Dear Sifu,

I have posted in March seeking guidance for getting into the world of bikes and concerns that I may have for riding bikes in Malaysia. Here's the topic link:

https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/4540083

My BMWG310R finally arrived last month and I have been practicing riding it as often as I can around my housing taman. I have basically only rode out of my taman 5 times only as of today post. During my practice runs around and out of my taman, some questions came to mind:

1) When I slow down during a corner or speed bump, while downshifting, do I hold on to the clutch? Or do I let go of the clutch immediately after downshifting?

2) I realized, when I am going at speed of 60-70km and I am on gear 6, while having to slowdown... i may be downshift all the way to gear 3 (while holding on to the clutch) and my speed is still hovering between 50-60km. So at this point, if i were to release my clutch, my whole bike will macam engine brake and jeark abit (is this normal? anyway to make this process smoother).

3) Travelling during peak hours on the highway means my speed is around 30-50km only. Is it okay to maintain in gear 3-5 during these time? Will it affect my engine?

4) Assuming I am on clear roads, and I am only cruising around 60-70km, do i have to go into my 6th gear? Or can I maintain gear 5 (my bike max speed is 140km).

5) If i have to stop on a slope, any technique to stop the bike from reversing (cause when i have to start again, to go into gear 1, holding on to the clutch will have a "neutral" moment and gravity will just pull my bike backwards)

6)Finally, I am still unsure when should i change gears for my bike or whats is the speed range for all my gears (any sifus can shed some lights on this?)

All your comments and input will be very much appreciated.

Best regards
Current newbie biker

Just need to ride more often, you will know eventually... or Ride with us then will teach you how, PM me

1/ for speedbumps, whichever is comfortable for u... but for corners, best to release the clutch. although for speedbumps it would be a good idea too.. see point 2

2/ engine braking is good. to smoothen it u need to practice rev matching. u blip the throttle right before releasing the clutch. u can try and google for more info on rev matching... for cars, its usually referred to heel and toe but the same concept applies

3/ if in traffic then its fine, whichever gear u feel is best for the speed u are travelling.....ive even gone as low as 2nd gear if the speed in traffic is too slow.

4/ if 6th gear causes ur bike to be jerky and sluggish, then no need. however best to keep the revs as low as possible to minimize fuel consumption and higher gears will help with that.

5/ use the brake. front or rear. or use the fornt brake with 1 finger while slowly twisting the throttle. thats what i do.

6/ this is bike AND rider dependant. but generally around 4-5k rpm should be ok to upshift.

just keep practicing til u get a feel for the bike. riding (and sometimes driving) is all about feel and its soemthing u need ot get used to on ur own.

Parking, im new rider as well. but is V650~already ride to service once, distance around 10km. still far from getting comfortable to it.

1) When I slow down during a corner or speed bump, while downshifting, do I hold on to the clutch? Or do I let go of the clutch immediately after downshifting?
- Release the clutch especially when taking a corner


2) I realized, when I am going at speed of 60-70km and I am on gear 6, while having to slowdown... i may be downshift all the way to gear 3 (while holding on to the clutch) and my speed is still hovering between 50-60km. So at this point, if i were to release my clutch, my whole bike will macam engine brake and jeark abit (is this normal? anyway to make this process smoother).
- Learn how to rev-match/throttle blip. Hint* YouTube is a great source


3) Travelling during peak hours on the highway means my speed is around 30-50km only. Is it okay to maintain in gear 3-5 during these time? Will it affect my engine?
- No issues unless the bike feels sluggish at higher gears but lower speeds. learn to keep proper gear and speeds to easier pull off in emergency overtakes


4) Assuming I am on clear roads, and I am only cruising around 60-70km, do i have to go into my 6th gear? Or can I maintain gear 5 (my bike max speed is 140km).
- Every bike has a sweet spot. You need to ride often to learn those sweet spots. Too much to explain, but most will come with ride time


5) If i have to stop on a slope, any technique to stop the bike from reversing (cause when i have to start again, to go into gear 1, holding on to the clutch will have a "neutral" moment and gravity will just pull my bike backwards)
- Logic... The lever on the right side handle is very useful in situations like this


6)Finally, I am still unsure when should i change gears for my bike or whats is the speed range for all my gears (any sifus can shed some lights on this?)
- Every bike is different and I think even sifus in here will need time adjusting to different bikes. It's your bike, u need to learn how to feel her.

