This is a debate that's been going on for sometime, to engine brake or not. For those of you who are clueless about what this is, here's a short explanation.
There are two ways you can bring a car or a bike to a halt, and one of them is the direct method, which is to apply brakes. The other method is to let the engine apply the braking force by letting go of the throttle and shifting down through the gears. Essentially, you are burning fuel to generate energy, and this energy is used to slow the bike/car down.
Engine braking has a few advantages; the rear wheel isn't free to do what it wants to, in case you hit a patch of sand or an oil slick. Sometimes, the only way to escape a dicey situation is to release the brakes and accelerate. When you use the engine to brake (along with the brakes, of course), you are almost always in the correct gear. All you need to do is to let go of the brakes and accelerate, so you don't waste those precious seconds searching for the correct gear.
Some people say that engine braking damages the clutch plates and the engine, but my personal experience forces me to disagree. Sure, the clutch plates are bound to wear out after sometime, and the good news is that you can always replace them. It's easier to replace clutch plates or engine parts when you compare it to replacing something like a kneecap. Who knows, maybe someday kneecaps and skulls will be readily available in the market at dirt cheap rates, and that will be the day when an argument like "it damages your bike" will hold.
Engine braking makes riding fast safer, and gives the rider a significant advantage if he/she uses it to assist the brakes in bringing the vehicle to a halt.
There are two ways you can bring a car or a bike to a halt, and one of them is the direct method, which is to apply brakes. The other method is to let the engine apply the braking force by letting go of the throttle and shifting down through the gears. Essentially, you are burning fuel to generate energy, and this energy is used to slow the bike/car down.
Engine braking has a few advantages; the rear wheel isn't free to do what it wants to, in case you hit a patch of sand or an oil slick. Sometimes, the only way to escape a dicey situation is to release the brakes and accelerate. When you use the engine to brake (along with the brakes, of course), you are almost always in the correct gear. All you need to do is to let go of the brakes and accelerate, so you don't waste those precious seconds searching for the correct gear.
Some people say that engine braking damages the clutch plates and the engine, but my personal experience forces me to disagree. Sure, the clutch plates are bound to wear out after sometime, and the good news is that you can always replace them. It's easier to replace clutch plates or engine parts when you compare it to replacing something like a kneecap. Who knows, maybe someday kneecaps and skulls will be readily available in the market at dirt cheap rates, and that will be the day when an argument like "it damages your bike" will hold.
Engine braking makes riding fast safer, and gives the rider a significant advantage if he/she uses it to assist the brakes in bringing the vehicle to a halt.
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