Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

This is probably a silly question (but when has that ever stopped me asking! heheh), but I was wondering about the differences in how we all slow down to stop at lights, etc.

What techniques do people use - e.g. do you go through all the gears in slow progression, or do you come to a stop and then click down to first?

Just interested in people's comments on this.

I go through the gears so I'm already in 1st when I come to a stop. The less I have to do when that 230kg bike's stationary, the better!!

I just prefer to have both feet on the ground (or as close as I'll ever get to both feet on the ground....)

Slowing down.. don't do it.. JK


I drop down through the gears abit, using the engine to slow down, but still applying some brakes. then while braking, clutch in... Bout the only time I use the clutch, along with taking off.. obviously...

always....
the right gear for the right speed
so
I go down one at a time as I approach....
that way I can accelerate if I have to!
I don't wanna be sitting there with someone about to hit me up the
arse ...while i am trying to find 1st
however
I am not using the gears to stop, use the brakes for that!

same for me - I switch down gears so that if I need to take off for some reason I can
ty

I go down thru the gears as I brake. 99% of the time I do this.

And if I'm really cool, I'll take my hands off the bars, sit upright and use the rear brake to stop ...

Haven't quite got the technique rite for selecting neutral wif out the clutch yet, so I still use the clutch when I stop...

Flakey, yeah sometimes I'll do that if i'm bored.. hehehehe

I just dont stop....

Nar, usually drop through the gears as i brake, mainly front brakes a touch of rear

I go down the gears as I'm braking then clutch in as Im stopping
then select first gear.
It seems verythat I e rare ver down shift to 1st to slow down



mario

always....
the right gear for the right speed
so
I go down one at a time as I approach....
that way I can accelerate if I have to!
I don't wanna be sitting there with someone about to hit me up the
arse ...while i am trying to find 1st
however
I am not using the gears to stop, use the brakes for that!

hehehehe

Ahh.. it all depends.
Sometimes I roll up to the lights at whatever speed I'm doing and when I get there I pull the clutch in and grab a handful of front brake and let the rear wheel dangle in the breeze.

If I can see that the lights are about to turn green and I can see there is a school bus on the road about to get the red light, then I'll slow down to second and clutch it up through the intersection. (Also good for impressing other bike riders coming the other way, or for pedestrians waiting at the lights).

Othertimes, if there is no one behind me, I'll slow right down and coast up to the lights, going down through the gears and using the back brake, just so I don't have to put my feet down.

So many choices....

yeah pretty much I do what smitty does.

Yep, I change down through each gear as I approach the lights, and I give the throttle a blip as I do each one to match the speeds a bit better...plus it sounds good

So, does that mean you can gear down without using the clutch? I didn't know that...

yes you certainly can. However sometimes some bikes kick up a stink and watn you to at
least release the clutch *slightly* so that it can be sent to the next lowest gear. But that hardly
happens anyway, and if it's not happened yet to you, i dont think it'll happen any time soon.