diff --git a/src/animations/animation.ts b/src/animations/animation.ts
index 430a8728285..5d2ff897049 100644
--- a/src/animations/animation.ts
+++ b/src/animations/animation.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export class Animation {
   private _fx: EffectProperty[];
   private _dur: number = null;
   private _es: string = null;
+  private _rvEs: string = null;
   private _bfSty: { [property: string]: any; };
   private _bfAdd: string[];
   private _bfRm: string[];
@@ -114,6 +115,9 @@ export class Animation {
    * not have an easing, then it'll get the easing from its parent.
    */
   getEasing(): string {
+    if (this._rv && this._rvEs) {
+      return this._rvEs;
+    }
     return this._es !== null ? this._es : (this.parent && this.parent.getEasing()) || null;
   }
 
@@ -125,6 +129,14 @@ export class Animation {
     return this;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Set the easing for this reversed animation.
+   */
+  easingReverse(name: string): Animation {
+    this._rvEs = name;
+    return this;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Add the "from" value for a specific property.
    */
@@ -996,14 +1008,15 @@ export class Animation {
   /**
    * End the progress animation.
    */
-  progressEnd(shouldComplete: boolean, currentStepValue: number, maxDelta: number = 0) {
+  progressEnd(shouldComplete: boolean, currentStepValue: number, dur: number = -1) {
     console.debug('Animation, progressEnd, shouldComplete', shouldComplete, 'currentStepValue', currentStepValue);
 
-    this._isAsync = (currentStepValue > 0.05 && currentStepValue < 0.95);
-
     const stepValue = shouldComplete ? 1 : 0;
-    const factor = Math.max(Math.abs(currentStepValue - stepValue), 0.5) * 2;
-    const dur = 64 + factor * maxDelta;
+
+    if (dur < 0) {
+      dur = this._dur;
+    }
+    this._isAsync = (currentStepValue > 0.05 && currentStepValue < 0.95 && dur > 30);
 
     this._progressEnd(shouldComplete, stepValue, dur, this._isAsync);
 
diff --git a/src/components/menu/menu-gestures.ts b/src/components/menu/menu-gestures.ts
index 7a3ae1c41fd..836ca631002 100644
--- a/src/components/menu/menu-gestures.ts
+++ b/src/components/menu/menu-gestures.ts
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export class MenuContentGesture extends SlideEdgeGesture {
       'shouldCompleteRight', shouldCompleteRight,
       'currentStepValue', currentStepValue);
 
-    this.menu.swipeEnd(shouldCompleteLeft, shouldCompleteRight, currentStepValue);
+    this.menu.swipeEnd(shouldCompleteLeft, shouldCompleteRight, currentStepValue, velocity);
   }
 
   getElementStartPos(slide: SlideData, ev: any) {
diff --git a/src/components/menu/menu-types.ts b/src/components/menu/menu-types.ts
index f4ddb538916..4c4714376d3 100644
--- a/src/components/menu/menu-types.ts
+++ b/src/components/menu/menu-types.ts
@@ -15,10 +15,18 @@ export class MenuType {
   ani: Animation = new Animation();
   isOpening: boolean;
 
+  constructor() {
+    this.ani
+      .easing('cubic-bezier(0.0, 0.0, 0.2, 1)')
+      .easingReverse('cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.0, 0.6, 1)')
+      .duration(280);
+  }
+
   setOpen(shouldOpen: boolean, animated: boolean, done: Function) {
     let ani = this.ani
       .onFinish(done, true)
       .reverse(!shouldOpen);
+
     if (animated) {
       ani.play();
     } else {
@@ -40,7 +48,7 @@ export class MenuType {
     this.ani.progressStep(stepValue);
   }
 
-  setProgressEnd(shouldComplete: boolean, currentStepValue: number, done: Function) {
+  setProgressEnd(shouldComplete: boolean, currentStepValue: number, velocity: number, done: Function) {
     let isOpen = (this.isOpening && shouldComplete);
     if (!this.isOpening && !shouldComplete) {
       isOpen = true;
@@ -51,7 +59,9 @@ export class MenuType {
       done(isOpen);
     }, true);
 
-    this.ani.progressEnd(shouldComplete, currentStepValue);
+    let dur = this.ani.getDuration() / (Math.abs(velocity) + 1);
+
+    this.ani.progressEnd(shouldComplete, currentStepValue, dur);
   }
 
   destroy() {
@@ -72,11 +82,6 @@ class MenuRevealType extends MenuType {
     super();
 
     let openedX = (menu.width() * (menu.side === 'right' ? -1 : 1)) + 'px';
-
-    this.ani
-        .easing('ease')
-        .duration(250);
-
     let contentOpen = new Animation(menu.getContentElement());
     contentOpen.fromTo('translateX', '0px', openedX);
     this.ani.add(contentOpen);
@@ -95,10 +100,6 @@ class MenuPushType extends MenuType {
   constructor(menu: Menu, platform: Platform) {
     super();
 
-    this.ani
-        .easing('ease')
-        .duration(250);
-
     let contentOpenedX: string, menuClosedX: string, menuOpenedX: string;
 
     if (menu.side === 'right') {
@@ -135,10 +136,6 @@ class MenuOverlayType extends MenuType {
   constructor(menu: Menu, platform: Platform) {
     super();
 
