engine (reduce speed till you hit clutch downshift) like you guys suggest and do ...

but can somebody tell me what really happens in the "engine braking" ? Is it that pistons drag or something like that ???

Engine braking is best in hilly/mountainous regions esp. while going down-hill, it can take the heavy load off the brakes. I don't recommend engine braking on flat city roads, the sudden RPM changes associated with gear changing will stress gearbox/transmission to some extent which could affect their performance on prolonged 'engine braking'.
The piston drag is pshycological feeling, the piston rings simply glides on thin oil film and will not scrap cylinder due to engine braking, but some uncomfortness may be felt due to gearbox/transmission stress due to sudden load/rpm change associated with engine braking.
For normal braking (like on open road) close acclerator, upshift conviniently with clutch and finally use brakes. For sudden braking combination of engine braking and braking could be used.

Engine braking SHOULD be used as a normal riding habit. Even in the company manuals it is written that you should not pull in the clutch while braking. Yeah it increases the wearing out of the parts but better be alive to change them than to die saving them. Moreover the wearing is not that quick as we talk here. I have been using engine braking for the past 5 years and the only difference I have noticed is better braking. It is one of the single most effective factors that can improve your braking distances.

@IFlyLow: What is engine braking?

On the contrary. You should always use the clutch at the time of emergency braking.

SOURCE : Tips for braking on a motorcycle


Further, I advise to read the full article here : Tips for braking on a motorcycle

Thanks a ton @sava, @leon_nerd and @vipin_s Thanks for the links.. Gives a good idea of what engine braking is all about ... but this crab keeps coming up in mind ... Let me ask ... I pull the clutch - that means there is a lot of wear on the clutch plates - hey ... but the engine is freed ? rite ? Engines are more trickier and important to maintain than the clutches (in the sense of both cost and ease of change factors) ? So WHY should not you clutch ? and thus let the engine feel free (engine free -> what one feels when you hold the clutch just after cutting the accelerator)... engine just travels without a hitch ... I am now aware of the best practices after reading the thread ... but i would be happy if the experts can tell me the HOW / WHAT ? Thanks again for the time and explanation

Was going through the new posts and found out there's a thread named "To clutch or not to clutch!"

Here are my views purely based on thread heading and not on the conversation going on-

What?
Are you asking that you shuld clutch or not to clutch??
Cmmon, are u serious?
I meant why in this whole world the CLUTCH is provided in every Bike?
Just because u have to press it anyway!!!
Honda's are inventing automated clutching sytem, ducati's are already out with bla! Bla!, yamaha are working hard in the clutch workshops and you are asking genuine reasons why u shuldn't clutch specially when u have paid heavy bucks for the genuine clutching system on ur bike??
Even motogp fella's would be ashamed of themselves if u asked it once more, afterall they would be claimed fool when they are clutching in worlds fastest gp!!!
Mind you, once we had a something called "Street" and today for the first time in my whole life I though for a sec "why they are out of production? Many people still need them desperetly!!!"

P.S. - just my serious two cents in a light weight comic sensed writeup!
Dont want to cribble bout it but according to me clutching is seriously important for ur engine, ur bike and you!!

Hey @Shanz

Ofcourse - Clutch are provided for err.. Clutching

and as your sig says - you are 99% perfect in the answer

Question is when you are in a good speed - and want to slow down - you can either depress the clutch and let engine free OR let the engine brake and downshift using clutch when RPM is just right ... (Just to your benefit I reiterated the original question).

It wud be great if you can go over - at least last couple of discussions to get the general feel..

and yeah thanks for taking the time

@IFlylow, I had had the same question years back, and had to find out a way with trial and error. I dont have the internal knowledge to correctly explain what is best, my words are simply out of experience.
When you see a signal where you should stop, the best way to stop is with a downshift, and with minimal use of clutch. Say you are moving at 50kmph on top gear, just close down the throttle and wait for the vehicle to slow down (if it is sufficiently distant, else use brake mildly) -- at around 30kmph or so depending upon ur bike it would start knocking -- the key is to get the downshift done just before this. How would you know it ?? Simply with experience... once you practice this a couple of times, you would know when it starts to feel like knocking. Downshift, repeat, downshift repeat....
From my experience, it is entirely dependant on the brand, and your bikes own character the speed bands would change. Eg, on an Rx100, the bike would cruise in 4th gear without knocking even when you are in 20kmph.

From my experience on RX135, TVS Victor and Bullet, clutch use should be limited only for downshift. In roads or offroad, especially when you are running downhill, do not close the clutch; let the engine braking take effect... In my bullet at least, I have first hand experience of excessive use of clutch damaging out the clutch plate and slightly overheating the whole engine assembly... Ideally, you should not close down the clutch and move neutral like when you are in any gear for longer than 5 mins.
All my experience and opinion; Am not a guru in motorbikes.

CLUTCH should only be pressed for A second or Two (Applies only when ur normally riding insted of doing all the Insane stuff) while upshifts and downshifts!

When you want to stop or slow down without using the breaks then the perfect thing is to use engine breaking system but doing it in a right manner matters!

Suppose if u have to stop at a ample provided distance and ur in 5th gear then the idle way is to leave the throttle and wait for the bike to slow down a bit(u can use little breaking if u want to speed up the process), when your bike slows down a bit then immediatly shift down when your engine shows the first sign of resistence in pulling (the engine shouldnt knock at any rate), keep doing this till u come to a hault!!

Note - there's an ideal rev range of every gear (except the top gear). Below the rev range of particular gear the engine knocks and above that range the engine screams!
If your engine is screaming or Knocking then watever you are doing, you are doing it in a wrong way!

Same is applicable to the engine breaking too..
Downshift only at the point when ur engine is very relaxed in the particular gear and has immediatly shown the first sign of pulling resistence, remembring the poing that the engine shouldnt knock!

I know it needs some time to get used to and needs practice as well, but the final turnout is smooth engine and good mileage!!!

P.S. - I had been looking at this particular thread heading but never though of visiting it because not clutching is not in my dictionary and I know the ideal way to clutch!!

O.T. - is Hero Honda Street out of production! I wonder how the gears worked without the clutch system??

Shanz

And long pressing the clutch is not a good idea either!
Because when you long press the clutch then due to the RPM range the engine needs constant oil supply but a part of that essential oil goes to the clutch plate hence, the overheating of engine and seizeing of clutch takes place due to constant lubrication loss!!
Shanz

Hi @shanz, @ashokrajagoplan

Thanks Guys ... I guess that explains a lot ... I have little corrections to make. But I guess that will ensure a better engine and a better driver in the longer run.

Your welcome!
May ur grandson ride the same engine which u rode once, Amen!!


Shanz

could you explain how holding the clutch causes overheating ?
i've been pressing the clutch to keep the engine free all this while(unknowingly). My bike's idling rpm is 1400rpm (suzuki gs150r). i thought holding the clutch reduces rpm to idle and hence helps cool the engine.

lucky i came across this thread, i'll be careful about using clutch

Can you exactly tell me why u long press the clutch to cool ur engine, how and when?

If you really want to cool your engine that way then shift to neutral and let the bike idle!
But what the point in it?
Switching off the bike is the best way to cool down it..

Hehhee .. Hopefully a 1250 CC