How do you slow down?

[Wrider]

Do you downshift and engine brake?

Do you downshift without engine braking and use your brakes?

Just brakes and downshift later on?

Personally I blip the throttle, downshift, and engine brake with my hands covering the brakes, activating my brake lights.

This started quite a thread over on kawiforums, with a know-it-all Brit coming in saying you should just brake while keeping the engine revved a little and downshifting as you slow down. To me that sounds pretty stupid. Easy to screw up if you need to get out of there and drop the clutch on a revved motor.

What do y'all do?

[Grant H.]

Mostly engine brake / down shift early on while using just enough rear brake to activate the lights, then start adding front brakes as necessary.

[Clovis]

I primarily just engine break. I can't do as well on the FJR due to linked breaks but I drag the tail break to bleed off a little more speed.

It's a personal riding preference. I prefer to keep the same speed on the straights and the corners meaning that I slow down over little. Others like to accelerate and hard break before hitting the corner.

In either case you want to be at your desired speed before hitting the corner. Breaking too hard in the corner can cause the bike to stand up. Stomping the rear too hard can cause the wheel to slide and fish tail so the "dragging" method takes a little bit of practice.

Most of the time though, Engine breaking is sufficient to reduce speed.

[Chaos]

Slow down to a stop? or just to shed off some speed?
Normal street riding, I've always been one to slow with both brakes at the same time, Clutch pulled in but down shifting the gears 1 at a time to be in the right gear to match the speed, just in case I need to let out the clutch to manuever for whatever reason. Not that it's a lot of wear, but I'd rather replace brakes than add wear to the engine/trans/chain/sprockets to slow the bike. (yes I know it's microscopic...but it makes me feel better ) This is how I drive my manual trans cars as well.


Now spirited riding in the twisties/mountains etc.. is a little different situation.

[#1Townie]

Need more info for the reasons. If its something like a emergency stop depending on how fast i am its normally a double down shift followed buy front and rear breaks. If its just slowing for a turn i may only use the front and i might come down one gear. Depending on speed. If its for the canyons and im kind of pushing it i will do a combination of the first two just do drop the speed and than maintain power to push the turn. Just all depends on whats going on.

[Bueller]

Depends on the type of riding and the bike being ridden.

[rforsythe]

Really it just depends on how quickly I intend to slow down. Motorcycles are equipped with a couple different means of decreasing speed, which one you use and how much will vary with how rapidly you need to not be going as fast as you are right now.

[irdave]

It totally depends on everything, like Dave said.

But then I thought about it more. Me? I tend to hammer both brakes and shut the thing down. I mean, really. On the Zuma with the big engine, big pipe and big carb, hammer both. SM, hammer both, change down to whatever gear is appropriate to drive out of the corner (no blipping), and drive out...

Yeah, I don't ride on the street much anymore.

[madvlad]

If on the street at a slow pace coming to a stop or a light just both brakes at the same time and keep it in first with the clutch in and if rather spirited pace it's all about the engine brake!

[salsashark]

I have a small bag of cat litter mounted to the front of the bike. Open that sucker up to increase available material to brake against, then grab a handful of front brake... That'll get you stopped in a hurry.

[#1Townie]

I have a small bag of cat litter mounted to the front of the bike. Open that sucker up to increase available material to brake against, then grab a handful of front brake... That'll get you stopped in a hurry.

Lol

[TransNone13]

Blip with both brakes generally. Idk why, but my bike can put some rear brake down without locking up.

[Wrider]

FWIW I meant just everyday slowing down while riding in town kind of slowing down.

When I'm slowing down for a corner, it's definitely still in gear, using brakes.

When I'm emergency stopping I'm braking with the clutch in, downshifting as I go, not engine braking.

Am I the only one here who rarely uses my rear brake (basically emergency only)?

[TransNone13]

FWIW I meant just everyday slowing down while riding in town kind of slowing down.

When I'm slowing down for a corner, it's definitely still in gear, using brakes.

When I'm emergency stopping I'm braking with the clutch in, downshifting as I go, not engine braking.

Am I the only one here who rarely uses my rear brake (basically emergency only)?

IDK? Try braking front brake only, then braking both. I'm sure you have, but if you pay attention when you give it a little rear it limits the compression of the front forks.

[#1Townie]

FWIW I meant just everyday slowing down while riding in town kind of slowing down.

When I'm slowing down for a corner, it's definitely still in gear, using brakes.

When I'm emergency stopping I'm braking with the clutch in, downshifting as I go, not engine braking.

Am I the only one here who rarely uses my rear brake (basically emergency only)?

Oh im neutral sitting up no hands on bars just using rear. Not really. Sometimes. I try to maintain a gear and power just in case i need it to avoid something. But normally front and rear are applied in all my stopping.

[Wrider]

Yeah I've tried using both, but honestly my rear brake is pretty weak and locks up pretty easily so I tend not to use it unless I need to.

As far as being in neutral using just rear... Done that before too haha.

[TFOGGuys]

Apparently, I just lock the front and then park an FZ1 under an Accord...

[TransNone13]

Apparently, I just lock the front and then park an FZ1 under an Accord...

[Nick_Ninja]

I drag my feet

[asp_125]

Street, mostly downshift, blip, front brake. A little rear brake when necessary.
Track, mostly downshift, blip, all front brake. I don't have the skillz to back it in yet.

Again, the real answer is, it depends on the bike, the speed and the corner you are approaching. On my previous SV650 and Ducati 750, I used the v-twin's massive engine braking to just roll on and off the throttle down Hwy 7. On the Gixxer there wasn't much engine braking so more brakes were used. On the VFR there is some, so again it's different.

[asp_125]

I drag my feet

Fred Flintstone style FTW!

[willb003]

What are brakes?

[TransNone13]

What are brakes?

??????

[3point5]

I love rapidly down-shifting and let my exhaust note run free…sorta an audible brake light…but yea, I do use the brakes even if it's just to light up my brake lights