Upshifting without the clutch

[Pauly_V]

Eh.. I'd downshift without the clutch on my 748 with narey a single hiccup from the old gal. Of course, she was kind of fat and slow...

 

[Nick J]

Back in my motocross days, the ONLY time I would use the clutch is on the start and when I would coast to a stop. Not once did I ever have a tranny problem. Those trannys were tough so I would think that todays trannys are just as tough if not tougher. So I see no reason that a street bike couldn't handle it. Although I haven't done it on my FZ, you guys have given me something new to try. Thanks.

 

[Toympas]

Well it depends on the bike model but as a rule of the Thumb all the Japs will shift effortless up to 6th.

On some bikes especially going from 1st to 2nd with the use of the clutch is iffy at best: Shift wont go, grinding noises of the gears and such. On the other hand clutchless works perfect everytime and it makes no noise at all, just the accustomed *click*

 

[discgolfdude]

I tried all day yesterday to clutchless shift up, but all I kept doing was getting a clunk and a serge in power, what am I doing wrong???? I was trying to go from 2 to 3rd and normal road speed, 35mph. I did do it once and it was smooooth! :spank::spank:

 

[Mr Buck]

You are remembering to let off the throttle for a sec arent you? not right off, just enough to take the pressure off the gears so they can mesh more easily.

 

[bane]

preload should do the trick also.. without a preload, there is annoying "clunk"...

 

[robaho]

I always thought that shifting without the clutch would harm the tranny, so I have never tried.... Thanks for schooling me!

 

[JMcDonald]

On my 250r, I use the clutch to shift from 1st to 2nd at like 5mph just so I can get it out of the way, then I go all the way up to 6th and even back down to 1st without the clutch. My lever won't reset after a clutchless 1>2 shift if I am going faster than maybe 10mph, though (dunno why). However, I have ridden through several stop signs in a row with one hand (construction site detour). I would go down to first, and lightly squeeze the brakes to come as close to a "stop" as I could (down to maybe 600rpm or so), and then go again when it was my turn. I did it more just to see how smooth I could be.

But yeah, especially when its hot, I do most all my riding with one hand (other hand on my hip so my arm and shoulder and chest can catch more wind), and only use the clutch to stop and start (and sometimes shift to 2nd if I don't want to risk a messed-up 1>2 shift). I sometimes practice going up and down gears without changing speeds (again with one hand, so I can really notice any lack of smoothness), which is more difficult, but I'm getting pretty decent at it.

 

[rchamberlain]

Easy on the up shifts (the higher ones). Down shifting takes some practice to match the rpms to the gearbox.

 

[discgolfdude]

You are remembering to let off the throttle for a sec arent you? not right off, just enough to take the pressure off the gears so they can mesh more easily.

I have been following the instructions like they have been listed on here. So far it is easier to just use the clutch.

 

[vrsbrazil]

Never knew I could do it.. I´ll try upshifting from 2nd above and see how it feels, thanks!

 

[Shawn]

I tried it out yesterday. Works pretty smooth - just tough to get get out of the habit of clutching. It seems like a smaller twitch of the wrist works best for me and not really letting off the throttle at all. Also pre-loading the clutch just before the wrist twitch.

 

[gav]

I've been trying upshifting without the clutch above 2nd and I find it really easy and smooth!

Does anyone else find the gearbox on the FZ6 to be clunky though (not particularly when clutchless shifting but in general)? I find it particularly clunky at low speeds ( < 30mph) and especially when kicking it into 1st from neutral.

 

[Erci]

Does anyone else find the gearbox on the FZ6 to be clunky though (not particularly when clutchless shifting but in general)? I find it particularly clunky at low speeds ( < 30mph) and especially when kicking it into 1st from neutral.

Yeah.. everyone
Do a search.. lots of posts on this. Honestly, I don't think it's that bad. Worse than some, but better than some others, from my experience (though 2nd to 1st probably is the roughest of any bike I've ever ridden... still, not really an issue).

 

[gav]

Cool :thumbup: at least it's not just my bike then!

