Clutch or no clutch
Rowan Kemp
an FZR1000 after being off a bike for a couple of years. (The last one was
a GSX750 which my loving brother parked "in" the drivers door of a car)
Anyway I have been told different things by differient people about
changing up thru the gears. Initially I was taught to use the clutch each
time I changed gears. However I have recently been told that the easiest
way, and smoothest, is just to back off all the way on the throttle and go
up a gear without using the clutch at all. Just to cloud the issue I was
told the other day that the best way is to not use the clutch and after
changing up to put some pressure on the gear lever and when the revs are
right the thing will just click up by itself. Sounds good but I cant get
this system right.
The questions that I hope someone can answer are
-does it do any harm not using the clutch?
-and will it just automatically click up without backing off on the revs?
Thanking all for thier pearls of wisdom in advance.
Rowan (as long as no part of me is scraping the road I am having fun)
Brenden Bertuola
check out the thread with subject 'and the question begins, it has covered
this issue, and should still be current.
my two cents....the clutch is there for a reason, use it. the time saved by
not using it is I think insubstantial.
Brenden
1987 GSXR1100 (The Slab)
Captain Trips
> The questions that I hope someone can answer are
> -does it do any harm not using the clutch?
> -and will it just automatically click up without backing off on the revs?
>
> Thanking all for thier pearls of wisdom in advance.
>
> Rowan (as long as no part of me is scraping the road I am having fun)
I have been upshift on suzuki's (250, 750 1100) for years now without a clutch
and have found it smoother than using the clutch. Never had a single prob with
the 'box in 100,000km but I always shift up at peak tourque. I find its good
to do when dragging of V8's at the lights so as to put less strain on the
clutch.
Hope this helps.
----
Harley Davidson - "Yesterday's technology at tomorrow's price"
Brendan (Slave of the ZZR1100)
been using the technique myself lately. I just back of a little and find it
works fine above 5,000 revs. Its definetlt smoother and I reckon smooth must
be better for the bike. Greg who put me onto this takes good care of his
bikes and I'm sure he wouldn't do clutchless changes if they were bad for
his bike.
Brendan
Rowan Kemp wrote in message <01bdec34$009289e0$4bfc37cb@damo>...
>Wondering if someone can give me some sound advice. Just picked up myself
>an FZR1000 after being off a bike for a couple of years. (The last one was
>a GSX750 which my loving brother parked "in" the drivers door of a car)
>Anyway I have been told different things by differient people about
>changing up thru the gears. Initially I was taught to use the clutch each
>time I changed gears. However I have recently been told that the easiest
>way, and smoothest, is just to back off all the way on the throttle and go
>up a gear without using the clutch at all. Just to cloud the issue I was
>told the other day that the best way is to not use the clutch and after
>changing up to put some pressure on the gear lever and when the revs are
>right the thing will just click up by itself. Sounds good but I cant get
>this system right.
Leo Yu
releases
itself from the drivetrain. When you do clutchless gearchanges, a slight
"back off" on the throttle causes a slight pressure relief which lets the
shift fork pull the drive gear off the selected driven and lets it mesh with
another, so for that split second you back off, your doing the same
as pulling in the clutch.
Without you seeing the innards of a gearbox, it's very hard to explain
simply. Let me try again....
When 2 gears are meshed and a force is applied (throttle on), the gears
have a hard time sliding off each other. when you back off, that force
becomes minimal, allowing the gears to slide sideways off each other.
Whether or not you use the clutch, the same applies. Not using the clutch
does save it but the saving is negligible.
I give up. Its too hard to explain.
Use the clutch, it dosent really hurt it and saves those jerky gearchanges
at traffic light derbys. Just dont use it when changing gears in a wheelie
situation.
Oh, and one more thing.... it is possible to bend or even break a shift
fork (inside gbox) if you force the gearlever too hard too often, so if
you must change gear sans clutch, just use light - medium upwards
pressure on the lever and back off a tiny bit.
See you on the road
Leo RZ500
CrazyCam
>
> Mechanically speaking, when you pull in your clutch lever, an engine
> releases
> itself from the drivetrain. When you do clutchless gearchanges, a slight
> "back off" on the throttle causes a slight pressure relief which lets the
> shift fork pull the drive gear off the selected driven and lets it mesh with
> another, so for that split second you back off, your doing the same
> as pulling in the clutch.
> Without you seeing the innards of a gearbox, it's very hard to explain
> simply. Let me try again....
Well, I think you'd find, if you were to look inside a gearbox for a
motorcycle, that the gear-pairs (one pair for each gear) are constantly
meshed together....all of them, and all the time, the shifting is done with
dog-clutches which either lock the gears onto the shafts on which they
rotate, or release them from the shafts.
These dog-clutches don't actually have "teeth" like gear wheels, rather big
metal lumps and gaps which mesh fairly easily, and are stronger than the fine
gear teeth.
Clutch-less upshifts, done properly won't do any harm, but getting the knack
of doing them properly can take some practice.
If you're new to this, use the clutch for the first couple of changes, 1 to
2, 2 to 3, and then try shifting the higher gears, gently. There is no need
to scream the motor to max power, or even max torque. The trick is to back
off the throttle to the setting which will maintain your current road speed
in the gear you are changing upto. If the shift _doesn't_ go right first
try, grab the clutch, 'cos it won't work the second grab either.
regards,
CrazyCam