Do you always use your clutch?

[zadok]

I've often wondered if most bikers use their clutch all the time. I do with my current bike. My previous two bikes had quite smooth gear boxes and allowed me to shift up and down without using the clutch.

(ps. you obviously need it to take off, so the question refers to when your up and going).

[JohnBoy]

it depends with me, around town i will use the clutch for both up and down changes but if i am out on the m'way or back roads i only use it to down change.

[Matt Bleck]

Somtimes changing up I don't use it, but changing down with out it, :no: thats just not good cricket!!

[XTC]

On the road I always use the clutch. Motocross and off road clutchless shifts were the norm.... Especially when my MX bike had a z-start auto clutch.

[John]

Well not any more just of the line and if the engine is abit cold is when I normally use the clutch..

[WINJA]

NO CLUTCH IS WORTH .2 OF A SECOND DOWN THE BACK STRAIGHT AT PUKEKOHE , SAME WITH THE STREET IF YOUR RACING IT CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING IN FRONT OR BEHIND FOR THE NEXT CORNER,
I ALSO THINK CLUTCHLESS UPSHIFTING IS BETTER FOR THE CLUTCH AND GEARBOX IF DONE PROPERLY

[John]

NO CLUTCH IS WORTH .2 OF A SECOND DOWN THE BACK STRAIGHT AT PUKEKOHE , SAME WITH THE STREET IF YOUR RACING IT CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING IN FRONT OR BEHIND FOR THE NEXT CORNER,
I ALSO THINK CLUTCHLESS UPSHIFTING IS BETTER FOR THE CLUTCH AND GEARBOX IF DONE PROPERLY
Yea I recon, Save the clutch for the drags.. Plus wheelies are a shitload easier without clutch..

[Motu]

Normaly use the clutch,but if pushing hard I don't.On my old Yamaha XS1 the clutch was so heavy that at the end of a ride I could hardly pull it in so just flicked it through.On the DT230 using the clutch is a pain - the gears are so close and the motor so revvy that using the clutch gives a jerky ride...so I just flick it up and down without the clutch....just imagine the sound of an MX bike,you gotta ride it like that,even on the street.

[pritch]

Round town, and when cruising in my usual relaxed manner, I use the clutch on up shifts. If in a hurry, or riding two-up, clutchless is smoother.

Downshifts on road bikes are done with clutch, but on dirt bikes maybe not.

[speights_bud]

Only use the clutch for changing down, otherwise makes for a rough ride and sore man parts (the Bucket racer seat aint so comfortable) as for changing up its a clutch free zone.

[bugjuice]

depends how lazy I am.. I can shift slow or quick, but hacking it, I can fluff it up, so usually I clutch it to be sure of a shift.. and for wheelies

[boomer]

wow...didnt know you could shift without the clutch. So i dont go braking anything, is there something you should do or be aware of when upshifting with no clutch :ride:

[Flyingpony]

I use the clutch at all times because I don't like the thought of brushing my bikes teeth!

[XP@]

Usualy use it when shifting from N to 1.
Don't bother much if i am in the right rev range.
Rarely use it off the lights, hand not fast enough.

[onearmedbandit]

I'll use it for up and downshifts around low town speeds, otherwise when I'm upping the pace on the hills/etc I don't use it for either. Downshifting without the clutch is very easy once you know your bike.

[notme]

wow...didnt know you could shift without the clutch. So i dont go braking anything, is there something you should do or be aware of when upshifting with no clutch :ride:

It helps to know how a motorcycle clutch and gearbox work....basically you are just matching engine speed to road speed for a particular gear, so say you're cruising along and you reach the revs where you want to shift, to do it without the clutch you let off the throttle a bit and shift up at the point where the engine is not pulling the bike forward thru the gearbox anymore, but it hasn't quite slowed down enough to be dragging on the bike and slowing it down....

Kinda hard to explain actually...but if you do it right you change almost instantly, and very smoothly.

Read this: http://www.vf750fd.com/blurbs/shifting.html

[DingDong]

on the street, always use the clutch... look after my bike.
racing... mostly use clutch... depnds on whats just happened and what I need to happen next :yes:

[Patch]

I use the clutch at all times because I don't like the thought of brushing my bikes teeth!
Its ok mate FXR150's don't have teeth, they just all gummy :niceone:

[DEATH_INC.]

