Engine Braking

[Janusz]

Janusz...you shift quickly on a V11?

Glad you asked, Brian.

 

Yes, I do!

My box shifts not worse then any Japanese I've had before. I can go through it in a flash. I do clutchless upshifts a lot also.

 

It was not like that from new, mind you. I used to have some false neutrals and clunky shifts before. I do not pretend that I know for sure why it improved so much in time and just report the fact.

 

If I had to guess I'd say the combination of not babying it plus Redline Shockproof Heavy (red color) did the trick.

[Guest Brian Robson]

I have to say that I tried your method of gearshifting today and was impressed...better than the Triumph and Honda gearboxes.

I do admit that I am an engine braker to a degree, but with no clutch or gearbox problems on any bike I have owned it is a style I will continue to use.

With the Guzzi box I found that 25,000 Km seemed to correspond to when the gears became smoother and precise with no false neutrals. (Always using a synthetic gear oil, whichever brand is on sale).

[Janusz]

Yes, this being my first Guzzi never stops to surprise me how dramatically it improves with mileage; it goes on and on. At 10,000 km I was really impressed how it improved since new and assumed that breaking in process ended. But no, at 20,000 km it was so much better still!

And now at 30,000 km that thing really flies! It simply is entirely different bike now comparing to what it was when new.

 

I think that it is like with best wines, classy women and all the things of quality: only improve with age and/or use.

 

Back to engine braking. When riding my favorite twisty canyon run sometimes I play the game of going as fast as possible BUT not using the brakes at all. I'd stay in the fourth almost all the time and the compression braking is quite good. This exercise teaches you smooth riding quite well, I think.