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Slipper clutch people... Who rev matches and who doesn't when street riding?

18K views 52 replies 31 participants last post by  PainfullySlo 
#1 · (Edited)
Just curious what do you all do?

Some say no need to rev match, just be extremely smooth with the clutch. Others stab those people and say rev match or die.

Rev matching feels cool of course, but precise clutch control and letting the slipper do it's thing is quite nice, and much easier when braking harder into a turn.
 
#4 ·
IMO a slipper clutch is not there to rev-match for you....cars have that these days. It is there in case you "F#$* Up" on a downshift you won't be screwed.

Bottom line....rev match :)
 
#8 ·
I'm with the "both" crowd.
 
#9 ·
Rev matching is for sissies :laugh Just kidding.

I've been racing for 20 years and I have never rev matched, even before slipper clutches were common. I just found it's easier for me to be smooth with the clutch. I've never prematurely worn out clutch plates and I've always been pretty good at late braking and rarely ever had problems with the rear locking up. There are/have been many pro racers who don't rev match also.

I'm not saying those who rev match are doing it wrong, just saying it's not the ONLY way to get the job done effectively.
 
#12 ·
130mph down to 60mph, 2 ft away from another racer, trying to out brake him into the corner and not blow my line into the corner, I find it's easier to modulate the brake and feel what the front tire is doing, without having to blip the throttle at the same time. The left hand isn't doing anything else at that time and find it's easier to do one thing with one hand and another thing with the other, rather than trying to do two things with one hand. Just my preference.

Go to any trackday or club race and watch the novices in the braking zone at the end of the longest straight away. You can see the riders who are trying to rev match and brake hard at the same time, because their front end looks like a pogo stick :butbut:

It's not that rev matching in and of itself is that difficult. But rev matching while braking hard to enough to lift the rear and still being able to feel what the front tire is doing is alot different than rev matching while street riding!
 
#11 ·
I am of the smooth with the clutch type. I would say I am smooth with the clutch but that is more debatable. It just felt natural so I stuck with it. I find the 636 to be much smoother than the 650 in this regard.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I'm not trying to say which camp is right because I don't have enough technical to comment. I'm just sharing my personal experience.

On my 2nd or 3rd trackday the other year I was experiencing rear wheel hop when downshifting and braking hard before a corner (all stock '11 zx6r at the time). Later I was speaking with a pro rider and I mentioned my wheel hop. He flat out told me its not the slipper failing to do its job but my front suspension. A few clicks and laps later, no issue. I never blip my throttle and just let the stock slipper do its thing.
 
#19 ·
One of the points of having a slipper clutch is exactly to compensate for not rev matching. This is a 'real' slipper clutch, and not what they call a slipper in OEM units.

As Todd mentioned, on the track the last thing you want is to add more things to occupy your brain while throwing the bike into a corner at speeds that will make your nuts curdle. This is why they have slipper clutches.

The OP specifically stated street riding however, and there I fall into the 'both depending on the situation' category.

99% of the time on the street I am just smooth with the clutch and let the extra engine braking slow me down. On the rare occasion where I am riding a little more aggressively then I will rev match when coming to a quick stop but that's about it.
 
#20 ·
Meh pretty soon every bike will have auto blip and this will be a technique the old guys reminisce about... Till then I let the slipper do all the work. Although I will say when I rode on the road I did rev match often usually out of boredom when pulling up to a light etc.
 
#22 ·
never blip. almost all my street braking is done using engine braking. on track there's too much going on at the time.
the car has auto blip -370z synchro rev match but it's a sunday road driver only and only had it a month so haven't got the full use out of it but so far it's fun to see and hear it in action.
 
#24 ·
I'll just leave this here: Chris Harris - Cayman GT4

I really like Chris Harris and his car videos, but it's also one of the very few car videos I've seen recently that tie directly into this topic. Enjoy :D
 
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#25 ·
I hate you for posting that...:rant ...now I want one...who doesn't want every car Chris Harris drives?

Although..I have to say...I don't think he "Drives" any car around a track...he just drifts every single darn car :coocoo
 
#30 ·
If I could click 'like' on this 1000x, I would do it =)

My team has a reputation for similar hand signals, always with friends and meant in the best way possible of course. One of my teammates from this last season...Clearly he was pointing at the sky noting that it looked like rain.

 
#32 ·
Imo if your racing or riding mega hard sure rev matching can be difficult/impossible...but for normal riding I think it's showing mechanical sympathy/finesse and is a good habit to rev match. I have always done it on bike or car and it will reduce stress and wear on variouse parts
 
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