Downshifting Techniques for the Track: Blipping or Slipping?

Something that every rider will have done many times on both the road and track is perform downshifts. It’s also more than likely something that isn’t given a second thought for many of these riders.

There is however a more ideal way (or couple of ways) to downshift on a motorcycle that will help you keep the bike stable and maximise the slowing benefit you get from engine braking.

Some riders (I would say the majority) will adopt the method of blipping the throttle as they make their downshifts. Others will opt for the method of slipping the clutch back in after selecting the lower gear. But what is the best way?

Before we get into correct technique and which is best, let’s first have a quick look at what we’re trying to achieve while going down the gears.

What we want from our downshifts

There are two things we’re looking to achieve when downshifting. The first is to match the engine rpm to (or keep it as close to) the lower gear we are about to engage.

In the simplest terms, if you let the revs drop right down to the point where there is a vast difference between engine rpm and the lower gear you are selecting, when you come to release the clutch lever and engage the new gear, the rear wheel is forced to slow down until it is fully engaged and the engine speed has matched the new gear.

This slowing down of the rear wheel means it will more than likely break traction with the road, after which you will experience something like rear tyre skipping or slewing from side to side. This in turn can compromise your corner entry control.

These symptoms will appear a lot more willingly when you are braking so hard that the rear wheel has very little weight on it i.e. in the big heavy braking zones.

The second thing we are looking to achieve is to complete the downshift as quickly as possible. The longer the engine and gearbox are disengaged from each other (clutch pulled in), the less advantage we are taking from engine braking (engine braking slows us down more) and the less time we have to prepare ourselves and correctly judge our speed for corner entry and getting the bike turned.

What we want to do then is get our downshifts done as quickly as we can and as early in the braking zone as our gear ratios will allow.

Now we know what we need to achieve, just how do we go about achieving it?

Should I Blip or Should I Slip?

Let’s look at the two most common ways of downshifting.

Blipping

Blipping is the act of momentarily opening the throttle just after you pull in the clutch lever, so that once you’ve gone down a gear and released the clutch lever the engine rpm won’t have dropped off.

To break the sequence down it’s – clutch in, blip throttle, select lower gear, clutch out.

Each action happens so quickly and overlaps so much that you almost need to think of them as all happening at once. You’ll have to fine tune your timing and the amount you blip, but after a bit of time practicing you’ll most certainly be doing it without even thinking.

You’re only looking to increase the revs somewhere around 1000-2000 rpm, but it will vary with the size and type of machine you’re riding.

Things to counter

Performing each part separately – What you don’t want to do is try and break everything down and complete each part of the blip downshift in a set sequence. This will only take up way too much of your concentration and make it more difficult. By all means try practising it like this off the track to get your head around it, but doing it on track will only make for sloppy changes.

Over revving – Another thing to combat is over revving the engine when blipping. This will cause the bike to surge forward when you release the clutch lever and only serve to unsettle you and the bike.

Inconsistent brake pressure – Lastly, and one of the more difficult things to get right is maintaining a consistent pressure on the brake lever. You need to allow your fingers to slide up and down on the lever as you blip, but the pressure should always be constant. Practising with light brakes will help you get a feel for it before trying it in the big braking zones.

Slipping

In terms of the procedure, slipping the clutch during downshifts is a bit simpler, but it still takes some concentration and a deft touch to get right. This is actually a technique I was taught instead of blipping and the technique I now use today (without a slipper clutch).

Slipping the clutch on the downshifts does away with the blip altogether. Instead the rider pulls the clutch in, downshifts, then lets the clutch lever back out smoothly to engage the new gear. The trick to getting this right is to get the downshift done as quickly as possible so you don’t let the engine speed drop off too much.

My procedure is as follows:

I pull the clutch in just enough to disengage the engine and gearbox, I click down the gear lever, then I get back to the bite point as quick as I can, after which I quickly but smoothly let the clutch lever fully out.

The whole thing is completed in about half a second and only lets the revs drop 2000 rpm at the most. The fairly small drop in rpm coupled with my smooth re-engagement of engine and gearbox means I don’t suffer from any adverse effect – unless of course I completely fluff the change, which has been known.

Things to counter

Dumping the clutch back out – Releasing the clutch lever with this technique is quick, but not instant. You need to get back to that bite point as quick as you can, but re-engaging the engine and gearbox should be smooth and controlled.

Rushing – Trying to do this as quickly as you possibly can on your first few attempts is only going to have you missing gears, wagging your tail around and hitting false neutrals. As with blipping it’ll take some practice, but after a while you’ll be doing it with ease.

Which is best?

The question shouldn’t be which is best, but rather which is best for you. Which one do you find most comfortable and the easiest to perform? If you find one technique takes up too much of your attention then try the other. If the other method is easier for you then you have your answer.

Blipping requires more action on your part, but you could argue that slipping takes more effort to get right. There’s no right or wrong answer here.

Just don’t be afraid to try and/or use a different technique just because your mates don’t.

Slipper clutches make life much easier

As clutch technology advances, I’m sure one day that the blipping technique will become obsolete. Even with the slipper clutches of today, slipping downshifts are made much easier and less dramatic.

In simple terms, a slipper clutch greatly reduces the amount of engine braking that makes it to the new gear, and in turn the rear wheel. It doesn’t eliminate it altogether, but I have heard numerous riders swear blind that a slipper clutch has made them feel much more stable and in control through the process of downshifting.

How you downshift does have a sizable effect on your corner entry, so learning the correct technique (for your downshifting style) should be something you do if you feel you’re tying yourself in knots trying to get down the gears.

If you’re still unsure on which technique is best for you have a try of both, giving yourself enough time to get the hang of it and find out how it suits you.

If you can comfortably adopt either method to the point where you’re making subconscious, fuss free downshifts then you know you have the right method.