[markgbe]

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.

 

[40acres]

I rev match. Although I have a slipper clutch, it still doesn't stop the rear from locking up briefly at times.

 

[Raven]

I do both. Both have their uses and times when I feel one is more appropriate than the other for a given situation.

 

[zx6ixxer]

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

 

[markgbe]

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

yeah, agreed. Just an assist.

 

[oic0]

Saves you some clutch material so you dont feel so bad slipping it a lot on a fast launch

 

[Strider]

I use both techniques (whichever is appropriate for a given situation).

 

[SFJeff]

I'm with the "both" crowd.

 

[Todd]

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.

 

[M34]

I always rev match, it's brainless... I don't understand why it's so difficult?

 

[XPyrion]

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.

 

[Todd]

I always rev match, it's brainless... I don't understand why it's so difficult?

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!

 

[PrestonK]

I rev match out of habit as much as anything else

EDIT: I see where Todd is coming from, but my local track has 2 sections that are top to bottom of the gears, and I still rev match while braking :O To each their own I guess

 

[Steel]

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!

Todd hit the nail on the head, it's preference first, and practice second.

There's plenty of ways to do everything on the bike when riding fast, who is to say which way is better?

Depending on how fast I'm going I'll blip the throttle and let the slipper take the difference in speeds. I do a similar thing in my car, blip the throttle, let the clutch until it starts to mesh, then slow the rest of the way out. But it's just like our bikes and will raise and drop revs instantly due to the low inertia of the rotating mass.

 

[Twotons]

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.

 

[Jtscar]

I rev match when stopping quickly, if I see a stop coming I usually let the clutch do the work.

Def more fun to rev match though, and maybe it dosent, but it feels like it keeps me sharp when I do so.

 

[Jtscar]

But then again I have yet to ride track.
Currently working to change that!

 

[Enrosabil]

I try to rev-match. When things get a bit tight, i tend to fuck it up though, ill be modifying my slipper a bit to help me out and practice. Practice practice practice....

 

[PainfullySlo]

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.

 

[smokey11]

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.