[n_dee]

What you need to know about Throttle Blipping | Riding in the Zone

Do you use the "blipping" technique when downshifting gears? Do you think it's worth trying to learn?

 

[WintrSol]

I often use it when downshifting under conditions described in the article - rapid deceleration, using the engine braking to help, and to be in the right gear for the next throttle up. Slowing for a typical stop, no, as I let it slow to just above idle before selecting the next lower gear, and rpm match is almost nil. It is a handy skill to have for those times you need it, or you may skid the rear tire and low-side your bike.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

I do to varying degrees depending on the bike. Some will lock up the back wheel, while others do not have much effect.
If you would like to read about it, I suggest: Smooth Riding by Reg Pridmore.
He has nicely taken my thoughts and put them in a book. Of course they are his thoughts, that just happen to agree with mine.
Some of it may be a bit advanced for some, judging by what they write here, but for most it is well written and full of useful information.
Like how to aim a bike without counter steering. My words for the last sentence.

UK

 

[cmonSTART]

I often do also as described in the article.

It also just "feels" better to me.

 

[soupy1957]

I increase (or blip) the throttle, to accommodate each down-shifted gear, but not excessively. Just enough to match the RPM where it is at the moment.

It should ALSO be noted, that I don’t use ANY brakes, until I HAVE to!!

 

[Oz]

I think it's worth learning, but as Unkle Krusty said, it depends on the bike to some degree.

I had a Harley that pretty much required blipping when coming down from just highway speeds. Low gearing and limited rev limit gave you a good chance of dragging or locking the rear wheel if you didn't rev match.

My current bike has a much better range of gearing and rev limit, so I can usually get away with just feathering the clutch when dropping to the next lower gear. That is unless I'm dropping down through multiple gears from very high speeds. Then I'll rev match and also feather the clutch if necessary.

Many newer sport and sport touring bikes now come equipped with slipper clutches that prevent the back-torque from locking the rear wheel. And those bikes often have shift assist features that allow both up and down clutchless shifting. On those bikes you don't have to think of rev matching, the bike does it for you. Man, what will they think of next?

 

[n_dee]

Some of it may be a bit advanced for some, judging by what they write here

I guess that you're hinting at me. Anyway, it's always useful to know how much I don't know yet :wink2:

 

[n_dee]

Man, what will they think of next?

Probably automatic transmission like in Honda NC750. Or auto-piloted motorcycles like the one that Honda demonstrated recently.

 

[Critter]

Depends how I am riding and what I am trying to accomplish. Most of the time it is not necessary on the street.

 

[WintrSol]

Many newer sport and sport touring bikes now come equipped with slipper clutches that prevent the back-torque from locking the rear wheel.

Some big V-twins, like the 1400 Intruder, have had slipper clutches for many years. No shift-assist, though.

Still, if you are riding aggressively, it helps to rev match sometimes. Not that I ever do that.:angel:

 

[Unkle Krusty]

I guess that you're hinting at me. Anyway, it's always useful to know how much I don't know yet :wink2:

Not you this time.
But often slow riders will disagree, having read one version of how things work.

To expand a bit on what OZ said. Some bikes will slow down faster than the time it takes to blip thru every gear. One example: 120 mph to a hairpin corner. Jump on the binders, sit up and go click click click while counting, 5, 4, 3, 2 blip ringy dingy to first.

Long stroke high compression twin cylinder bigger engines can lock the back wheel fairly easily, so matching engine revs to wheel speed is critical if you want to go fast.
Some might say no worries, who cares. Those guys do not ride in the rain, or if they do, they are very slow.
No horsepower, no speed, no worries, and not much learning happening. Join a group and tell others how to ride. Not much has changed.

UK

 

[Friedl]

I do rev match, but I'm not sure it's race track speed. Pretty smooth, though, for my purposes.

 

[hogcowboy]

Has always depended on the bike. This particular bike doesn't need it.

 

[Porky]

I do rev match, but I'm not sure it's race track speed. Pretty smooth, though, for my purposes.