*PM if u need further assistance or someone to ride with. It is easier to learn with someone around cuz it helps eliminate a small amount of fear like crashing, dropping the bike, or whatever tiny fear u have. Cheers

This post has been edited by Kenji Kor: Nov 2 2018, 03:17 PM

How's the G310R? I'm considering this bike lately. By the way, some of my opinion to address your questions.

1) When I slow down during a corner or speed bump, while downshifting, do I hold on to the clutch? Or do I let go of the clutch immediately after downshifting?

- You should release it, holding the clutch as it riding in neutral which is very dangerous while doing cornering. Over the speed bump is up to you and the speed that you are riding. usually i press the clutch before the speed bump, after passing it then release the clutch.

2) I realized, when I am going at speed of 60-70km and I am on gear 6, while having to slowdown... i may be downshift all the way to gear 3 (while holding on to the clutch) and my speed is still hovering between 50-60km. So at this point, if i were to release my clutch, my whole bike will macam engine brake and jeark abit (is this normal? anyway to make this process smoother).

- Another way is try down shift gear by gear instead of 1 shot downshift 3 gears. This can be down in a very fast manner. Take few practice then you will know how many gear should you downshift.

3) Travelling during peak hours on the highway means my speed is around 30-50km only. Is it okay to maintain in gear 3-5 during these time? Will it affect my engine?
- depending on your speed as well. Remaining low rev could be good for fuel saving. however, you also need to maintain certain torque so that you can react quickly in any emergency situation, say need to quickly overtake a small lorry in front of you. there is no one guide fit all situation, all down to the road condition that you face.

4) Assuming I am on clear roads, and I am only cruising around 60-70km, do i have to go into my 6th gear? Or can I maintain gear 5 (my bike max speed is 140km).
- normally i find it very irritating to use high gear at low speed. It feels like dragging a bull and you wont get instant torque when you need it. At that speed I will prefer to maintain 4-5th gear. This is speaking from my experience of riding versys 650. i dont know how's the gear ratio for G310R thus can't comment further.

5) If i have to stop on a slope, any technique to stop the bike from reversing (cause when i have to start again, to go into gear 1, holding on to the clutch will have a "neutral" moment and gravity will just pull my bike backwards)
- use the brake to help you, front brake would be a good option.
Another good piece of advice for you. Always park against the slop and front facing your bike (just like you do reverse parking for your car). parking facing the slop is very risky and easily lead to jatuh botoh. a common mistake done by newbie.

6)Finally, I am still unsure when should i change gears for my bike or whats is the speed range for all my gears (any sifus can shed some lights on this?)
- every bike has different gear ratio. rule of thumb is to familiarize your bike engine sound. upshift the gear when the sound become high pitch (means the rev become higher) and downshift if you need more torque (when you feel lack of power to pull the bike)

This post has been edited by coldfission: Nov 2 2018, 04:18 PM

Congratulation on your new ride. You can get more info by joining bmwmcm club. Check their fb page. They are running campaign to register a new member before AGM. Alternatively you can join bmw motorrad market place whatapp group for a lot of accessories, spareparts and advice. Get the invitation link through fb page bmw gs owner malaysia.

Now for general riding advise. When low in speed, use high rpm and when in high speed use low rpm. Change gear accordingly.

Wow BMWMCM.....

For the TS get the hang of the bike 1st before venturing further ....

Clock more hours. Go gentle. Get to know your bike. As above replies. Every bike has it's own sweet spot and characters. The more you ride, the better you'll be 'one' with the bike. Eventually, you only need to 'feel' the bike to up shift, downshift, etc. No need to look at tachometer anymore.

Starting from the slope is PITA because unlike car where you can put lil bit of trust in the handbrake to hold the car while clutching your way up, using the front brake and throttle control is quite tricky especially for small hand. But yes the front brake is your only option.

Add: A good place to try this nightmare is weekend at Cameron Highland where you can get stuck in the traffic on a slope I got mine at Brinchang.

This post has been edited by PedangGila: Nov 3 2018, 10:42 AM

lol... Not to join the ride la, to search lobang for good deal only.

Dear mADmAN

Thank you for your advice!

For item number 2, i did have some reference from youtube. If I only need to downshift 1 gear, I can still managed to rev match it without jerking. I only face problems when lets say.. I am going around 80km per hour... then i need to slow down.. so i pull in my clutch and start breaking... before i know it i maybe going around 30km per hour... so from gear 6 drop to gear 3... how to do it fast and smooth? or should i downshfit rev match every gear gradually?


