Clutch-less downshifting.

[onearmedbandit]

Pete - I do ride a Suzuki, namely a 97 Gixxer 750.

I think I might continue with the clutchless downshift for the time being, works well enough so stick with the status quo. However, I will be seriously looking into the other setups mentioned here. always good to have something trick eh??


Next project is completely dropping the left clip-on, imagine the looks that would get!! Also stop any cretin from riding her away, not that they'd have much chance now. Its funny watching bi-armed people (like my brother who does my warrants) try and ride my bike even after I taught them. Seems to be too much for you 'normal' people to get around! Imagine a opportunist theif trying to work it out!! The gyroscopic effects from the front wheel should negate any weight/balance issues, shit how much does a clip-on with switchblock weigh anyway.

[Blakamin]

Next project is completely dropping the left clip-on, imagine the looks that would get!! Also stop any cretin from riding her away, not that they'd have much chance now. Its funny watching bi-armed people (like my brother who does my warrants) try and ride my bike even after I taught them. Seems to be too much for you 'normal' people to get around! Imagine a opportunist theif trying to work it out!! The gyroscopic effects from the front wheel should negate any weight/balance issues, shit how much does a clip-on with switchblock weigh anyway.

Shit hot!!!! that'll stop any thievin bar-stards... they wouldnt even be able to wheel it up the road!!!!

[Slingshot]

Next project is completely dropping the left clip-on, imagine the looks that would get!! Also stop any cretin from riding her away, not that they'd have much chance now. Its funny watching bi-armed people (like my brother who does my warrants) try and ride my bike even after I taught them. Seems to be too much for you 'normal' people to get around! Imagine a opportunist theif trying to work it out!! The gyroscopic effects from the front wheel should negate any weight/balance issues, shit how much does a clip-on with switchblock weigh anyway.

You should leave the left clip-on on, just wrap razor wire around it....that would make you look like a real bad arse......and if someone did try to pinch it they would instinctively grab for it

[Motu]

We used to be able to ride the slickshift Triumphs with one arm,just ease up on the gearlever to take off,same as a car.I rode my C50 with a locked clutch like that for more than a couple of years,using my heal to release the clutch...but I only had one intersection going to work and half the time it was clear.

[cowpoos]

Try holding a small bit of throttle on...never letting it return to full off....no bliping...and wack the clutch in drop your gear...the revs will rise to meet the lower gear [as long as you don't spend a hour or so with the gear change]...and smooth as silk...it won't make f**k all difference to braking performance...feel very similar to riding two stroke with no engine braking.
Takes a few trys to get it right...but very easy to perfect...and becomes 2nd nature in no time to most people...if your've got money get a slipper clutch!

[What?]

The Triumph Slickshift....It'd be kinda hard to do it to a modern bike,it'd have to be external with cables...but not impossible...

Reckon you could do it by making a mirror-image of a brake pedal driving through a telescopic rod to a hydraulic master cylinder to operate the clutch, hooked via slot and pin to the gear lever, so clutching only works on down-shifts. This would be easiest to achieve by setting it up to have an up-side-down shift pattern.
Assuming that getting off the line using the hand lever is not a problem, this should fit the bill as clutch-less up-shifts shouldn't cause the box too may problems.

[scroter]

Hey, interesting issue. I had heard that motogp bikes (this could be wholly innaccurate) used a clutch that was incorporated with the gear lever so that it disengaged the clutch just before it changed gears,

well i seen live footage on tv of rossis fingers dancing on a clutch lever when changing down. im sure they have got one of those wide open switches the ones that kill the ignition for changing up tho. i dont think these would work for changing down unless you got the slipper clutch cause you need to blip the throttle to match engine speed with gear speed.

[TwoSeven]

Most of the cheaper units are only upshifters - dynojet and mps being examples. The fancy ones also allow downshifts as well and involves switching the engine off and a few other things.

Personally, i'd be happy with an upshifter, but I prefer doing manual downshifts with the clutch for better control.

As I said before, I dont blip and quite a few people I know dont, but then I know where my shift points are and I work the clutch more for feel and control - its just a different riding style. From my understanding blipping came out of california superbike school (probably a keith codism) and is taught in aus and they seem to think its gospel. Never seen it done anywhere else.

If you want to build a shifter, google all the existing systems and see how they do it. I dont think the electronics would be that difficult for the electronically minded.

[vifferman]

how much does a clip-on with switchblock weigh anyway.

By the way - do you use the lefthand switches (presumably low-high beam, indicator and horn)?

[vtec]

well i seen live footage on tv of rossis fingers dancing on a clutch lever when changing down. im sure they have got one of those wide open switches the ones that kill the ignition for changing up tho. i dont think these would work for changing down unless you got the slipper clutch cause you need to blip the throttle to match engine speed with gear speed.

Well I didn't mean all of them, but I think at least some of them run with a clutch trigger from the foot pedal, I think it's still debatable whether it's better than a normal clutch, I also think they run with a hand clutch as well to control launches. Or like you say it could be an ignition kill system to save the gearbox for clutchless upshifting that was misconstrued to being a gearlever operated clutch and then conveyed to myself.

[onearmedbandit]

Twoseven - I 'blip' to match the engine speed to road speed, due to going down a gear.

Vifferman - I use the indicators currently by reaching 'cross the bars, not good I know but I'm still to convert the switch over to the left bar. Horn, nah thats what the 'loud' twister control is for, 'specially with a yoshi pipe! Highbeam, when necessary.

[What?]

well i seen live footage on tv of rossis fingers dancing on a clutch lever when changing down...

You forgot to mention that Rossi's gearbox only has to last about 45 minutes

[mattt]

You forgot to mention that Rossi's gearbox only has to last about 45 minutes

....and probably costs more than my zx9

[Madmax]

just on a different note
The old kawasaki H1/H2s
had a different gear box pattern
neutral down all gears up
(plus the shaft lets u reverse the pattern)
bloody handy when you break a clutch cable
just give it a push and whack it in gear off you go
you may be able to get a new selector made?
PM me may be able to get it done
(if not a mate may be able to do it myself) :unsure:

[alastabesta]

sorry to dig up this old post but after reading a few posts about shifting up/down with or without clutch, I'm still confused as to whether it does any harm to the gearbox...