Engine Braking

[jackflash]

I engine brake my RT1200 hard in the twisties. Is this hard on the BMW engine or not? Don't see how to ride the twisties hard without doing it. Bad habit or good habit?

[CMWingfield]

Hi,

Brake pads cost much less than clutch plates. I'd advise using the brakes as much as you can versus engine braking, but you gotta do what you gotta do!

Mike

[ryo]

I agree or as we used to say, brake parts are cheaper than engine parts so which would prefer to stress.

[David]

Engine braking itself is not at all hard on your engine, while it can be hard on your clutch unless your technique is good.

 

Basic Principle: Be in whatever gear you need to be in next, based on what you anticipate. If that gear provides some braking, take advantage of it, but don't change gears in order to slow down--change gears in order to be prepared for what's next.

 

Basic Principle: Use your brakes to stop. They are more easily modulated and it's easier to apply braking to the appropriate wheel.

[Ken/OC]

Engine braking itself is not at all hard on your engine, while it can be hard on your clutch unless your technique is good.

 

Not too difficult. Just match the RPMs to the bike's speed as you downshift (blip throttle as necessary) before releasing the clutch. Don't use the clutch to slow down! I've always admired the people I've followed in the twisties (Jim Moore is an example) who spanked through the curves with nary a flash of the brake light.

[jackflash]

Thanks for the tips. Learn something new everday around here...

Now, I need to create a new habit.

[Eschelon1]

Uuuhm, you don't want to engine brake too hard through the turn, you could loose rear wheel traction & slide out.

 

Ideally you want to slow down enough before the turn so you can get back on the gas as you hit the peak of your apex

 

Easier said than done, but fun!

 

 

Prepare to launch 1150RT... Engine room make revolutions for 12 mph... Control room, engage clutch... more engine!... more clutch!... more engine!... more clutch!

[jackflash]

I don't ever brake of any kind thru a turn. Always before the turn and power thru. I do understand the physics of that.

[Ken H.]

Engine be for going faster. Brakes be for going slower.

[xyzfrankh]

Prefer brakes for slow, gears for go. i.e. you do use the engine to slow, if you are in the correct gear, closing the throttle is a very effective way of slowing done and causes no problem for the engine and saves the brakes. what you should not do is change to a gear too low for your speed and then dump the clutch!!

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Why would you want to save the brakes?

They don't fade on any but the most severe alpine riding.

They give more than reasonable service life.

David said it best,

 

Engine braking is at best a sloppy, hard to modulate means of slowing the bike. Unless you have no need for shifting and plan on riding the road ahead in only one gear, you are far better off using the brakes rather than the motor. I am talking large changes in speed here not merely dropping a couple of mph on corner entry.

[RFW]

Hi,

Brake pads cost much less than clutch plates. I'd advise using the brakes as much as you can versus engine braking, but you gotta do what you gotta do!

Mike

 

Clutch plates do not wear at all as a result of engine braking, unless you are constantly shifting down. And even then, clutch wear is insignificant from sinply shifting. Clutches wear as mainly as a result of clutch slippage when starting out from a stop. Slipage does not occur when simply shifting.

 

That said, the old adage of brake pads being cheaper than engines, is still valid. But when one is in the twisties, the trick is to keep the engine in the power band, and that requires shifting. Needlessly gearing down just for engine braking (followed by upshifting immediately after) doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

As for wear on the engine, it isn't as bad as it sounds. Engine wear is at its worst when one is under heavy throttle, since the pistons, and bearings are under heavy loads, and the rings are forced hard against the cylinder walls. Operating a motor at high RPM without a significant load (as in engine braking) is not a high wear scenario because the load on engine parts is nearly zero. Pure RPM alone, subjects the motor only to very light loads and negligible wear.

 

Still, needlessly excessive downshifting to gain engine braking may make one feel a little like Joe Racer, but it is rather pointless.

 

Bob.

[jackflash]

Now this, I can comprehend. Your writing style is great!

 

I just did a couple of hundred miles in mostly twisties today and used the brakes a lot more. Hey, ya know what? Those things really do slow down a bike!! Went from the worst STEEP uphill hairpin I know of in FIRST gear to 120 on some straights on my R1200RT. If the BMW engine is tough, I'll find out. Thanks for all the good advice!

 

 

 

Engine be for going faster. Brakes be for going slower.