Exactly:wink2:

Try driving a big Diesel 18 wheeler, with a 13 speed trans, without 'Blipping or rev matching,' and you won't get of of first gear:surprise: (Voice of experience):sad:

I tend to blip the throttle when I'm riding depending on the situation. Some bikes require it more than others. The transmissions in My CTX1300D and my DL650 V-strom shift as smooth as butter, up or down and don't seem to need 'syncing' of speed/ RPM's to be ridden smoothly.:smile:

My Burgman 650 doesn't seem to mind either (JOKE):grin:

If you have ridden or owned any Polaris Victory big twin, especially the older ones, then you know the importance of 'blipping, rev matching and syncing' every shift so as not to do anything to upset it's notoriously LOUD and cantankerous idea of a transmission:surprise:

Sam:nerd:

 

[DGS65]

Rev Matching is one of the first thing they teach you when learn to drive a stick car on the race track. This is much more difficult in a car the term is "heal toe" where you are hitting the breaks with your heal and using your toe to hit the gas at the same time while you are down shifting into a turn on the track this is done so that you can both control the car and accelerate into the turn.
This is such an important process that my current Corvette has this feature built in yes built in I have to activate the rev match mode and then every time I downshift it automatically "blips" the throttle to allow me to shift with ease and quickly.
BTW the only reason they bothered to install a switch and force me to turn it on is because it burns more gas and they need to exceed government MPG quotas. I turn this feature on almost every time I drive, me wife actually like the way it sounds so if I forget my wife will sometimes remind me.

If you want to learn more about this google "rev matching" NOT blipping this is a silly term it sounds like it was made up be the person that wrote the article.

 

[Tobacco Road]

I've driven every kind of 18 wheeler from 5 speed to 18 speed and as Porky said, you won't get far if you can't "rev match." Some guys would call it double clutching but I never technically did that. In fact most of the drivers I knew only used the clutch to pull away from a dead stop. After that, the clutch pedal was not needed. And if we were lucky enough to have a "Jake Brake" this would enable us to make the shifts much quicker than normal.

It's become such second nature to me I shift all my cars in such a manner. Most cars have synchronizers so it is a bit more touchy and requires a deft touch to pull it off. I'm sure I'm not the only one doing it.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Blip is the traditional word. Modern teaching uses rev matching. Modern teaching methods tend to make simple things sound complicated. It allows several questions to be added to the test, by asking the same thing, but from different angles. Some written tests are designed to confuse rather than draw out knowledge. They had to invent a disorder ( ADD ) to cover the symptoms. Some of us will NOT rewrite history to cater to the confused youth.

To understand tradition, I suggest we all watch Fiddler on the Roof one more time.

Back to blipping, and ringy dingy ( that is a 2 stroke for those that missed it ) for me. UK

 

[Offcenter]

Some guys would call it double clutching but I never technically did that. In fact most of the drivers I knew only used the clutch to pull away from a dead stop. After that, the clutch pedal was not needed. And if we were lucky enough to have a "Jake Brake" this would enable us to make the shifts much quicker than normal.

Yep, I only used the clutch to pull away from a stop.
Drove mostly 13 speed with Cat 425 engine.

 

[hogcowboy]

I've driven every kind of 18 wheeler from 5 speed to 18 speed and as Porky said, you won't get far if you can't "rev match." Some guys would call it double clutching but I never technically did that. In fact most of the drivers I knew only used the clutch to pull away from a dead stop. After that, the clutch pedal was not needed. And if we were lucky enough to have a "Jake Brake" this would enable us to make the shifts much quicker than normal.

It's become such second nature to me I shift all my cars in such a manner. Most cars have synchronizers so it is a bit more touchy and requires a deft touch to pull it off. I'm sure I'm not the only one doing it.

Been many moons since I heard that term, double clutch. I was never fortunate to use a Jake brake on any of the fire engines I drove. They just didn't have them. But I love the sound of them.:smile_big:

 

[aTahmission]

My bike has a slipper clutch so it's not all that necessary, though I do rev match out of habit. More interestingly, I feel like outside of this forum, most people consider "throttle blipping" just unnecessarily revving the bejesus out of the engine when coming to a stop. I think it's pretty cool that most posters here know what purpose it serves.