Kent
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Read my comments again when I mention the capacity to engine break has gone from many vehicles today. Its a major downer in serious downhill off road driving.
- Thread starter Rannsachair
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brightspark
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engine braking is near enough non existent now due to smaller crank shafts and flywheels 
Most modern cars will do 60 in second gear now, so it will run away down hill in low gear because of that high rev capability. Cars weigh a lot more now than our 60's and 70's models too. 4X4 are heavier as well and getting heavier each model. The old series LWB were only 1.5 ton. With a unit that didn't rev, the thing could trundle downhill in low gear as you were pushing against the limitation of the revving speed of the engine. These older cars needed the big flywheel for even tick over as well, with carbs and points.
O only have older vehicles so I have no experience of them othough I do drive offroad very very regularly I think it's more like the multy point fuel injection than fly wheel as the heavier the flywheel is the more momentum it has so takes more slowing down ☺engine braking is near enough non existent now due to smaller crank shafts and flywheels
its a lot more to do with pumping losses than you'd like to think, if you took say an old landrover 2 1/4 engine fired it up, then use say a big electric motor to spin it up to say 3000 rpm you'll find it take a lot of power to make it spin at that speed against a closed throttel, do it with a modern engine and it'll take a lot less energy.
brightspark
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my Norton has a massive flywheel and crank. the engine braking is unreal . shut it off and your virtualy over the handlebars . I used to have a Peugeot partner 2.0ltr turbo which had decent engine braking. now have a 1700 Vauxhall combo with virtualy no engine breaking so more brakes needed
zeppelin builder
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Bmw doubles up as a bobsleigh in winter foot off throttle and were off
The tyres have a big influence in snow it used to be awsome watching them norwegians speeding past in a shower of sparks from studded tyres
We had a metre of snow every night a wee flurry in london and its blankets shovels and soup .tinned of course canny make a pot o kail
The tyres have a big influence in snow it used to be awsome watching them norwegians speeding past in a shower of sparks from studded tyres
We had a metre of snow every night a wee flurry in london and its blankets shovels and soup .tinned of course canny make a pot o kail
8ob
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What kind of area do you live in? Do they 'lurk' behind hedges with their kitties........?
Lets not talk about kittens SBF
Once all the numpties have wheelspun and polished the snow like an ice rink everything struggles, you dont get much in the way of steering in a 4x4 with all the locks in so you still need to take it steady.
Bob
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Ha ha brought back memories of my Gran, she used to say "ye cannae hae ony meat if ye dinnae sup yer kale"
zeppelin builder
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Mrs pulled a foden tipper out a w shop one morning low box etc didnt know about taking up the slack first nearly pulled tge x member off
zeppelin builder
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Had a ur quattro with lockable diffs etc office staff werent happy i parked in there patch so blocked me im with porchses etc went out it was snowing heavy all day seen them looking out windows fired her up engaaged the diff locks and duly reversed up the steep bank on to the main road gave them the finger and drove off
Coming down the motorway today I hit heavy snow on one section. There were 2 black tracks for your wheels, everything else was covered in 3" of deep slushy snow, including the overtaking lane which nobody was using, well almost no-one.
If a wheel hit the deep slush it was like hitting a very deep puddle so everyone was going along nicely in single file at a sensible 40-50mph. I noticed a set of headlights closing fast behind me & the set of lights pulled into the snow filled overtaking lane, throwing up the snow like a snow plough. I could see the lights shimmy as the car struggled for grip & I'm sure I could hear screams!
Very gingerly the car eased itself back in behind me & stayed there until the road cleared. Did I laugh? I had a right good chuckle anyway!
When the car went past it was a Volvo XC90 on wide low profile tyres, driven by someone that thought a 4x4 meant you could drive as normal in all conditions.
It will be going in tomorrow to get the brown stains off the seats & the fingernail marks of the steering wheel!
If a wheel hit the deep slush it was like hitting a very deep puddle so everyone was going along nicely in single file at a sensible 40-50mph. I noticed a set of headlights closing fast behind me & the set of lights pulled into the snow filled overtaking lane, throwing up the snow like a snow plough. I could see the lights shimmy as the car struggled for grip & I'm sure I could hear screams!
Very gingerly the car eased itself back in behind me & stayed there until the road cleared. Did I laugh? I had a right good chuckle anyway!
When the car went past it was a Volvo XC90 on wide low profile tyres, driven by someone that thought a 4x4 meant you could drive as normal in all conditions.
It will be going in tomorrow to get the brown stains off the seats & the fingernail marks of the steering wheel!
dobbslc
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^^^ I have a Yamaha TRX850 (big twin) the Japanese Commando they called it
Anyway it has fearsome engine breaking too and I have to dab the brakes to show the brake light in case some nubbin behind me doesn't realize I'm slowing down!
Rannsachair
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I had a Honda CB550. Poor engine braking and rubbish in the snow. I fell off it, quite a few times in the snow...put me off Jap bikes for life^^^ I have a Yamaha TRX850 (big twin) the Japanese Commando they called it
Anyway it has fearsome engine breaking too and I have to dab the brakes to show the brake light in case some nubbin behind me doesn't realize I'm slowing down!
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^^^ I have a Yamaha TRX850 (big twin) the Japanese Commando they called it
Anyway it has fearsome engine breaking too and I have to dab the brakes to show the brake light in case some nubbin behind me doesn't realize I'm slowing down!
My DL650 (V twin) has good engine braking, don't have to use the brakes much.
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I had a Honda CB550. Poor engine braking and rubbish in the snow. I fell off it, quite a few times in the snow...put me off Jap bikes for life
The only problem I used to have in snow was being forced to turn into side roads as that's where the car tyre tracks went and I couldn't get my front wheel out of the rut
