Do you use your clutch?

[PAULED]

I always use the clutch when downshifting, and between 1st and 2nd when upshifting.

Sometimes use or "try" clutchless changes depending on the day and circumstances. When it works it's :rockon: when it don't

Also when downshifting I "sometimes" Blip the throttle.

A. Makes for smoother gear changes

B. I can hear my Scorpions :rockon:

 

[RyanMR2]

Many reasons.....stopping, starting, etc. etc.

lol :BLAA:

lol exactly.

And like FinalImpact said, all passenger cars have sequential transmissions that can be shifted without a clutch. I do it every once in my MR2 and volvo and it's butter smooth. Like some have said if you put a little pressure on the shifter, it's engaging the next gear's syncros and when they line up when the RPM matches it will slip right into gear with no extra wear or tear. Great skill to learn if you're master or slave cylinder ever goes out on your car, you can still get home.

But I do agree 1st to 2nd is almost impossible to do smoothly clutchless.

 

[kyle]

I haven't ever tried clutchless, but I plan to knock the hell out of my tranny on the next outing. The last part of that sentence could be taken totally differently on another type of forum. For the record, I neither own nor condone tranny violence in that context.

 

[Goop]

I only use the clutch when shifting...

 

[dstaffx]

I only use the clutch when shifting...

What do you do when you wanna start or stop

 

[Goop]

What do you do when you wanna start or stop

I use the red start/stop switch that's on the right grip! Duh! :BLAA:

Joking aside...I voted use the clutch every time. I've tried without and I've only done it smoothly a couple of times.

 

[Erci]

Interesting.. just watched Twist Of The Wrist II and Keith does promote clutchless downshifting.. he explains how it should be done, but overall a lot of techniques in that movie are more track-oriented, in my opinion.

 

[Randomchaos]

I usually use the clutch around town, do clutchless on the backroads when having fun. During my trackday, it was all clutchless upshifts and slipping the clutch on downshifts while I popped it down the gears. Very easy to do, no problems from any of my bikes I have done it on.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[CdnMedic]

FZ6 I typically use it all the time. I'm not trying to get anywhere fast.

On the YZ250F, I use my clutch for starting, feathering out of turns, and when I'm slowing down.
Sometimes I don't touch it if I'm down shifting in the air, and sometimes like on the start straight when the gate drops, I hold the throttle WFO as I pull the clutch in to go up to the next gear. Might bounce off the rev limiter, but when you're with 40 other guys you need any advantage you can get to that first corner.

 

[kyle]

Yeah, so I gave it a try the past few times I've ridden and I was surprised by how smooth it is when you do it properly. Doesn't feel like it's hard on the trans at all.

Now if I could just get better at blipping the throttle on downshifts while braking.

 

[nksmfamjp]

To me, full clutching is for the abnormals or stopping. For normal mostly matched reves, half or quarter clutching works best.

 

[Fishwiz4]

Manual transmissions in ANY vehicle (with some exceptions) have clutches for good reason. I suppose (if you're really good) you can disengage a trans with the throttle and good timing, but you're not going to be successful 100% of the time. I would never shift gears without using the clutch - it's asking for trouble.

I assume one of those exceptions you are refering to is semi-trucks? There are no synchros in a semi-transmission, so the clutch doesnt even help you get into a gear. it can be usefull to out of a gear and into nuetral, but you HAVE to match revs every time to get into the next gear... going up or down. I only use the clutch when moving in parking lots or other technical driving areas. some trucks may require a little bit of clutch use when downshifting, but i think if a driver gets to know the truck well, that should not be needed anymore.

so... although you did say some exceptions, i thought this was a huge exception and warranted some explanation. But we are talking different types of transmissions and i am deffinatly no expert on motorcycle trannys

 

[Fishwiz4]

lol exactly.

And like FinalImpact said, all passenger cars have sequential transmissions that can be shifted without a clutch. I do it every once in my MR2 and volvo and it's butter smooth. Like some have said if you put a little pressure on the shifter, it's engaging the next gear's syncros and when they line up when the RPM matches it will slip right into gear with no extra wear or tear. Great skill to learn if you're master or slave cylinder ever goes out on your car, you can still get home.

