Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Riding Technique Shifting

So any thoughts on shifting with the clutch lever pulled in verses shifting without?

Why dontcha start an oil thread whilst you're at it??!!!



Here's my take: bike gearboxes are designed to be used without a clutch. Upchanges are a lot easier than downchanges. Get an upshift wrong, it's not smooth. Get a downshift wrong and you can lock the back wheel up. Not good.

Try it:
Ride along in 4th at about 60mph.
Hook your foot under the shifter and apply a light upwards pressure.
Smoothly roll off the throttle-(it should snick into 5th)-roll back on the throttle.
Practise at different revs. You'll learn the best range to do it in.
The higher the gear, the easier it is.
Don't get lazy. Otherwise you'll get a sloppy change.


Downshifts? I wouldn't advise them.

(I know you weren't asking *how* to do them but, on the off-chance you didn't know, you do now!!)

I agree with Neill, this seems to work best on most bikes. I think you have better control upshifting, less downshifting.

most times I upshift w/o the clutch down shift is a must clutch unless I'm stopping and can bang down the gears as I stop.

I use the clutch for the 1-2 up shift because of neutral, otherwise no clutch.
Practice until you can time it without applying pressure before you shift. That can cause premature wear on some components, shift forks, dogs etc.

Clutch for downshifting.

But DEFINITELY learn how to downshift without your clutch. Anyone who's ever broken a clutch cable, or have had one freeze like mine has before, will tell you.

Doesn't this wear out the synchros?

I'm glad to here this, I shift up and down without a clutch and was worried it would hurt the trany because the owners manual said not to.
Worth

I appreciat the responses. I actualy started this thread in response to a friend of mine who said I was wrong to shift without the clutch. He didn't believe me when I said I had been doing it for three years without any problems. So I know how to do it I was just asking for opinions.