Dear Keni

Thanks for your tips and comments!

For item 2, i am still struggling... please see my reply to mADmAN above tq!


Dear coldfission!

THanks for your time in repkying!

The bike is great and since its my first and only bike, I have no comparison for it =) Only complain is the stock exhaust sounds very pondan for its look. Plan to change mine to a akrapovic exhaust soon!

How should I downshfit gear by gear quickly? Is it an interval after i brake? Like when maybe speed drop 10km per hour, then I down shift and continue the process? I am having trouble with this.

For starting at a slope, I do hold on to the hand brake... but i find myself more than of often engine will mati lol cause I am still struggling to hold on to the brake and rev at the same time lol. I shall practice more.


Hi mypie!

Thanks for introducing me to the club.

I am very tempted to join. Are you a member? Will they bully newbie like me? Do they have training courses also? haha

there are 2 different scenarios... u have time n distance to slow down...aka not emergency or rush braking etc....u could drop gear by gear and rev match each gear...meaning u will release the clutch every gear....this is usually done quite fast.

another, where its a sort of emergency slowdown, is u brake and drop gear all at the same time without releasing the clutch... and when u reach ur desired gear and desired speed... slowly release the clutch

just ride and get more experience. 5 times of riding wont be enough lol. just ride and enjoy it. most of the advise given are very good.

Yea that's right. You need to press the clutch downshift then release it and then repeat it until your desire gear. Just try to do this whole thing within few sec. Tried to practice it few more times and I'm sure you will get it. I tried ride G310R yesterday. I know why you are struggling with the slope. The clutch is not very nice to use. You need to Rev it to 2k rpm or more when you start moving from complete still. Otherwise engine sure dead if there Rev is low. I tgink this is one of the characteristics of the clutch and engine.

Watch Keith code's Cornering Bible /twist of the wrist 2 if you haven't already

For starting from an uphill slope, hold on to your back brakes(use right leg pijak, engage 1st gear), it’s easier for beginners as you’re not used to throttle + brake + clutch feel yet.

Furthermore back brake is stronger if you’re on a uphill slope.

Then give some throttle (5%), then slowly release your clutch while at the same time slowly add throttle.

Good thing is, this is easy and safe to practice alone.

Dear Sifus,

Thanks for all the above tips and comments.

I am going to go off-topic abit and ask the following:

1) Know any professional detailing shops where I can wax or change my bike color?
2) Know any professional shops that can help me install an akaprovic exhaust for my g310R?

Thanks!

Hi, I'll try my best to answer your questions.

1. Do not hold the clutch, release it unless you're stopping.

2. Engine brake and jerking is normal if you do this. Rev match like other members suggested.
Pull clutch - throttle blip (microseconds during clutch pull) - release clutch.
Don't worry if you over rev while learning. Practice makes perfect.

3. Get to know your power band. Stay at rpm which still has power for you to pull away, just in case of emergency, like a car changing lanes just next to you. Try around 5k-7k rpm for your bike.

4. Maintaining in 5th shouldn't be a problem. If you stay too low (rpm) in a high gear, you might need to shift down to pull away.

5. For beginners, use your rear brake to avoid bike from reversing at a slope. Maintain a slightly higher rev than idle, release clutch slowly and then release rear brake to get moving again. Don't stay in gear if you're stopping for a while (like waiting for the red light to turn green), always be in neutral gear when stopped.

6. http://www.gearingcommander.com can help you with this. Usually, I don't like my engine screaming. So, I change gears when the torque begins to dip (see power band graph). You actually have to 'feel' when the bike needs to change gear.

Coasting with the clutch in is a lazy habit that takes control away from your throttle hand. Why?

When you slow down, engine braking helps - coasting takes away that benefit.

Nobody wants to coast through a turn. You want to drive through it coz by keeping a gentle power on the rear wheel through a turn you take the cornering stress off the front so that it's less likely to wash out.




The whole point is matching the speed with the appropriate gear. Getting lazy by clutching in while downshifting 2-3 gears at one time, you're more likely to mismatch.. hence that jerk.




It won't affect your engine. But, again, the whole point is to always match your speed with the appropriate gear so that you can react to sudden changes in traffic effectively with your throttle hand.




Same as Q3




Use your front brake. That allows you to use your left foot to engage the right gear while your clutch hand balances the engine power with the clutch.




