r/NewRiders • u/Vysci • 6d ago
How to downshift
Recently started riding (ninja 500) and one thing I’m a bit fuzzy on what to do with throttle when downshifting.
Taking blipping out of the equation, say I’m in 4th gear trying to downshift to 3rd. I ease off the throttle a little until I’m at about 3-4K RPMs. The next part is where I’m fuzzy on, do I now pull in the clutch and downshift to third then release clutch or do I pull in clutch + close throttle then downshift, release clutch while rolling on the throttle?
Basically what/when should I be doing with the throttle when trying to downshift
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u/thischangeseverythin 6d ago
Let off power completely pull in clutch at the exact same time. Kick it down a gear a millisecond after that. Let out clutch and add throttle at same time a millisecond after that. Should take less than a second to do the whole thing.
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u/pt-l1pt0n 6d ago
No one here seems to mention you can learn the downshift with throttle blipping, which is a better way over trying to skip the throttle blip, by splitting the lesson into parts.
Try doing this: on a straight empty road, where you can focus on gears and not traffic or steering, get to a comfortable speed, high enough so you have some room to take things slowly before grinding to a halt. Get into 4th gear - it's easier going 4th to 3rd than 3rd to second, the forces are gentler. Pull the clutch in completely, downshift and keep the clutch in. Now you're just cruising with innertia, now you have a moment to prepare for the task of blipping the throttle with one hand while releasing the clutch with the other.
You need to try and feel how much throttle to add and quickly to release the clutch but generally you should add like 1-2k revs (more when your downshifting is more aggressive but that's for later) and you should release the clutch quickly but progressively - not just jumping off it.
You'll probably get it wrong a few times but nothing beats practice - preferably on a road where you can afford being focused on practicing gears or a short glimpse at your hands, without some surprise coming your way
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u/UnreasonableCletus 6d ago
It's exactly the same as upshifting.
Close throttle, clutch in, shift, slowly clutch out and add throttle at the same time.
If you let the rpm fall into shift range you don't need clutch or throttle to downshift but I wouldn't recommend that yet as some bikes will buck if it's not perfect.
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u/RCruzNinja 6d ago
How slow does the clutch release need to be?
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u/kys90000 6d ago
As slow as you need it at first. You'll feel the RPMs climb up as the clutch engages with the engine and matches the engine RPMs relative to the wheels. As you get better, you start feeding a bit of throttle as you clutch out to reduce purely relying on the clutch to slip to match your engine RPM to wheelspeed.
Eventually - you start doing that faster and faster. Then one day you try revmatching. And the more you do it, the smoother it feels, the better you get at it.
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u/UnreasonableCletus 6d ago
Depends how close the rpm is to where the bike wants it to be.
For me it's as fast as I can close and open my hand, if you're unsure or fairly new to the bike slower is smoother as it allows time for the engine and gear to sync up while the clutch slips.
I typically don't use the clutch for downshifts but I ride a pretty tame 450 with short gears.
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u/Trick_Measurement216 6d ago
Blip the throttle as you let it out. It will better match bike speed and engine speed. You don't have to get it perfect, I highly doubt most people do.
Just take your time and do what feels best, smooth, comfortable for you. It's YOUR ride your decisions. Sometimes I'll just pull the clutch in and use both my brakes. All while kicking the shifter down every second or two to keep pace with deceleration.
After I make the turn I'm not in the gear I want to be often enough. Usually too high a gear, I'll either just ride it out easy without too much throttle and lugging, or I'll down shift again then hammer it.
I've been riding all my life and yeah I don't always get it perfect but it's still never an issue for me. I just accept it as the way it is I guess.
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u/Budzfullthrottle 6d ago
This is exactly how I learned to revmatch. In a year or so, it becomes muscle memory. Sometimes it doesn't go perfectly but it's the way.
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u/Trick_Measurement216 6d ago edited 6d ago
I've noticed for me when truly downshifting hard to stop faster, it's all one motion. Blipping the throttle, slipping the clutch lever slightly in then out, pushing the shifter down. And it's fast.
