Do you always use your clutch?

[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

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

[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

[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

[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!