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Is there anyone out there that only uses a clutch to start, stop, or to build rpm only? I've been riding on and off most of my life and I have never used the clutch while shifting unless I was trying to trying to gain rpm. Is this odd?

Vinny

Allot of folks do that....

My Dad woulda kicked my @ss if he ever caught me doing that....

Why? I've never damaged a bike I know of by doing it. I am doing my first clutch replacement and thats only because I just got the bike and there is a lot of wear.

He's from the day that the gears weren't sync'd. I was just a kid... I listened or I didn't get to ride.

Re: 'Anyone out there...'

All the time.

There's a good way and a bad way to do it though. It can be slick, or it can be brutal.

I ran the tar out of both a 125 and a 250 when I was younger - rode 'em a lot, raced 'em a lot.

I upshifted without the clutch pretty much always. I did shut the throttle off - very quickly - when I shifted. Presumably, shutting off the throttle during the shift removes some of the load on the "engaged" tranny. Maybe someone has a better explanation than this - or maybe I'm wrong about why.

I don't remember ever having problems with the transmissions in either of these bikes.

BTW, I rarely downshifted without some clutch - right or wrong. Maybe it's OK to do this as well, it always just "felt" like I was hammering the gearbox.

'Hope this helps.

'Shut' the throttle off enough to put decel pressure on the trans, and it's not much different (well, actually hugely different in some ways, considering leverages and such) than shifting otherwise with pressure applied.

That's not part of a 'quickly' shift.

It's all in the 'how to' you do it.

I downshift regularly without the clutch..but not in any way that's hammering anything.

Another 'How do you do?'


There's absolutely no point to this post. I already said this.......already.

I don't use the clutch on the big rigs either and it sounds like an automatic shifting up and down through the gears. Because there are no synchros in both these trannys the only need for the clutch during shifting would be to help match the unmatched RPM.

I will check the next time I ride, I don't know when I use the clutch, I only remember using it at the wrong time when I'm tired.

The only time I know I use the clutch for shifting is when I am haulin ass into a tight corner and I am hard on the rear brake. I will down shift a gear or two or three then slip it a tad if needed to accelerate out of the corner. As far as acceleration or normal trail riding downshifts I don't use it.

If I need a really quick shift on the trail (usually a downshift) I don't use the clutch. If I have "spare time" I use the clutch.

I find that upshifting the clutch (with proper throttle work) seems to feel better, in terms of abuse to the tranny. However, in the book I am reading, "Pro Motocross and off-road riding techniques" by Donnie Bales and Gary Semics says that downshifting is fine without the clutch but that upshifting under acceleration should have the clutch engaged "with every twist of the throttle."

Says Gary on page 61, "Whenever you accelerate hard, use the clutch and throttle together." But this appears to be for the purpose of matching engine power, RPM and traction, not necessarily to make nice with your expensive components.

There are other clutch-shifting-related quotes that I can't find, but I have to head off to work.

Later,

Rick