As a young gun I always used to blip on down shifts. I then had about 8 years off the bikes and when I returned (and to this day) I stopped blipping. I've just had the gearbox on my 1098R rebuilt and rumbled. I just wondered if I contributed to its demise by my non blippage?? I'm a regular track dayer on my sublime and bonkers 1098R....
I blip changing down but only if Im not on the brakes (I know, I know....gears for go, brakes for slow). If Im on the brakes its just a gradual clutch release to get the rear up to speed. I'd love to learn how to blip whilst on the brakes but I can't seem to separate the lever pressure from the blipping action if that makes sense.....makes it all a bit jerky!
I guess it depends on how progressive you are letting out the clutch and if you have a slipper fitted? Thinking logically (not always good with Ducati) the clutch disengages the gears allowing you to change down so there should be no pressure on the 'box if the clutch is in. It's all about how you re-engage the gears which dictates how much abuse the box gets. Dumping the clutch is going to be tougher than a gradual process. Please anyone correct me if I'm thinking about this the wrong way
If you were riding it hard enough to be punishing the gearbox due to not blipping and letting the clutch out sharply then I'd expect you would be locking the rear wheel a lot and sliding into corners. Assuming this is not happening then I would say that whilst you are giving it a little bit more punishment, you dont have too much to worry about as it's not going to be much different to the average road user who doesn't know about rev matching.
Maybe I'm not understanding what you are saying correctly, but you dont need to blip whilst you are on the brake lever. You just come off the brakes and blip it before letting the clutch out. It will need a little bit more of a blip than what you are doing at the moment without braking.
If you have a slipper clutch then you don't need to blip, just bang down as many gears as required and let the clutch sort out the engine to road speed as it slips. kev
Not Im talking for track. Adjusting speed and using engine braking (slapped wrist from IAM lot) I'll dip clutch, blip and let clutch out. For track, there's no coasting on a closed throttle....its all brakes. So its on the brake, dip clutch, change down, bip to bring revs up for new gear (whilst still on the brake), release clutch. Effectively its a manual slipper clutch to give better stability but its beyond my abilities!
Funny, now that you're going through it, I can't think if I do the same or not. Only just been out on the bike as well!
Never blipped. Just bang down the gears and release progressively. But I agree with Kev, get a slipper. Its a must on a big V Twin.
Blipping is essential as far as I'm concerned, unless you have some of the new fangle clutch sorcery. For me slipping is too slow.
I have two bikes that have slipper clutches but also have a 748R engined 748S and I don't have a slipper fitted. As I have used this on the track a couple of times I have always blipped the throttle even while heavily on the brakes. I don't use two fingers to brake but the whole back of the hand to blip and have no trouble. I think it's because I have a very soft return spring to return the throttle to it's stop. My 998, which has a slipper clutch, requires a lot to turn the throttle due to a heavy spring and really I find it quite necessary to have a slipper clutch in this bike, If you get a really good "blip" out of the throttle I think you will have less problems.
Two slippers, two bikes. 848: brake, clutch, down 3, dump clutch...sorted Gixer: brake, clutch, down 3. Dump clutch...slide chatter oh feck Another observation. On Ducati you can blip and slowly let clutch out ( do on multi) and revs still match. On IL4 if you let clutch out as lazy, revs have dropped and lock rear. Road Race Riding Techniques explains it as a flick of the clutch on bilp, not a pull and realease. I find this works better on the gixer
All in my humble opinion.... I blip, but there really is no need; just an old habit I can't get out of... It's an old two stroke thing to make sure that the crank is getting oil via the petrol; as a 14k revving engine on downshift with no petrol / oil to the crank is not a good thing; so blipping as you down shift feeds oil to the dry crank... Can't see the point in doing it on a 4 stroke; other than it sounds good... Most blips will be to about 4-6 krpm? back wheel probably won't chatter at that speed; and as soon as you roll off, the revs will die, reducing the minimal effect. If you don't want the back end to step out, then get a good slipper clutch...
I blip all the time. It reduces wear and stress on the entire drivetrain, eliminates wheel lock ups, and keeps the bike more stable under down changes. And another excuse to hear them Termis LOL! What's not to like?
I've got a sigma slipper but I tend to go easy now on the box (someone else mentioned chocolate gear box) I let the revs drop more and change down later than I would on a jap bike. Treat a Duc like a lady and not a 1 nt stand :Hungover:
