How to ride powerful bikes in traffic?

I used to ride 500cc bikes, and on first gear you barely needed any throttle. The engine was happy even at around 1500 RPM and ran smoothly. Now on a more powerful motorcycle, maintaining a low speed (around 10–15 km/h) isn’t possible just by releasing the clutch. The bike needs throttle, otherwise the engine starts to struggle and bog down. But in traffic, adding throttle on such a powerful bike isn’t really an option. At the same time, riding constantly on a slipping clutch doesn’t seem like a good idea either. What is the correct way to ride in traffic without wearing out the clutch or stressing the engine? Engine: inline triple, 800cc, ~140 hp.

Posted Apr 5, 2026, 3:15 PM UTC

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