Doing engine braking isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, right? Only an experienced guy does it perfectly. You require lots of practice to make your timing accurate while doing engine braking on your motorcycle. But first of all, you should know, how do you engine brake on a motorcycle?
In this article, I’ll explain to you in simple words how to do an engine brake on your motorcycle and why you do that. I also write some cons that you should know before doing engine braking. So, don’t go anywhere without finishing this entire article.
3 Simple Steps To Do Engine Brake On Your Motorcycle:
Engine braking is arguably the best option to stop your motorcycle in an emergency situation. It is more effective than your motorcycle brakes or clutch braking. But you must need to do engine braking in a proper way for stopping your motorcycle in a quick time.
Doing engine braking is a little bit tougher for the newbies. You need lots of practice to do it effectively. Here I share such 3 simple steps to do engine brake on your motorcycle:
1. Pull The Clutch And Make Sure Low RPM:
The first step of engine braking is pulling the clutch in and making sure that it can low your RPM. What number of RPM is low for your motorcycle you should find out that first. Because this number varies from motorcycle to motorcycle.
You can understand the RPM’s conditions, whether it’s high or low, by listening to the sounds of your motorcycle or checking the tachometer. As an example, for my motorcycle, I require to shift in between 2500 to 3500 RPMs’. And I am also familiar with the sound of my motorcycle to understand the RPM’s number. Like me, you get to know your motorcycle first before engine braking.
2. Downshift The Gear Gradually:
In this step, you need to downshift your motorcycle gear gradually. For engine braking, shift down one gear from your current driving gear. Suppose, if you’re in the second gear, then downwards to the first gear for engine braking. Same as from the fourth gear to third gear and third gear to second gear. If you’re riding your motorcycle at 80 mph, then do engine braking when the speed down at 10 mph or 15 mph.
3. Slowly Release The Clutch:
To ensure a smoother transition between the gears, you require to release the clutch slowly. If you just pop the clutch, in that case, you just get hitched onwards by the slowdown. After that, your motorcycle gradually starts to slow down. After a few minutes, your motorcycle will stop assuredly through the engine braking when you release the clutch.
I know it’s not easy to fully understand the process of engine brake on a motorcycle by only reading, that’s why I attached the visual watch link of ‘how do you engine brake on a motorcycle.’ Watch it and practice as much as you can to become a pro on engine braking.
Why Do You Use Engine Braking Instead Of Your Motorcycle Brakes?
There are many good reasons to use engine braking instead of your motorcycle brakes, in my finding. Here are these reasons:
1. Safer Option For Emergency Brake:
When you face such a situation while you require to stop a motorcycle in moments to prevent an accident, always keep trust in engine braking in that situation. It adds extra stopping power to the rear brake of your motorcycle. As a result, your motorcycle stops more quickly in comparison to the usual brakes.
For an instant stop, I advise you to use your motorcycle brakes and engine braking. Engine braking is an excellent option to stop those old motorcycles whose braking system is not good enough. So, use engine braking accurately to control your motorcycle safely in an emergency.
2. Perfect For The Steep Tracks Riding:
While riding your motorcycle on a steep track, you should be more focused on controlling. Because it’s too difficult for the riders to keep control of their motorcycles while riding in such tracks. On steep tracks, experienced riders like me always use engine braking.
Due to loose rocks and pebbles, the traction is limited in the steep tracks. That’s why the brakes of your motorcycle are not able to handle the pressure. If you use only motorcycle brakes, there is a high risk of falling down and losing control. Your brakes will also overheat and fade when using them on a steep track. For these reasons, I prefer engine braking for steep tracks riding.
3. Saves Your Motorcycle’s Brake Pads And Fuels:
By using engine braking, you decrease the pressure from your motorcycle brake pads. Engine braking and the downshifting combo protect your motorcycle brake pads from wear and tear. As a result, you’re able to use the brake pads for more extended periods.
Engine braking also has an impact on saving your motorcycle fuel. It cuts off the entire fuel supply system of your motorcycle engine. Personally, I try both engine braking and regular brakes to stop my motorcycle. This is an experiment to understand how much fuel is consumed by them. And I find engine braking is the best way to stop a motorcycle for saving its fuel.
4. Easy Ride Off:
By using the engine brake, you’ll get an easy, comfortable ride off. It picks the right gear to slow down your motorcycle. One of the benefits of engine braking allows you to raise the speed of your motorcycle when required. So, to get an easy ride off, always use engine braking instead of motorcycle brakes.
What Are The Cons Of Engine Braking On A Motorcycle?
Here are the few cons of engine braking on a motorcycle:
1. Not Safe For The Newbies:
To be honest, engine breaking isn’t easy to perform for a newbie on the road. Because to do that, riders need to downshift the gears and control the RPMs. It might be difficult for the new riders to manage all of that. If they fail to manage that correctly, it could cause severe damages or physical injuries. That’s why I think engine braking isn’t safe for the newbies.
2. Random Use Creates Engine Wear:
When you randomly use engine braking to stop your motorcycle, it creates wear in the engine. And that decreases the lifespan of your motorcycle engine. So, don’t use engine braking for regularly stopping your motorcycle.
Final Few Words:
Engine braking is one kind of art. If you’re pro on it, you will definitely love to do that for stopping your motorcycle. But do you know if engine braking is good or bad for your motorcycle? To know that in detail, click here.
You may want to read:
How To Choose A Motorcycle That Fits You?