I don't think it's that bad either but just wanted to check it was the normal thing for this bike.

 

[djstrong]

Do all of you have a clunk when shifing from N to first? My bike does, and I joke about it to my Harley riding co-worker that I've got the Harley clunk in my much lower priced jap bike.

I ususally use the clutch. For my normal riding, I find using the clutch a little smoother, but it is mainly because I have not been able to not time the clutchless shifting as well.

However, if I am riding really slow, shifing without the clutch is smoother.

For faster riding which I do not normally do, not using the clutch is smoother for me, I think.

Don't you guys read the owners manual? There is a Big bold description about how we must never shift without using the clutch. Haha. Just a word of caution that if anyone has to have trans or clutch service done under warrenty, you might be better off saying you use the clutch when shifting.

Happy riding

 

[bane]

Do all of you have a clunk when shifing from N to first? My bike does, and I joke about it to my Harley riding co-worker that I've got the Harley clunk in my much lower priced jap bike.

I ususally use the clutch. For my normal riding, I find using the clutch a little smoother, but it is mainly because I have not been able to not time the clutchless shifting as well.

However, if I am riding really slow, shifing without the clutch is smoother.

For faster riding which I do not normally do, not using the clutch is smoother for me, I think.

Don't you guys read the owners manual? There is a Big bold description about how we must never shift without using the clutch. Haha. Just a word of caution that if anyone has to have trans or clutch service done under warrenty, you might be better off saying you use the clutch when shifting.

Happy riding

Ye, yea. . . according to manual we should spend a 3 hours in just checking a bike for ride...

for our clunking fazers I will only mention that, when the bike is wormed enough or when am driving, I never had a problem when kicking in into 1st from neutral, (just when am starting a bike for the first time, in the morning for example--from neutral into the 1st BAAAAM)...

 

[dean2287]

This is a good topic.

You can shift clutchless - if you do it properly and smoothly. Learning to do it is a different matter...you will probably bend the forks and cause unnecessary wear on the engaging dogs, but how else are you going to learn to do it?

Racers do this all the time, but then they rebuild their gearbox at least every year. Not sure about everyone else, but I don't rebuild my gearbox very often...

Also, you can't shift clutchless if you're on the throttle - you have to back it off to match the rpm that the next gear is going to be at, or close to it.

Lots of guys out there shift clutchless all the time and say it hasn't hurt their gearbox at all, but they are very well practiced at it.

My suggestion is - unless you're on the track, use the clutch. And if you're a street racer - head to the track.

 

[The Spin Doctor]

I've been trying upshifting without the clutch above 2nd and I find it really easy and smooth!

Does anyone else find the gearbox on the FZ6 to be clunky though (not particularly when clutchless shifting but in general)? I find it particularly clunky at low speeds ( < 30mph) and especially when kicking it into 1st from neutral.

I hoped the box would free up as the bike ran in but with 4.5k on the clock it's not really improved. It's distinctly stiffer than my 02 600 Hornet.

My old FZ750 had a reputation for a stiff gearshift, and that was improved out of all recognition when I took the gear linkage off and lubricated it properly. Looking at the FZ6 linkage, it looks like it's been assembled dry. I'm going to have a few mins in the garage tomorrow and get the tubs of grease out and see if that improves matters.

As far as clutchless shifts are concerned, it actually shifts more smoothly than most bikes I've ridden without the clutch. I'd suggest the reason it's smoother in the higher gears is that the ratios are closer together so that it's easier to match revs.

 

[dean2287]

I hoped the box would free up as the bike ran in but with 4.5k on the clock it's not really improved. It's distinctly stiffer than my 02 600 Hornet.

My old FZ750 had a reputation for a stiff gearshift, and that was improved out of all recognition when I took the gear linkage off and lubricated it properly. Looking at the FZ6 linkage, it looks like it's been assembled dry. I'm going to have a few mins in the garage tomorrow and get the tubs of grease out and see if that improves matters.

I think you're absolutely right about that. I greased up the shifter linkages on my FZ6 and it made a big difference. Should be regular maintenance.