How to Match Rev Downshift a Motorcycle - 56juqingba: How-to instructions you can trust

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Reviewed by Jason Shackelford

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 Approved

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This article was reviewed by Jason Shackelford. Jason Shackelford is the Owner of Stingray Auto Repair, a family owned and operated auto repair shop with locations in Seattle and Redmond, Washington. He has over 24 years of experience in auto repair and services, and every single technician on Jason’s team has more than 10 years of experience.

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Downshifting a motorcycle can be accomplished in several ways. First, you can simply pop it down a gear without using the clutch by putting a little pressure on the shifter and closing the throttle. This method is not particularly recommended as it is hard on the bike. Second, you can pull the clutch in, select the next gear, then let the clutch out slowly to smooth the transition. Perhaps the best method, though, is the matched rev downshift method described below.

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Things You Should Know

Use your index and middle fingers to brake while keeping your ring and pinky fingers on the throttle.
Pull in the clutch and select the next gear.
Still holding the clutch in, use the palm of your hand and/or your ring and pinky fingers to rev the engine slightly.
Let the clutch back out to engage the next gear.

Steps

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1 You will have to be used to using the front brake with only one or two fingers in order to downshift this way. It is best to use your index and middle fingers to brake while keeping your ring and pinky fingers on the throttle. ^{[1] X Research source}
2 After you begin braking, pull in the clutch and select the next gear like you would normally. Advertisement
3 Here is the tricky part. Still holding the clutch in, use the palm of your hand and/or your ring and pinky fingers to rev the engine slightly. ^{[2] X Research source}
4 Remember to keep braking smoothly with your index and middle fingers. ^{[3] X Research source}
5 When the engine is revved up slightly, let the clutch back out to engage the next gear. The goal here is to match the revolutions of the engine to what they need to be to travel the same speed in the lower gear. This smooths the transition between gears and eliminates the need to slip the clutch quite as much. ^{[4] X Research source}
6 If the bike jerks forward when you let the clutch out the engine was turning too fast. Don’t rev it as much next time.
7 If the bike rapidly slows, the engine wasn’t turning fast enough so you need to rev it more before releasing the clutch.
8 Repeat each time you shift down a gear. This technique is especially useful in the lower gears, which generally have a wider gap between gear ratios.
9 Finished.

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Question Do you have to brake while rev matching, or can you rev match without brake? Community Answer Yes you can do it without braking, no matter why you’re going down a gear, blip the throttle. If you’re coming to a stop or slowing down, always use at least a little brake just so people behind see your brake light so they know what you are doing. Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful.
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Question Do dirt bikes have to rev match too? CrayFish715 Community Answer No, not really. Rev matching is a performance riding technique, so you don’t have to do it on any bike. It’s tricky to do rev matching on a dirt bike as they are single cylinder, and the power doesn’t come on and off gently. Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful.
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Question Does it spoil the bike if one downshifts too fast while slowing down? Community Answer No, but you’ll get engine braking, which is when the bike is trying to go faster than the selected gear will allow. It’s likely to throw you forward a bit depending on the speed and the gear, so if you drop into a particularly low gear at a high speed it can be quite dangerous. Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful.
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Tips

Practice makes perfect. If you don’t get this right away, keep trying, eventually it becomes second nature. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
If you are just learning to ride, I would recommend learning to brake with two fingers, but not worrying about this method of downshifting until you are more comfortable on the bike. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

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Warnings

Find an empty lot or road with little traffic when first learning this technique, or any other new maneuver on a motorcycle for that matter. Thanks Helpful 29 Not Helpful 3
Do not practice shifting techniques while turning, if you cause the bike to jerk during the shift you could throw yourself out of balance and potentially crash. It’s best to practice while going straight and level. Thanks Helpful 32 Not Helpful 6