clutchless gear change

[simonm]

Just curious.

[snapper]

why both having a clutch if we're not meant to use it ?
 
If i was racing then I can understand but for road use pointless just to make you feel like cal crutchlow or max biaggi
 

[Punkstig]

why both having a clutch if we're not meant to use it ?
 
If i was racing then I can understand but for road use pointless just to make you feel like cal crutchlow or max biaggi

It's not pointless, quite nice to do heading down a long slip road onto a motorway.

[Dead Eye]

I find it much easier and smoother to use clutchless shifting so I basically do it all the time from 3rd up. Occasionally I'll do it from 2nd to 3rd but it depends on the situation.

why both having a clutch if we're not meant to use it ?
 
If i was racing then I can understand but for road use pointless just to make you feel like cal crutchlow or max biaggi

You still need to use the clutch when coming back down the gears, never clutchless downshift

[Tibbs]

Pillions thank you for doing clutchless up changes as well, much smoother for them

[slimwilly]

Smooth ==Agreed


When you get it right its also bloody quick up through the gears, slips in beautiful and smooth,,vrrrrm,vrrrrrmmm,vrrrmm,,, see

[Bornagain again]

When your in traffic and you lay your elbow on the tank, its easier to just change up without the clutch (or should that be lazier).

[Slaninar]

A friend is a mechanic and a racer. He says:

"Just go on doing clutchless upshifts - more work for me.      You can do it on the racetrack, but doing it in the street just needlesly damages gear teeth."

I still do it - 30k kilometres - still no problems with the gear shifter. Hope I haven't cursed myself. I only sometimes use clutch from 1st into 2nd. But not always.

[JZS 600]

Sometimes when I'm scratching my bum or picking my nose I'll do a clutchess upshift but it's not a regular occurance

[chaz]

A friend is a mechanic and a racer. He says:

"Just go on doing clutchless upshifts - more work for me.      You can do it on the racetrack, but doing it in the street just needlesly damages gear teeth."

I still do it - 30k kilometres - still no problems with the gear shifter. Hope I haven't cursed myself. I only sometimes use clutch from 1st into 2nd. But not always.

as far as I understand bike gearboxes which isn't very far, they are constant mesh so the gear teeth are always meshed and they slide along the shafts using the dogs and splines to determine the drive? Although a triumph 21 I used for tracking did strip the first gear by clutchless starts after the clutch had snapped?

[stevierst]

I've been doing cluchless shifts for years, never damaged a gearbox yet!
If you do it properly it doesn't do it any harm, its smoother for you and your pillion, and less wear on tour clutch!

Just ask the London couriers with millions of miles on their bikes, they'll tell you the same thing.

[Slaninar]

I've been doing cluchless shifts for years, never damaged a gearbox yet!
If you do it properly it doesn't do it any harm, its smoother for you and your pillion, and less wear on tour clutch!

Just ask the London couriers with millions of miles on their bikes, they'll tell you the same thing.

London couriers drive on the wrong side of the road! Unless left side is the right side, which it is not, is it? 


I've never had clutch problems so far, just telling what I've heard from a more experienced rider. Didn't change my riding though, nor do I take it all for granted, even from the elders.

[Lawrence]

Virtually all the time.  As long as you do it smoothly I can't see how it can be any worse for the gearbox than using the clutch.

[stevierst]

You can believe what you want, but its been covered many times, and by many different professional people, not just 'the elders'.
If you slam ot into gear over and over again, of course it'll damage the gearbox, but if you do it properly, it won't do it any harm, even if you do ride on the other side of the road

[Slaninar]

You can believe what you want, but its been covered many times, and by many different professional people, not just 'the elders'.
If you slam ot into gear over and over again, of course it'll damage the gearbox, but if you do it properly, it won't do it any harm, even if you do ride on the other side of the road

I believe so. I also think that at higher revs, clutchless upshifts are evene less damaging to the clutch plates than shifts using the clutch.

[Motorbreath]

I always use the clutch, for peace of mind.

[Chillum]

I learnt to do this on the Fazer and eventually bent the selecting fork because I messed it up quite a bit. It was cheaper to buy an engine and have it fitted than fix the gearbox.

However, once you know how to do it, it doesn't seem to do any damage. There's a knack to it.

[Bornagain again]

Changing gear badly with a clutch will screw a gearbox up as quickly as without.  But Mr Yam gave me one so I'll use it in the main. 
 
Buy a Honda they haven't got gear levers anymore rofl
 
But never, ever go down the gears without a clutch

[Hedgetrimmer]

I never purposely do this, but often find myself touching the clutch lever so little, there's no way I'm actually using the clutch. Always really smooth changes when this happens.

[Lawrence]

You can believe what you want, but its been covered many times, and by many different professional people, not just 'the elders'.
If you slam ot into gear over and over again, of course it'll damage the gearbox, but if you do it properly, it won't do it any harm, even if you do ride on the other side of the road

Well obviously.  In the same way that doing it badly with the cluch will end up lunching the clutch plates eventually.

[VNA - BMW Wank]

You mean some folks don't?

Clutch is for 1st gear, sometimes 2nd to 3rd in traffic, and on it down changes only.

I guess it's like lots of folks don't know how to steer their bike (true but frightening) and loads of folks are fathing aboot screwing up gear changes with the clutch when you don't need to touch it.  Dear of dear!

[Buzz]

...on the topic of "smooth" changes, how about "blipping" on downshifts?  I've tried it a few times but can never get it right, I'm sure the missus would appreciate it though.

[Slaninar]

...on the topic of "smooth" changes, how about "blipping" on downshifts?  I've tried it a few times but can never get it right, I'm sure the missus would appreciate it though.

Practice until you get it right. Small 4 cylinder Fazer is forgiving, but a single cylinder bike could lock the rear wheel when downshifting without blipping (unless smooth with clutch).

[Dead Eye]

...on the topic of "smooth" changes, how about "blipping" on downshifts?  I've tried it a few times but can never get it right, I'm sure the missus would appreciate it though.

Yup, I do this all the time as well

Took a bit of getting used to initially, but I do it without thinking now. Occasionally I'll get it wrong a little, but most of the time its fine and is sooo much smoother when coming down the gears

[sure2ride]

Tried it once, didn't like it..... ( Bit like sex  )  Mate of mines a retired bike copper, does it all the time. Been a pillion on his bike and it was as smooth as you like. Not for me though, just can;t get the knack so I stick with the clutch. Horses for courses I think.