Chirp when downshifting

[Gibbelstein]

Leigh,
Are you saying that my 6 months of bike ownership (lifetime total, by the way) doesn't qualify me for such maneuvers? I suppose next you'll say I shouldn't try to jump the Snake River Canyon this weekend after all...

[Allie]

You know, I have to ask this, just in case... you don't have a canary in your gearbox do you?

[Leigh]

Leigh,
Are you saying that my 6 months of bike ownership (lifetime total, by the way) doesn't qualify me for such maneuvers? I suppose next you'll say I shouldn't try to jump the Snake River Canyon this weekend after all...

Oh no, not at all.
So long as you make sure the cape on your star spangled suit flaps in the right direction you should be fine ..

You do have a star spangled suit don't you?
It's a necessity!!


Just to be serious for a second, the others have the right answers for you.
Check your pressures and learn to give the throttle a bit of a blip on the downchange.
You can wait until you drop your revs a bit more too, these bikes don't mind running a bit lower in the rev range.
Plus, next time you change your oil, check for canary feathers just in case Allie is right...

[Buffalo Bill]

Duh?

6 months of bike ownership

Nuf said…

[Allie]

Plus, next time you change your oil, check for canary feathers just in case Allie is right...

Hey you never know. I once had mice living in my bike, they'd bail off the side whenever I would put the bike in gear to leave my driveway. Finally as the spring wore on I decided it was warm enough to remove the nest so they'd finally get the hint and move on.

[Gibbelstein]

You know, I have to ask this, just in case... you don't have a canary in your gearbox do you?

Allie, No canary. There did seem to be 2 finches and a mallard, but the finches were extremely polite and wouldn't speak unless spoken to. They're now off the suspect list. I tried questioning the mallard and he was pretty tight lipped about the whole thing. I'm 48 hours into waterboarding him now. He'll talk. Oh yes, he'll talk...

You do have a star spangled suit don't you?
It's a necessity!!

Leigh, I was hoping not to be called out on it, but I did purchase a cut-rate cape through a local manufacturer. It was made by my neighbor's grandmother who is legally blind. She did a pretty good job, but she seems to have sewn at least three ribbon candies in places of the gems and spangles. I didn't have the heart to tell her, and also it has helped me to freshen my breath when I meet women. I guess I still feel pretty good about purchasing locally, and not from some off shore source like Hawaii.

[tatu]

Just to be serious for a second, the others have the right answers for you.
Check your pressures and learn to give the throttle a bit of a blip on the downchange.
You can wait until you drop your revs a bit more too, these bikes don't mind running a bit lower in the rev range.

I'm not sure that blipping the throttle does anything apart from spin the crank up, as the drive train is isolated at the clutch.
Sounds sporty though.
Increasing revs as the clutch goes out after downshift will help match cogs but as they're in constant mesh not much is gained by messing about.
Just saying.
Also, I think that these clutches run pretty dry already due to centrifugal force.

[gearheadE30]

Well, spinning the crank up is precisely the point. while braking or whenever you're doing it, clutch in, blip the throttle and downshift, and let the clutch up as you are letting off the throttle. Do it right and you don't hardly feel the downshift and it's all seamless. otherwise, when you let the clutch out, the rotation of the gearbox due to wheel rotation has to accelerate all of the inertia of the engine to the right speed, which puts a lot of shock loading on the drivetrain and can chirp the tire. Like you said, motorcycle transmissions are constant mesh, and don't need to be double clutched. Actually, it's impossible to due to the neutral detent location. It's kind of an odd esoteric thing to explain via the internet though haha.

[koolaid_kid]

I'm not sure that blipping the throttle does anything apart from spin the crank up, as the drive train is isolated at the clutch.
Sounds sporty though.
Increasing revs as the clutch goes out after downshift will help match cogs but as they're in constant mesh not much is gained by messing about.
Just saying.
Also, I think that these clutches run pretty dry already due to centrifugal force.

I am afraid I cannot agree.
1) The clutch is always somewhat engaged with the engine. To test, put your bike on the centerstand, start the engine, pull in the clutch and put it in gear. Watch the rear wheel. I bet you a beer the rear wheel will turn.
2) This makes for smoother downshifts and allows the engine synch up with the transmission much more smoothly.
3) The clutch plates always have oil on them; it is required for them to function properly.