But I do agree 1st to 2nd is almost impossible to do smoothly clutchless.

Actually...passenger cars do not have sequential transmissions. I am not agruing anything else you said, but if you have to shift through nuetral every time you shift, then it is not sequential. the only "sequential" car trannies that i am familiar with are the Automatics that have electronic shifting (i assume you are not talking about this, and i assume that these are actuially closer to regular automatic trannys but give you the ability to bypass the the cars normal shift points thatn true sequential trannies)

 

[ctbandit]

Usually upshift without the clutch, although with a passenger or if i'm taking it really slow I'll clutch upshifts. Downshift I always clutch.

 

[Martinezmr89]

Clutchless up from 3rd and above, never down the box, when changing down at speed, ie, decelerating, the back wheel can still lock up, a "blip" of the throttle whilst the clutch is engaged can raise the revs to counter this. Takes a bit of practise.

There's no need to get the revs right on the up-shift, just drop the throttle and change up :thumbup: if you "load" the gear shift with a bit of "weight" from your foot just before dropping the throttle it seems to just slip into gear. Gear changes are pretty "seemless" doing this from 3rd up, it can be a bit "clunky" from 2nd to 3rd and 1st to 2nd I've found is a big no-no.

I agree I use it from third up with no problems it's about listening to your bike, and although it can be detrimental to your machine if continuously used wrong, the increase in performance is really nice!

 

[crazydmc]

motorcycle transmissions are "constant mesh", so there is no "matching the rpm's" to help with the clutch-less shifting. There is no neutral between gears. Yes you let off the gas for a second to unload the transmission which helps the engine and tire adjust to the new ratio (that's what a quick shifter does for you by cutting the ignition for a sec).
The FZ6 has a relatively heavy flywheel compared with a pure sport bike, so downshifting is a bit harsher as the engine has more momentum and resists changing rpm's more than say a gsxr.

Clutch-less shifting in the upper gears is pretty smooth as the ratio's are much closer together than the first couple gears.

 

[dxh24]

Coming from dirt, where if you miss a shift you lose multiple positions... i shift with the clutch just about every time just from habit... i've tried w/o and can do it but it just feels more natural to use the clutch.

 

[jcfz6]

Clutch usually for everything but when riding a little faster only from 1 to 2 and then while down shifting. When I first started learning the clutchless upshift it was rough a few times, but now it's no problem and very smooth, just don't do it from 1 to 2, I never got that down.

 

[DownrangeFuture]

I voted sometimes. It depends on what I'm doing. If I'm burning it and shifting at 13k, then I'll lay off the clutch. It's so much smoother to toe the shifter, and blip off then on the throttle. Slips right in and the only indication you shifted is the lower revs. BTW, that's how 99% of auto transmissions work.

Also, if I'm burning it, I'll work on my engine brake downshifts. You'll use the clutch just long enough to slip the gear. Pull the clutch in and blip the throttle, knock it down a gear, let the clutch out. If I'm just slowing down normally, once the revs are below 4k I'll just tap the bike down a gear. Throttle is already zero then, so again all you notice is the revs jump up.

Unless you tottally lose count and do that into first. Then the rear locks for a second and the bike bitches. Shifting under load will wear it down faster, sure, but when the tranny isn't loaded, shifting clutch in or clutch out is all the same to our tranny. Putting a bit of pressure on the shifter, but not enough to actually shift, and then rolling off and on really quick will allow the drive gear to slide down during that brief moment between the engine turning the shaft and the rear wheel turning the shaft, and that's just about as easy on the gears as you can get.

When you use disengage the clutch it only removes the engine side from the drive shaft, the wheels will still be turning the tranny over. Ever lazy-foot it and grind going into second or down into first? That's why. Tranny is still turning even with the clutch in (disengaged), the load is just much less.

Now from what I understand, the double clutches are different, it clutches both sides? So that might be a different story there.

 

[OneTrack]

(I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned this).....Quite honestly, I tend to do clutchless upshifts mainly to save wear and tear on my left hand and wrist on a long, busy ride. The perceived wear on the transmission is the last thing on my mind.
I will also do them when the need arises to accelerate smartly. Otherwise, I'll use the clutch "properly" for all shifting, up and down.