It may be a bad habit I've brought over from driving, but I tend to rev-match when I downshift and I've heard numerous reports of it being one of the contributing reasons my last bike died.

Anyways, anyone do it regularly on an F4i? These things don't have slipper clutches so I feel it would be a good way to compensate, but I'd like to know if anyone else has this habit and hasn't blown up trannies and clutches? I find it's particularly useful when it comes to having to change gears around a corner I misjudged as to not disrupt the bike's flow.

 

How would it be a contributing reason to your last bike dying? If anything it will take much much less load and shock off of your transmission. Revving a bike will not kill it unless you have bad oil pressure (or the bike is cold and you're ripping on it), or the oil is dirty and stops its job of being a lubricant.

Exactly what do you mean by "Died"? spun a rod bearing, melted a piston, etc?

 

I had a bunch of things in my tranny snap. Mind you, this wasn't a Japanese bike, so it might have been build quality. My next bike will be an F4i, I'm just asking for future reference.

And you're right, the reason I rev-match is to reduce load and shock, but several people have told me it's horrible to do it on a bike.

 

Those people are dumb. Rev matching is a normal procedure.

 

Those people know nothing about how engine or a transmissions work. Now I have built numerous car engines and know a lot about transmissions, but not too familiar with bike transmissions. From what I know, coming from an engineering standpoint rev matching will not hurt a thing, this is what every rider SHOULD be doing. Especially on the street as it can reduce long term wear dramatically.

 

how do u know when to rev match? at what rpm and miles u do it at?

 

huh? you rev match when downshifting to match the revs of the next gear.

 

I'm not sure about everyone else but my "rev-matching" just consists of a little snap on the throttle when I shift before I let the clutch out...

 

To avoid confusion - you should blip the throttle when the clutch is pulled in, increasing the revs and more likely to match the revolutions of the rear wheel. This will be nicer on the bike all round, but most importantly will stop the rear wheel hopping if braking hard into a corner. This is a technique I think all test centres should instruct learners to do. Its far far safer practice than people image. Not only that, it sounds better and adds a little extra to the riding experience...
well thats my two cents worth anyway...

 

Not a bad habit. Something we all do, probably, by force of habit. We had a big discussion on dowshifting a couple of weeks ago.

But if you break it down, how and when are you shifting? On a straight road, say approaching a distant stoplight where you know you have to stop and shift back into first, do you row down through the gears, declutching each time?

I don't. I roll off the throttle and slow down with brakes and with the clutch out. There's essentially no engine braking with the F4i. At some point, the clutch comes in and I snick down to either neutral or first without releasing the clutch with each shift.

Into a corner requiring a shift, I set up the line and the entry speed first, while simultaneously selecting the exit gear and releasing the clutch before the corner entry so I'm set for the exit. If you need to rev match, I guess that's the place.

But the thing is, if you select the right gear, the revs will more or less match because you've set the right speed already with front braking. You're not going to get much engine braking to spike the revs and if you do, you're one gear too low.

I read something a while ago written by one one of the GP racers, Rossi or Hayden or some such, that had this advice: On a four-cylinder bike, better to be in a gear slightly too low for the exit. On a twin, better to be slightly too high. Makes sense.