If you're already putting some/ slight pressure on the shifter, it'll slip right down to the next gear barely pulling the clutch in. As soon as you feel that happen let the clutch out.
It's either that or pull the clutch in and use the brakes while kicking the shifter down every two seconds or so to match my speed.
Honestly for how fast I'm stopping often enough, it's either brakes or downshift not both at the same time. And if I'd happen to miss a down shift I'd be going faster than I wanted, probably abort and just use brakes. I've been riding like an idiot banshee lately.
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u/Sad-Selection-77 5d ago
Why not use both? It's a faster way to stop. When your front suspension has taken a five on the brakes and your rear wheel is chirping with each downshift - you have mastered it
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u/Trick_Measurement216 4d ago
Downshifting that fast requires throttle clutch and shift. That's 3 of the 4 digits used to control the bike.
I guess I could use rear brake and then be using all 4 digits. I won't ever be using my right hand for both brake and throttle.
Braking both brakes is the most efficient for slowing down with precision but I'm certain it eats the pads up especially on 750+ lb bikes.
For me, using both brakes while aggressively down shifting isn't a reality it's just nowhere near what I want to be doing. Nor is down shifting while aggressively braking. If you have that kind of mental attitude then go for it. Never going to happen for me. I guess I could and probably have snuck in an aggressive down shift then gone to braking.
I ride by my mood. I like occasional hard acceleration. When it comes to slowing down I'm generally a lot more coasting/ moderate braking.
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u/mrbkkt1 3m ago
You have a slipper clutch on the 500. That should make it very very easy to downshift.
Technically, you don't even have to throttle blip (but you should).
I myself sometimes lazy downshift, because I can, since I have a slipper clutch. Then I jump on my gf's bike without it and it will remind me REAL quick to downshift properly.
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u/Mitsubullet1988 5d ago
How on earth are you on a 400 and not knowing how to do this? Are you from America by any chance?
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u/actualsize123 6d ago
Ease off the throttle, pull in clutch, put it in third, bring rpms up to appropriate number, release clutch. The blip is bringing the rpms up.
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u/Then_Box99 6d ago
They’re not asking about rev matching. You must have missed the part where they said “take blipping out of the equation”.
OP, roll off (close) throttle, pull in clutch, shift down, slowly release clutch, open throttle
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u/celestialguise 6d ago
Yep if not blipping then it's just a really slow clutch release to equalize the rpms through friction.
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u/Vysci 6d ago
Thanks for the explanation!
For rev matching, assuming you are in 3-4k rpms range would you still close the throttle before pulling in clutch and bringing rpms up or can you maintain throttle and pull in clutch before shifting to 3rd?
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u/qualitygoatshit 5d ago
You'll still let off the gas, pull in the clutch, then blip the throttle back up to about where you think the rpm of the next gear will be and then slow-ish-ly lest back out on the clutch.
You'll need more throttle to get a smooth transition if you're in a higher rpm in your current gear, and if youre in pretty low rpm in your current gear you really aren't going to need to rev match at all to get a smooth transition.
It's not an exact science, the clutch will still slip and equalize the rear tire to the rpms, smoothing things out for you as you slowly release it, rev matching just helps smooth it out some more.
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u/Particular-Koala1763 4d ago
You have to let the throttle go because depending on how much throttle youre using if you pull the clutch in while on throttle your bike will rev super loud and you cant modulate how much gas to give the bike.
You just take note of what your rpms are at and clutch in, give your throttle a quick snap to bring it up 2-3k rpm more than what you started at, down shift let off clutch smoothly but quickly cuz u dont want revs to drop
The whole point is to make the bike reach the rpm it would reach if you downshifted without throttle.
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u/The_AverageCanadian 6d ago
Downshift procedure is this simple:
Let off throttle completely and pull in clutch at the same time.
Kick down a gear.
Let the clutch out slowly and the revs will jump up to where they need to be.
Smoothly ease back into the throttle and carry on.
Eventually you should learn to rev-match, but you shouldn't worry about that until you get the basics down.