I'm an ex MX rider so I use it all the time,like doing wheelies or when I can't be arsed changing down,or just trying to keep up with all these bloody thous outta corners.......

[White trash]

,or just trying to keep up with all these bloody thous outta corners.......

Poor thing's gonna get a hiding tomorrow then, aint it?

[DEATH_INC.]

Yeh,funny being on the littlebike.....

[saiko]

Never up, always down.

[Juan]

Track days, up no, apart from 1st to second, down, yup

Road, sometimes when having fun up, no, but down yes....

[placidfemme]

*didn't know you could change gears without the clutch engaged... thought that would screw the engine so never tried*

*learns something new everyday*

[phantom]

On the open road often don't use the clutch changing up but always when changing down. I have the most trouble when I go from my automatic company car to the wife's manual car and it always seems to be when she is in the car with me that I forget it's got a clutch :mad:

[Drunken Monkey]

depends how lazy I am.. I can shift slow or quick, but hacking it, I can fluff it up, so usually I clutch it to be sure of a shift.. and for wheelies

How the hell do you chump up a clutchless up shift?!?!?!

[skidz]

When you'r riding a big tractor like our Harleys, you need the clutch. They are getting to be a better gearbox, but just not quite there yet.

[Coyote]

Always use the clutch. Didn't really know you could change down without the clutch

[onearmedbandit]

Changing down without the clutch is a piece of piss, and done properly it does no damage to your 'box.

[Beemer]

I nearly always use the clutch but once or twice I have just forgotten - mostly when changing down from top. The first time I did it I was so surprised nothing happened to the bike that I mentioned it to a friend. They said you can change gear quite easily without using the clutch, but your revs have to be in the right range.

So to be honest I usually use the clutch, but when I forget, sometimes I don't!

[Ixion]

Almost always use the clutch. Except when I forget, or things are real hectic. Didn't always off road. I'd be more worried about the primary chain snapping in clutchless changes than the gearbox, and the habit's stuck

[hXc]

Always use it changing down. Occasionally I use it when changing up but I get sore a sore hand 'cause the XR got a stiff clutch handle.

[myvice]

Depends on the mood, the car makes funny sounds when I get it wrong tho, bikes a bit more forgiving...

[danb]

Hmm, I really would not want to try at the moment. As for the future who knows.. :whistle:

[Coyote]

Changing down without the clutch is a piece of piss, and done properly it does no damage to your 'box.
This is why I've been to worried to do it. How do you shift down without the clutch properly?

[onearmedbandit]

All you need to do is reduce the load on the gearbox by rolling off the throttle and applying downward pressure on the gear lever, almost letting the engine 'freewheel', ie neutral throttle. If you have a steady throttle wrist, and correct timing (which you soon learn) the change is as smooth as using a clutch, but a lot quicker and IMO less disrupting to your line as you peel in for a bend. The odd time I'll blip the throttle to match the engine speed with road speed during the change if I feel it's necessary.

Something I learnt when I first started driving was how easy clutchless changes are in a car, both up and down. For up changes all you have to do is come off the throttle, and gently change up without the clutch. Still you have to have your timing right or engine speed will drop too much. Changing down however was the most fun, although probably a bit hard on the box due to the method used, but I never broke any. Anyway, say you're in forth on a normal H pattern 'box. Plant boot, let the revs start to rise a bit, then while holding down the throttle, firmly and quickly change down to third. The timing between gears is crucial, as this is the period in which the revs rise to match the road speed, however in any of my cars I tried it in it was very easy.

The car method should not be used in comparison to the bike method, both are completely different. I maintain that I have never had any gearbox problems with any vehicle I have owned, other than a Skyline turbo autotragic letting go.

[zadok]

I have found the gearbox on the 1000GTR a dream after the NTV650 (clunky; always used clutch).
Now I can change up smoothly without the clutch, but still use a bit of light clutch with a blip of acceleration on down shift.

[Motu]

I always gotta laugh when we have a customer ring up with a broken clutch cable,to them it's undrivable,but they are easy to bring in,starting ingear on the key and clutchless shifting.Had to bring in a Landrover once,it had an overdrive and I used that as it was a dog box and easy to change.

[gixxer rider]

Didn't have much choice last week,I noticed my clutch cable was on it's way out so had to conserve it as much as possible with clutchless shifting (and hope it didn't snap at a red light/intersection etc) but all fixed now so back in action again.