That's what your tachometer is for. It ain't there for decoration.

not a sifu but
1. there is so little bodywork and area of detailing for a g310 - where/what is the purpose of this? ... it's borderline looks like a kapchai to car users, not worth it.

2. er... akra for a single cylinder bike?!?! That's the same like fitting a muffler for a pasar malam power generator, not worth it.
(also, single cyl exhausts sound so damn annoying, there is too many kapchai around giving it a very bad reputation)

bro i'm trying to save you money here as most probably you'll upgrade something more of a performance range. (you've paid 20k for the brand alone, and another 8k just for the bike specs. There is a reason why u never see another g310 around, it's such a bad bang for the buck)

1. I did this but after a while the protection faded. Unless you ready to spend few hundred RM every now and then.
2. Just come back from bikers house batu caves and saw 310 there. Perhaps you can start asking there.

Hijacking this thread for a while . Would like to ask, if let's say we hold onto our clutch and come to a full stop, and then drop the gears without releasing the clutch from 6 until gear 1, will that cause harm to the bike?

This post has been edited by kshen: Nov 25 2018, 03:26 PM

wont harm the bike, but some bike bike cant downshift smoothly when stationary or u need to slip the clutch abit to let the gear engage...

last time ducati sa said during test, the bike susah neutral when at stop... depend on bike oso..

personally i prefer loud clanking gear shifting like harleys... modern bikes are like shifting air.. for racing kinda feel....

I see. I've always thought by downsizing straight will cause harm to the gearbox or clutch haha

Depends on your speed.

If you're hauling ass at 140km/h and you hold the clutch while braking to 0km/h before dropping to 1st gear, then you're asking for trouble lah.

A good rider will want engine braking to work for him.

But if you happen to be slowing down to 30km/h in 6th before clutching in, braking to 0km/h & then downshifting to 1st, tarak hal...

BUT THAT SAID...be aware that most gearboxes do not take kindly to engaging 1st gear outside of the designated speed! For example, if your moving at 40km/h, you hold the clutch and snick all the way down to 1st, chances are your gears won't syncromesh...even with the clutch in!! You'll get this horrible metal grinding sound and the cogs will kick you back out of 1st gear.

This post has been edited by ZZR-Pilot: Nov 26 2018, 12:12 PM

depends on your bike clutch as well, if you have a slipper clutch, then downshifting would be a lot differ from those who don't have them and would not lock your rear tyre.

that being said, if you downshift from 4 to gear 2 or 1, your rear tyre will surely lock jugak somehow.. basically, know your bike je, rides more and always do best practice methods. you'll win do it.

I see. The scenario at 140km/hr , trouble as in the inability to stop the bike on time or htenot damage on the gearbox? My concern is let's say I'm at gear 3 travelling at 30-40km/hr, then upon approaching at the traffic light, I brake and pull in the clutch, and come to a full stop at gear 3 then only switching to gear while from 3. Will that cause harm to the bike? Thank you.

Noted. Haha

If you're going super fast, then clutch in and brake, you're just coasting and therefore are relying on your brake 100% to stop. And while clutched in like that, you're ill prepared to react to any sudden changes in traffic because you have zero throttle control.

That is the normal operation of a motorcycle. Did your instructor teach you any other way?

If you're going fast, say over 100km/h, you might want to downshift gear-by-gear as you slow down. But if you're coming to a stop from 30-40km/h, downshifting doesn't matter - just leave it in gear, brake to slow down and lastly clutch in as you speed comes down close to 0. Then shift down to neutral while stationary, and engage first when you're ready to move off.

Whatever it is, be careful about engaging first gear at speed. Usually nobody engages first gear except at very low speeds or stationary.

practice rev matching, its more fun

gear 3 approaching traffic light, slow down and downshift to gear 2 then gear 1 then on complete stop put on neutral.

I will keep that in mind. The instructors at my centre didn't teach me anything about gear manoeuvres, had to learn thrcough YouTube haha. But what I've learnt is exactly as per you mentioned, I'm worried I won't be able to perform well and will possibly damage my bike with that manoeuvres while resorting to the aforementioned method since I'm still relatively new with bikes. Will practice more.

I see, been practicing with this manoeuvre , but at times I tend to like miss that "window" and just end up downshifting to 1 at stationary lol.

This post has been edited by kshen: Nov 29 2018, 11:21 PM