"Clutch riding" or "Throttle riding" when racing?

[Ocean1]

Yes, fully realise that it is not about pinning the throttle and then riding only with the clutch. It is about using much more of the clutch to allow the motor to use it's higher rev range where the power is. The way I see it is to introduce clutch riding so it becomes and option and is not something alien to my son. Then as he develops he has the ability (and hopefully the understanding) to use the technique to go faster in areas (corners often) than others who do not master the clutch riding. The plan is to make clutch riding one part of the training so he does this on regular basis. Repetition and practice makes perfect I hear...

Sounded like a lecture, didn't it Sorry mate, was just thinking out loud. I tend to ride big thumpers, and while a dab of clutch isn't unheard of it's not quite as necessary.

And yeah, I can't think of many tricks he shouldn't learn, he'll use what works best when he's ready.

[CHOPPA]

Disadvantages? Can't really think of any, and I never went through loads of clutches, in fact no more than anyone else I can think of....

.

Loss of traction

[avgas]

Clutch riding is a double edge sword. Seen many a person stuff it up and "free-wheel" or lock up brakes due to not having the engine engaged in a situation.
On a thumper, closing the throttle and chomping the gears is actually a really safe way to decelerate.

Clutch slipping is only as good as the clutch, so (in wet sumps) avoid additives in the oil, and do an oil change and flush every race. I didn't and it added 2 seconds to my 400m time.......which got worse as the night continued to the point where my top speed was 90kph (out of 190ish kph). This was with a near new race clutch.

Likewise I hear the drift boys flush their clutch between race meets.

[DEATH_INC.]

Loss of traction

Sorry Chop, I'm gonna disagree with ya, when done right you can actually have more grip. Though for sure, if it's done a bit ham-fisted it can get a bit messy in the slippery stuff.

[Conquiztador]

Clutch riding is a double edge sword. Seen many a person stuff it up and "free-wheel" or lock up brakes due to not having the engine engaged in a situation.
On a thumper, closing the throttle and chomping the gears is actually a really safe way to decelerate.

Clutch slipping is only as good as the clutch, so (in wet sumps) avoid additives in the oil, and do an oil change and flush every race. I didn't and it added 2 seconds to my 400m time.......which got worse as the night continued to the point where my top speed was 90kph (out of 190ish kph). This was with a near new race clutch.

Likewise I hear the drift boys flush their clutch between race meets.

.

We change oil between every meeting now. And as mentioned earlier, it is not something you decide to do without heaps of practice. But I believe that if the technique is learnt properly there is gains to be made over the ones who do use throttle only.

[Conquiztador]

Sorry Chop, I'm gonna disagree with ya, when done right you can actually have more grip. Though for sure, if it's done a bit ham-fisted it can get a bit messy in the slippery stuff.

I agree with you. There is more grip as the wheel is not spinning in the dirt like crazy.

[Brian d marge]

we did some training with Chris Birch the other day and he was teaching us the clutch technique, very hard to unlearn the throttle technique, and like you said it is so the engine is all ready producing power as in racing you are either accelerating or braking and if you have to wait for the bike to get up into power you can loose a few seconds a lap.

being enduro we were using it more for hill climbs (from a short run up) and for getting over logs (as in easier to pop the front wheel up) but for everyone was for coming out of a corner, the power is there without waiting that split second for it to happen.

Was trying it a week back on a ride and it made such a difference (when I got it right).
Just wish I had been taught it earlier.

how can I agree with boris without him finding out ........

Steve spray , told me many years ago about mid corner "Lag" that split second on the apex , carburation was the key there , the clutch is more " on it like a bonnet " , oh boy its brutal though .....engineers may want to step away at this point

Stephen

[BoristheBiter]

how can I agree with boris without him finding out ........

Steve spray , told me many years ago about mid corner "Lag" that split second on the apex , carburation was the key there , the clutch is more " on it like a bonnet " , oh boy its brutal though .....engineers may want to step away at this point

Stephen

You can't I'm always lurking...

[nzspokes]

My son is now moving up to 85cc motocross. Until now we have not been too worried re small details in his riding. We have done heaps of racing and his speed has become very competitive. This year we will focus on details in his riding to shave off 0.5 seconds here and 0.5 seconds there per lap. (Food, fitness, technique, bike setup etc.)

A double world champion I have met insists that riding with the clutch is the next step, and if a rider does not do this he/she will never develop to his/her full potential. I have also been told by others that many of the worlds top riders do ride the throttle. The world champ I know did ride with the clutch. I have not had this discussion with a world champion who rides the throttle. I have discussed this with non-world champions who are at the top of NZ MX and who does not believe in clutch riding.

(Clutch riding: The throttle is held on constant high revs and the speed is regulated by slipping the clutch. Throttle riding: The speed is regulated by mainly the position of the throttle and slipping of the clutch is only done when changing gear.)

Clearly there is pro's and con's with both techniques. Clutch riding will wear out many clutches in a year. Throttle riding can easily leave you with loss of power temporarily as 2 strokers (that my son currently ride) work best in the high rev powerband. Note that clutch riding is also used by 4 stroke riders. There is also other real or conceived benefits and negatives with both techniques.

Reason to post this here is that I would like to hear views on this issue. Is it worth teaching my son to clutch ride? Or should we stay with throttle riding and focus on other detail in his riding? And it also made me wonder if clutch riding is used in other motorbike racing?

Thanks for posting this. I have been using the technique a bit after reading this and it got me out of a badly wrong gear choice on a hill today.

Didn't know anything about until you posted it.

[Conquiztador]

Thanks for posting this. I have been using the technique a bit after reading this and it got me out of a badly wrong gear choice on a hill today.

Didn't know anything about until you posted it.

Cool! Glad clutch riding got you out of problems! Now start practicing it and use the technique to get faster out of corners!

At each training pass we now spend time focusing on clutch riding. Initially it made my son slower (more to think about, get the hands to synchronise clutch and throttle etc.) But it did not take long before he got comfortable and noticed that he was faster out of the corners. Combine that with something we focused on last year: To brake very late coming in to corners, and suddenly corners have become his strength. We are now at a stage where we are working on having the motor screaming when he comes out of the corner and I can see how it throws him forward!

[BoristheBiter]

Cool! Glad clutch riding got you out of problems! Now start practicing it and use the technique to get faster out of corners!

At each training pass we now spend time focusing on clutch riding. Initially it made my son slower (more to think about, get the hands to synchronise clutch and throttle etc.) But it did not take long before he got comfortable and noticed that he was faster out of the corners. Combine that with something we focused on last year: To brake very late coming in to corners, and suddenly corners have become his strength. We are now at a stage where we are working on having the motor screaming when he comes out of the corner and I can see how it throws him forward!

it is quite noticeable on trail rides following people going fast on the straights where you can just keep to suddenly being right up their tail pipe and pass them like they are standing still out of the corner.

Now if I could have done that better on the hill climbs yesterday.