Free Wheeling Downslope

[redbeacon]

for bikes,free wheeling will spoil ur clutch plate..try not to do it too often..

 

Really?

Maybe it's not the clutch plates that will spoil, but rather when the clutch is pulled in for a long time the springs and ball bearings that hold the clutch basket would probably wear out.

[Demon]

But i tink i read somewhere before that free wheeling down slope is not realli good for the bike / car.

 

There is absolutely no harm to the engine when free wheeling down a slope but this is a very dangerous which is against all good driving practice. This is as dangerous as clutching-in while negotiating a corner.

 

We may not feel the danger as our slopes in Singapore are gradual and short. Can you imagine doing that at Frasers Hills ? Once the brakes heat up to the point of fading beyond which is no more stopping power.

 

If that's the way one would need to conserve petro, my advice is to downgrade to a more economical bike.

 

[civicblade]

Bikers,

 

Please do not worry about damaging your bike. Your bike is a machine that can be repaired and parts exchanged. Even if it is beyond repair, you can buy yourselves another one.

 

Please ride in a manner that is least damaging to your body. Your body has very limited self repair capabilities and almost no parts exchange build into the human biology.

 

Keeping your bike in the correct gear matching the descent speed is the safest way to negotiate a descent.

 

A bike with engine running and in gear creates a almost instantaneous link between your right wrist and the bike's speeds, composure and feel. Why would you want to waste another second or two clutching in, engaging gear, switching to an appropriate gearing ratio then do some about the adverse situation that may arise during a descent? Precious time lost doing all that puts you in a far more dangerous position than just leaving your bike in gear and engine running.

 

usually i feel it's ok coz even though i clutch in, my feet and right hand still on the brakes.. just in case.. sometime i don't free wheel i i would keep the throttle on and it goes faster.. but will it spoil ur clutch in the long run coz u re-engage at a high speed?

 

 

 

no la in fact i feel safer.. u might think i am crazy but my view is that when i free wheel i no need to keep track of my speed liao.. and i concentrate on the road more. further more when i free wheel i make sure the distance between me and the front is big enuff for me to slow down properly or jam brake(CHOY! touch wood! haha)

[nacl]

i think any fuel saved during free wheeling is negligible, even in the long run.

 

what is the percentage of time or distance u spend on a down slope for any given trip? 1%? then u must also calculate how much fuel the engine uses during dis time/distance when idling versus when engaged.

 

i think it's gonna b much less than 1%, maybe 0.3%. how much do u spend on fuel a year? $2000? 0.3% of $2000 is $6...

 

the loss of control is certainly not worth it. wif the engine engaged, u can instantly apply acceleration to get away from a situation. ur hands r also more relaxed, so ur control is greater. when u clutch in fully, u almost hv a death grip on the left handle bar.

 

better to spend some effort on route planning to avoid traffic lights n right hand junction turns.

 

another thought just occurred to me... at engine idle, is engine oil pumped fast enuf to lubricate the transmission going at speed?

[civicblade]

Most modern bike has wet multiplate clutches and constant mesh gears that are engage using shift fork and detent mechanism.

 

The constant mesh gears engage and disengages from the crankshaft via the clutch. By selecting neutral with clutch engaged, the input gear assembly will be rotating (at the same speed as the engine) and the output gear assembly will be rotating at the same speed as your rear wheel after taking into account the final drive ratio. The dogs are not engaged to the output shaft (the one that drives the rear wheel) that is why both assemblies are able t rotate at different speeds.

 

Gears are semi-submerged in a bath of engine oil. The rotation of the constant mesh gears are good enough to lubricate the entire assembly. There are no specially designed jets or spray paths for the gears and clutch, not that I know of in a production motorbike. Jets and spray paths for lubrication and cooling oil are common or even necessary for cooling the underside of pistons, around the valve seat area and the walls of the cylinder.

 

i think any fuel saved during free wheeling is negligible, even in the long run.

 

what is the percentage of time or distance u spend on a down slope for any given trip? 1%? then u must also calculate how much fuel the engine uses during dis time/distance when idling versus when engaged.

 

i think it's gonna b much less than 1%, maybe 0.3%. how much do u spend on fuel a year? $2000? 0.3% of $2000 is $6...

 

the loss of control is certainly not worth it. wif the engine engaged, u can instantly apply acceleration to get away from a situation. ur hands r also more relaxed, so ur control is greater. when u clutch in fully, u almost hv a death grip on the left handle bar.

 

better to spend some effort on route planning to avoid traffic lights n right hand junction turns.

 

another thought just occurred to me... at engine idle, is engine oil pumped fast enuf to lubricate the transmission going at speed?