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Engine braking: All you need to know!
TVS Community
20 May 2021
Engine braking is the unsung hero in your motorcycle. In fact, most riders don't even know about it, and many choose to ignore it. Since Indian motorcycles majorly use manual gearboxes, engine braking is particularly useful and effective.
So, what is engine braking?
Simply put, engine braking is the acceleration effect of the engine playing in reverse. A more complicated explanation: When a rider releases the accelerator, the air-fuel flow to the engine stops. It creates a high manifold vacuum that the cylinder of the engine has to work against. This takes a lot of energy and slows down the vehicle. Essentially, your motorcycle's engine is acting as a brake, helping you to slow down.
If you want to experience engine braking more clearly, then try the following: Pull the clutch in after rolling off the throttle and note how slowly your motorcycle slows down. Now, do the same without pulling in the clutch lever. The slowing down rate is much higher when you do not use the clutch lever after rolling off the throttle. This is engine braking!
How to use engine braking?
It's extremely simple. All you need to do to make your engine function as a brake for you is to roll off the throttle without pulling the clutch in. The engine braking will start instantaneously, and you can instantly feel the same as your motorcycle starts slowing down.
When you want to come to a gradual stop without using brakes, simply roll off the throttle without pulling the clutch. Engine braking will slow you down, and as the effect of engine braking wears off, you can pull the clutch in and use regular brakes.
If you want to use engine braking for rapid braking, you need to come down the gears by downshifting rapidly. Your motorcycle's lower gears, such as the first and second, provide much more engine braking than the higher gears. You feel the engine braking phenomena much more when the lower gear is engaged compared to the higher gears. That is because of the gear ratios. Since you accelerate quicker using the lower gears, you slow down much quicker using the same (lower)gears. While such rapid downshifting will lock the rear wheel in most motorcycles, you won't face this issue in TVS Apache motorcycles, which are equipped with a slipper clutch as standard.
Benefits of engine braking
Using engine braking increases the life of your motorcycle's brake pads by quite a lot.
It reduces fuel consumption.
It makes you a smoother rider.
It offers you better control while descending a slope.
It allows you to come to a quick stop by going through the gears (rapid downshifting) safely.
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TVS Community
20 May 2021