-    this.ani
-        .easing('ease')
-        .duration(250);
-
     let closedX: string, openedX: string;
     if (menu.side === 'right') {
       // right side
diff --git a/src/components/menu/menu.scss b/src/components/menu/menu.scss
index 2dcce6bfc17..8d592d4ccbe 100644
--- a/src/components/menu/menu.scss
+++ b/src/components/menu/menu.scss
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@ ion-menu ion-backdrop {
   transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
 }
 
+.menu-content-open {
+  cursor: pointer;
+
+  touch-action: manipulation;
+}
+
 .menu-content-open ion-pane,
 .menu-content-open ion-content,
 .menu-content-open .toolbar {
diff --git a/src/components/menu/menu.ts b/src/components/menu/menu.ts
index 05726a87a94..52f7a202ed3 100644
--- a/src/components/menu/menu.ts
+++ b/src/components/menu/menu.ts
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ export class Menu {
   /**
    * @private
    */
-  swipeEnd(shouldCompleteLeft: boolean, shouldCompleteRight: boolean, stepValue: number) {
+  swipeEnd(shouldCompleteLeft: boolean, shouldCompleteRight: boolean, stepValue: number, velocity: number) {
     if (!this._isAnimating) {
       return;
     }
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ export class Menu {
       shouldComplete = (this.side === 'right') ? shouldCompleteRight : shouldCompleteLeft;
     }
 
-    this._getType().setProgressEnd(shouldComplete, stepValue, (isOpen: boolean) => {
+    this._getType().setProgressEnd(shouldComplete, stepValue, velocity, (isOpen: boolean) => {
       console.debug('menu, swipeEnd', this.side);
       this._after(isOpen);
     });
@@ -512,14 +512,9 @@ export class Menu {
 
       this._cntEle.classList.add('menu-content-open');
       let callback = this.onBackdropClick.bind(this);
-      this._events.pointerEvents({
-        element: this._cntEle,
-        pointerDown: callback
-      });
-      this._events.pointerEvents({
-        element: this.backdrop.getNativeElement(),
-        pointerDown: callback
-      });
+      this._events.listen(this._cntEle, 'click', callback, true);
+      this._events.listen(this.backdrop.getNativeElement(), 'click', callback, true);
+
       this.ionOpen.emit(true);
 
     } else {
diff --git a/src/navigation/nav-controller-base.ts b/src/navigation/nav-controller-base.ts
index 31e10769457..baf1b41cbcb 100644
--- a/src/navigation/nav-controller-base.ts
+++ b/src/navigation/nav-controller-base.ts
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export class NavControllerBase extends Ion implements NavController {
     super(config, elementRef, renderer);
 
     this._sbEnabled = config.getBoolean('swipeBackEnabled');
-    this._sbThreshold = config.getNumber('swipeBackThreshold', 40);
+    this._sbThreshold = config.getNumber('swipeBackThreshold', 0);
 
     this.id = 'n' + (++ctrlIds);
   }
@@ -918,10 +918,11 @@ export class NavControllerBase extends Ion implements NavController {
     }
   }
 
-  swipeBackEnd(shouldComplete: boolean, currentStepValue: number) {
+  swipeBackEnd(shouldComplete: boolean, currentStepValue: number, velocity: number) {
     if (this._sbTrns && this._sbGesture) {
       // the swipe back gesture has ended
-      this._sbTrns.progressEnd(shouldComplete, currentStepValue, 300);
+      const dur = this._sbTrns.getDuration() / (Math.abs(velocity) + 1);
+      this._sbTrns.progressEnd(shouldComplete, currentStepValue, dur);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/navigation/swipe-back.ts b/src/navigation/swipe-back.ts
index 44674c1205c..60f1afc309e 100644
--- a/src/navigation/swipe-back.ts
+++ b/src/navigation/swipe-back.ts
@@ -53,12 +53,13 @@ export class SwipeBackGesture extends SlideEdgeGesture {
   }
 
   onSlideEnd(slide: SlideData, ev: any) {
+    const velocity = slide.velocity;
     const currentStepValue = (slide.distance / slide.max);
-    const isResetDirecction = slide.velocity < 0;
+    const isResetDirecction = velocity < 0;
     const isMovingFast = Math.abs(slide.velocity) > 0.4;
     const isInResetZone = Math.abs(slide.delta) < Math.abs(slide.max) * 0.5;
     const shouldComplete = !swipeShouldReset(isResetDirecction, isMovingFast, isInResetZone);
 
-    this._nav.swipeBackEnd(shouldComplete, currentStepValue);
+    this._nav.swipeBackEnd(shouldComplete, currentStepValue, velocity);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/platform-registry.ts b/src/platform/platform-registry.ts
index 0f2c7e42286..18628fed19a 100644
--- a/src/platform/platform-registry.ts
+++ b/src/platform/platform-registry.ts
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ export const PLATFORM_CONFIGS: {[key: string]: PlatformConfig} = {
       scrollAssist: isIOS,
       statusbarPadding: isCordova,
       swipeBackEnabled: isIOS,
-      swipeBackThreshold: 40,
       tapPolyfill: isIOSUI,
       virtualScrollEventAssist: isIOSUI,
       disableScrollAssist: isIOS,