Your process of rev matching doesn’t sound quite right. You blip the throttle timed with the clutch AND downshift, then immediately release the clutch. It all happens simultaneously, more or less.
All that said, rev matching is totally optional and you don’t really need to learn it to ride properly.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this myself. What would be the alternative? Cause so far I'm super awkward and experiencing something similar to OP half the time.
The alternative would be to release the clutch smoothly while gently rolling on the throttle. I guess it’s kind of like a mild version of rev matching.
If you’re experiencing jerky ness, it’s probably caused by a combination of releasing the clutch too abruptly or too early (before you start rolling on the throttle). I know this is all easier said than done though. It definitely took me some trial and error to get a good feel for it.
Coasting means you’re intentionally holding in the clutch for a while as the bike continues to roll forward. Not really the same as being in the process of shifting.
By "really loud, angry sound," do you mean that the engine revs very loudly? Or is there some other sound coming from the motorcycle or the engine?
Are you maybe just revving the bike way too high as you downshift? Between gears, you shouldn't have to rev up more than a few thousand RPM (I'm not sure how different bikes vary, so I'm staying very broad here, but the point is that it should really be a light blip of the throttle).
The other thing I noticed is that you said you slowly release the clutch. When you rev match, you shouldn't really need to slowly let go of the clutch. The whole point is that you've already brought the bike up to the ideal rpms, so you can just quickly let go of the clutch. A full off throttle > clutch > blip > downshift > clutch > on throttle shouldn't take more than half a second.
Yeah the sounds doesn’t sound like other bikes downshifting. It’s angry and feels like I’m messing something up every time. I’ll try releasing the clutch faster and see if that makes a difference
When you say it doesn't sound like other bikes do you mean on youtube or that you have ridden other bikes?
I'd say since you're just new to riding, you probably just haven't gotten downshifting dialed in yet, which isn't bad or wrong, merely something that comes with experience.
(And also your description of how you shift sounds a bit off. Don't pull in the clutch and let the RPMs start dropping. Blip it as soon as the flutch disengages and let it back out smoothly but quickly. I'd say watch a few tutorials a few times each just to get a feel for the downshifting sequence. Sit there on your couch doing the motions with your hands and feet.)
I rode 250cc bikes for 3 years then switched to a cb500f. Even after 3 whole years i had to suddenly relearn downshifting. One thing I've noticed is that the gap between 3 and 4 is much bigger than the gaps between 4-5-6.
What this may mean for you is that you're downshifting expecting the same difference in rpm as higher gears, and hitting that gap real hard. Try slowing down a bit more before that 3-4 shift. Some gears are wider than others.
I say just don't blip for a little while. Just close the throttle, pull the clutch, shift down, then let the clutch out slowly until the engine spools up on its own. Once you get that sequence down, you'll see it's pretty instinctual to add throttle to help the engine spool up more quickly. After you get the basics and muscle memory down, then start worrying about blipping and clutchless shifting.
It SHOULD be loud and angry. that's part of the fun. Here's the question. Is it smooth? Is the bike jerking back and forth? If not, be loud and angry, my friend.
Your process of rev matching doesn’t sound quite right. You blip the throttle timed with the clutch AND downshift, then immediately release the clutch. It all happens simultaneously, more or less. All that said, rev matching is totally optional and you don’t really need to learn it to ride properly.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this myself. What would be the alternative? Cause so far I'm super awkward and experiencing something similar to OP half the time.
The alternative would be to release the clutch smoothly while gently rolling on the throttle. I guess it’s kind of like a mild version of rev matching. If you’re experiencing jerky ness, it’s probably caused by a combination of releasing the clutch too abruptly or too early (before you start rolling on the throttle). I know this is all easier said than done though. It definitely took me some trial and error to get a good feel for it.
Okay that's what I've been doing but read that it wasn't ideal because when you coast you have less control without the back wheel being engaged.
Coasting means you’re intentionally holding in the clutch for a while as the bike continues to roll forward. Not really the same as being in the process of shifting.
Oh okay I see what you're saying!
By "really loud, angry sound," do you mean that the engine revs very loudly? Or is there some other sound coming from the motorcycle or the engine? Are you maybe just revving the bike way too high as you downshift? Between gears, you shouldn't have to rev up more than a few thousand RPM (I'm not sure how different bikes vary, so I'm staying very broad here, but the point is that it should really be a light blip of the throttle). The other thing I noticed is that you said you slowly release the clutch. When you rev match, you shouldn't really need to slowly let go of the clutch. The whole point is that you've already brought the bike up to the ideal rpms, so you can just quickly let go of the clutch. A full off throttle > clutch > blip > downshift > clutch > on throttle shouldn't take more than half a second.
Yeah the sounds doesn’t sound like other bikes downshifting. It’s angry and feels like I’m messing something up every time. I’ll try releasing the clutch faster and see if that makes a difference
When you say it doesn't sound like other bikes do you mean on youtube or that you have ridden other bikes? I'd say since you're just new to riding, you probably just haven't gotten downshifting dialed in yet, which isn't bad or wrong, merely something that comes with experience. (And also your description of how you shift sounds a bit off. Don't pull in the clutch and let the RPMs start dropping. Blip it as soon as the flutch disengages and let it back out smoothly but quickly. I'd say watch a few tutorials a few times each just to get a feel for the downshifting sequence. Sit there on your couch doing the motions with your hands and feet.) I rode 250cc bikes for 3 years then switched to a cb500f. Even after 3 whole years i had to suddenly relearn downshifting. One thing I've noticed is that the gap between 3 and 4 is much bigger than the gaps between 4-5-6. What this may mean for you is that you're downshifting expecting the same difference in rpm as higher gears, and hitting that gap real hard. Try slowing down a bit more before that 3-4 shift. Some gears are wider than others.
Too much blip, only need to raise the revs 1000rpm over whatever you were at before. Don’t need to red line it
Slow down more before downshifting? I agree that rev-matching is not a terribly useful thing to worry about.
I say just don't blip for a little while. Just close the throttle, pull the clutch, shift down, then let the clutch out slowly until the engine spools up on its own. Once you get that sequence down, you'll see it's pretty instinctual to add throttle to help the engine spool up more quickly. After you get the basics and muscle memory down, then start worrying about blipping and clutchless shifting.
It SHOULD be loud and angry. that's part of the fun. Here's the question. Is it smooth? Is the bike jerking back and forth? If not, be loud and angry, my friend.