You're SERIOUSLY paranoid about this. Unless you drop it into first on the freeway you'll be fine. I've used the engine to slow down on all the vehicles I've ever owned, including my f4i, and I've put about 16k miles without a hiccup. Just enjoy the bike, the last thing you need in your head while riding is some arbitrary worry like this, theres enough on the road to watch out for without adding something pointless to focus on.

 

Exactly just focus on riding. Personally I always tap the front brake even when coasting to flash the brake light and usually keep an eye on my mirrors as well especially during hard braking.

Have fun and don't be afraid to engine brake or downshift. Practice the proper technique by blipping the throttle for downshifts as well. Losing the rear end will scare you a couple times but you'll soon realize it's totally controllable. It shouldn't happen in a corner if you're in the right gear before you go into said corner - plus you can always grab a bunch of clutch if you're in too low of a gear.

but yeah engine BREAKING is bad.

 

Brakes all the way. I'm now in the habit of lightly touching my rear brake anytime I'm slowing down. Kuroshio is right. That driver is on your *** because he didn't realize you were slowing down and I bet you get pissed because they're so close. Brake lights are our visual cue to slow down. Think of it this way. Have you ever driven behind a car or truck with non-functioning brake lights? Now think of a bike with a brake light that's about 20% the lens area. Riding is great but load the deck in your favor. Be visible and safe.

 

pantsonfire I understand all of this but I tried to state already that for any consideration that goes into this question, safety should be left out

 

OK, (I think you're crazy for saying safety should be left out, but) listed in most likely destructive order, the things that effect mechanical wear are:

1. Clean intake air.

2. Lubrication.

3. RPM/hours.


Running an engine with no air filter for an extended period of time WILL result is premature ring and cylinder wear!

Insufficient lubrication, like at start up, when the oil hasn't circulated and is not yet up to normal pressure, is a huge wear factor. Dirty or broken down lubricants run a close second. Not being up to the correct operating temperature before really pushing the mechanical bits runs a very close third. Combining any, or all three, leads to shorter than normally expected mechanical wear or breakdown.

Clean intake air, oil, and temperature are key factors to engine longevity.

The other primary variable in engine/drive-line wear is RPM/hours. Mechanical wear and stress occurs faster the faster the components are moving. It doesn't really work this way, (There's lots of physics and mechanical engineering involved, as RPM increases the stresses grow exponentially) but you could kind of look at things like this... An engine that runs for 10,000 hours at 6,000 RPM will see half as much wear and stress as an engine that runs for the same amount of time at 12,000 RPM. So, in other words, an engine that is wound out to red-line it's whole life will live a shorter life-time than one that is driven moderately most of it's life, with the occasional flogging on weekends. (This assumes both engines received similar care.)

Engine braking forces the RPMs up higher. Not getting the rev-matching right causes the clutch (and the rest of the drive-line) to wear faster.

With all of that said, these bikes are designed for high RPM, and high output. So, as long as you keep the intake air clean, the oil fresh, let the drive-line warm up before pushing the bike, and aren't constantly running at red-line, the amount of wear caused by correctly executed engine braking will be relatively minimal.

The keys are proper maintenance, proper warm up, correct rev-matching when shifting, and not beating the **** out of the bike. If you can do all of those things you aren't going to hurt the bike by driving it the way Honda designed it to be driven.

 

Hmm... I'm getting the "but its soooo cool" feel here. Mechanically speaking, unless you consistently **** up the downshift, the engine will outlast your ownership of the bike.

Now banging down thru the gears sounds cool, engine screaming the whole way to the stop and fading to a low rumble. But I do not promote cool over safe. Stop worrying about your engine and start worrying about being a statistic cause a statement like that shows a good way to become one.

You started this thread mentioning pissed off drivers behind you. I can almost guarantee its because they don't know you're stopping and more than one has almost eaten you for lunch. That should be you primary concern here: why are there pissed off drivers behind you? Who gives a **** about an engine if it's lifespan will end in a mangled wreck?

The engine will be fine. YOU will be DEAD if you don't start worrying bout the right things.
[/pissed off]

 

There is pretty much no reason not to flash your brake lights. If you're coasting to a stop light, keep an eye on your mirrors and flash the brake light if necessary to let the guy behind you know what's up. If you're braking hard, your brake light is on.

People talk about how they like to be in 1st gear at a stop light (I do, until there are a couple cars stopped behind me, or it's really late at night), but similarly, if you're braking from 6th gear and not downshifting and suddenly need to get on the gas, you're not gonna get very far.

You can front brake, rear brake, and downshift at the same time. For me when I really need to brake hard, I just use front brake and engine braking. I have not yet learned the art of backing it into a corner.

When I'm braking but not all that hard, I use front only or front and rear with lower rpm engine braking. Cars do it too, I really can't understand you people who absolutely don't downshift while braking. It's NOT dangerous just PRACTICE!!!

 

kuroshio I do not mean to go against you or anyone else, by stating the pissed off driver I tried to make it clear that I understood the safety aspect of what I was doing and how dangerous it is. My focus in this thread has been primarily on what is the correct method of coming to a stop and which one causes less wear on the bike. At this point in time I can see that if downshifting properly, the engine rpm's are forced up and doing this would affect the engines life span, compared to just clutch in, go to neutral, and coast/lightly brake to a stop.

 

madman thankyou, its as if everyone thinks I am getting all the way in the left lane and coasting from a mile a way or something. When I do have those pissed off drivers I simply switch lanes, simple as that, all I have to do is check my mirrors and see which lane would be the most appropriate to switch to. thats why I asked everyone to take safety out of the issue. Braking hard, depending on how hard it is, if really hard just clutch in and f/r brake. But if its still hard but not that bad I f/r brake and engine brake.

But for normal coasting to a red light, I just dont know if using ONLY the brakes and pulling in the clutch and immadiately shifting down to neutral would be bad for the clutch/tranny, as compared to engine braking.


also wagzhp thank you for explaining the engine side of engine braking, what do you think about coasting with the bike in neutral? No damage right? As long as the engine is on, oil is still being transferred to the tranny I assume

 

It's controversial, but to me, it's never safe coasting in neutral. Even if coasting to a red light/stop sign. I've made this a habit to always be in gear sequence. I can hang the clutch and only use the F/R brake to a stop but never coast in neutral. Occasionally, I may go from 5th to 2nd for a running wheelie...LOL...but that's my younger days.... The only time bike is in neutral is when I'm servicing it, pushing it here and there. Or maybe if a stop light is too long, i'll put in neutral to take a break and check out that hot chick in the car next to me... Even if bike is parked, it's in first gear. Avoid those kickstand Opps....