Clutchless Gear changes, who?, how? consequences etc?

[simon1221]

I tried clutchless gear changes today (changing up), didnt work too well, just got a clunk and to not do it again

Anybody else do it?
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DNA50 (sorry) ->> TZR125l >> GPZ500S

[Barry_M2]

If I'm really nailing it then yes.

Put pressure under the gear lever before you need to change, when your ready to change, throttle off and select the next gear. Should all take a fraction of a second to do, and only at very high rev's, or you get a jolting effect.

Clutchless down changes are a no no and there is no benefit what so ever from doing it, you just get a fu**ed gearbox!

[pipnet11]

Can do, but save it for the times when my clutch cable snaps and i have to get home. Have you practiced starts without the clutch? push away as fast as you can in neutral then clunk it into first. Interesting and makes some good noises.
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[Barry_M2]

[Luke_Retrofly]

Hi
You have to be quite high in the revs to get it to be smooth, about top 1/3 id say. Just dip the throttle, as usual when changing up, then flick the gear leaver up (without clutch obviously) and it slots in nicely, much smother than regular chnaging

Luke
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[riichy]

only do em when am feeling like rossi
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.......... PLOD ............ zx636 2004

[Kram]

i do clutchless most of the time (up) at 6k revs... there perfect gear changes anything higher are perfect too
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FS1E -> SR125 -> CB400N -> CB650 -> FZR600 Genises -> VFR400 NC21 -> CBR900RR Fireblade -> Renault Clio 1.4

[mchaggis]

I do it all the time, because I get lazy. Of course, because my bike tops out at 60 with five gears, I'm always going for it.

Clutchless downshifts work fine on my bike if you time it right (on the rather few occasions that I've tried), but the gearbox is really really smooth and requires almost no effort to use. I use the clutch normally for downshifts and changing between 1st and 2nd. It's too easy to get into neutral with clutchless shifting between those two.

Recently I have been discovering that it is possible to find a neutral gear between fifth and fourth on the way down.

The Fazer I've been on for DAS... Ooooh no.
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[stinkwheel]

I do if I am caning it, if I have a pillion on or if I am doing something with my clutch hand such as scratching my arse.

Downshifts are trickier but fine if you get the revs right. Riding a GPZ500 round Edinburgh town centre with no clutch cable for a week taught me how.
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[craigs23]

I clutchless upchange on anything more than half throttle - been doing it for years, so nice and smooth now. Plus adds a bit more zuzz to minature sportsbike (thrashing) riding. Never attempted a downchange, and don't intend to.

Just practice.

[NY_Sniper]

you mean none of you can do them smothly at low revs ? id say n e thing over 3k on a ZXR400 and u can get them smooth its all about throttle control there easy enuff to do and wen gunning it saves time and u dont looses as much speed between gear changes
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[mrchips]

Only doing thme when I'm redlining in every gear going for it (33bhp)
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[mchaggis]

I regularly do clutchless shifts at low engine speeds, and the bike won't particularly complain so long as I'm not lugging it. You just have to be going fast enough to match the next gear ratio at engine idle. Clutchless shifts at low engine speed between the higher gears should be easier as there isn't a great deal of difference between the ratios.

It's a good skill to practise, and I'm fairly certain that a lot of the time I'm not really disengaging the clutch properly during downshifts. Blipping the throttle as I click down works nicely.
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Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush.

[tintin]

All the time on upchanges - much smoother.

If you want to practice then start by:
1. Get ready to change up and apply a little upward pressure to the gear lever
2. just roll off the throttle
3. Click the grear home
4. Back on the throttle
(If you are not confident then try to dip the clutch a tiny bit, reducing until you get the hang of it)
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The older I get the better I was

[cc123]

My new bike has a flawless box so doing it both on up and down shifting, not missed a gear yet. So much better when nailing it and sounds great (and feels great) coming down the box when you somehow 'fluke' the downshifts to the throttle position!

Only when I've got a pillion or stuck in traffic I use the clutch now..
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[Silver]

Do it all the time whilst changing up. I occasionally surprise myself by subconsciously using the clutch.

[MADDOG]

I used to change up and down on my rs just floor it to the red line let off he throttle a bit flick it up to the next gear and backon th throttle sweet as and smooth as a baby's back side .

Now down changing was a different ball game i didn't do because i wanted to at first due to a stupid clutch but then after 3 weeks riding on a shagged clutch i found that changing down to the right gear at the right time before a corner spun the rear setting me up for awesome slides right until the point i fell off hence the reason why i used to do it.

Probably a good job aswell as it can and does screw ur box up. More money to the parts shop then!!
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[AcIdBuRnZ]

Just me that has been led to believe that clutchless downshifts is bad for the gearbox?
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[Kram]

downshifts (from 4-3-2-1) are bad for the gearbox if not down correctly but are very hard to master, i thought
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FS1E -> SR125 -> CB400N -> CB650 -> FZR600 Genises -> VFR400 NC21 -> CBR900RR Fireblade -> Renault Clio 1.4

[cc123]

Its bad Mark? Why?

Seems ok when I'm going down the box, usually only do it when I'm out on my own and on a fair shift!
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[stinkwheel]

[JonT]

On my SV I do clutchless changes between 4 and 5k revs quite easily. I'm terrible for changing up early (not too early just early) but the SV doesn't punish me for it.

[cbrbiker]

I do clutchless up shifts every day. The CBR6RR doesn't even hit its power band until about 8000 revs, so the revs are easily high enough most of the time.

Down shifts are a different story. I blip the throttle, but I still use the clutch.
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[simon1221]

Well it wasnt at high revs as the bike is still being run in, i tried from 3rd to 4th at about 4000rpm in 3rd to 3000rpm in 4th and then 4th to fifth.

It worked better second time.

Itl probably work better at higher revs, or is it easier between closer gears to start with eg 4th-5th?

The carb may be an issue, may also be that the gearbox is nackered, but when i tried first time the throttle was closed anyway as I was rolling down hill.

Or am I just being a wimp and the clunk sound is actually the gearbox going into gear?
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DNA50 (sorry) ->> TZR125l >> GPZ500S

[Dark]

I haven't used the clutch for up shifts in years. I occasionally get a neutral between first and second but never had any other problems.

I always use the clutch to down shift. Before i got the ZX10R i had to control the clutch release, whilst down shifting ,with a lot of precision to avoid totally locking up the rear wheel. Mind you, that is only when really tanking it, but now the slipper clutch takes care of all that for me
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