Shifting w/out using the clutch

[geniusloerts]

I may be a bit off on the speed but it was not good. I was in Brasil at the time so i didnt get to enjoy it as much.

[trapper_492001]

My step Dad said that if God would have wanted you to shift with out a clutch He would have made an automatic transmition. Oh wait He did.

[cloerts]

The long overdue story

you guys need to hear what my brother did on his XS.....the bike literally took off at 40mph and hit the house....he is CLOERTS on the fourm. im sure we can get him to chime in here.

OK so here's the story.(well overdue) I had had the bike for maybe a couple of months (my first motorcycle, EVER mind you) and I was switching out the buckhorns for some lower shorter sportier handlebars. Well, I was all excited to finally ride my bike at a more comfortable wrist/elbow angle, so I made a big deal of the switch. SWMBO and cloerts jr. (3 at the time I think) came out to the front of the house to have a look at the newly improved Frankenbike.

I started her up in neutral as I always do. The engine started fine, but then as it warmed up it also revved up. "No big deal" I think "the throttle cables just a little tight thats all, I'll adjust it after I get back from a short test ride." so SWMBO and jr. are looking at me sitting on the bike. SWMBO has a moment of intuition (bless her) and herds jr away from the front of the over revving motorcycle, and off to the side. I pulled in the clutch and knowing that 1st gear was pretty much shot, I shifted into 2nd. It never occurred to me that the clutch cable needed to be adjusted also.

To my great surprise the bike shot out from under me in 2nd at about 5000rpm (the rear flashers by the way hit the backs of my legs and left bruises that lasted a few weeks) did a wheelie for about 50 feet and knocked 3 bricks out of the corner of the house before careening onto it's side.

I quickly ran to the bike and turned off the ignition. SWMBO was shocked, but not concerned. (she is, after all, married to a big old ranch boy) jr. on the hand screamed this at the top of his lungs, "My motorcycle is broken, and my papa is going to die!!!" he then began to ball his eyes out. It took me a couple of hours to convince him that the bike was ok and that I would live through the night.

Anyway that's how I learned that I should always adjust and check my cables after EVERY change of control related parts.

[CatatonicBug]

I'm still VERY new to riding (still on my permit), and my XS is my first bike. I thought it a bit strange at first, but upshifting w/o the clutch is very natural now. Just a quick drop of the throttle, and it shifts fine. I have not tried downshifting though. I think I'll leave that for if/when my cable dies.

[trbig]

The long overdue story

So with a brother like this to compare to... is this maybe where he got the GENIUS title??


Tod

[Cobia]

That's pretty funnt Tod.
I too have learned to upshift w/out the clutch since I ripped a tendon in my left arm (also known as tennis elbow, although I didn't get it that way) and pulling the clutch can be painfull. It's actually quite smooth.
Haven't done much downshifting though.

[audio_mekanik]

I shift without the clutch on my Mean Streak when racing. Just launch hard up thru first, tap the kill switch with thumb and not letting off throttle and that will unload the motor then shift to second and turn ignition back on. repeat till finish line. I always beat my buddies and they wonder how I can shift so fast...

Learned it from a busa rider at the track. I am sure the tranny doesn't like it but I buy my bikes to have fun with right?

[TADracer]

I use the clutch in normal riding but I do upshift without the clutch when I am riding hard and nearly always use the clutch on downshifts. Never did hit the kill button though. I just give the throttle a little wrist blip and upshift. I dont think that real damage occurs because of doing this.

But I do think the wear factor on things like shift forks and gear dogs may be greatly accelerated however thats just a guess on my part. Would'nt stop me from doing it though.

[cloerts]

So with a brother like this to compare to... is this maybe where he got the GENIUS title??


Tod

Actually we're both genii, I'm merely the more humble of the two. Besides IQ's are overrated, after all MENSA is a spanish slang word for idiot. (no really, it is, look it up)

[trbig]

I'm merely the more humble of the two

Shifting a bike revving at 5k, lucky to not take out a spouse and child, and turning one's bike into a structural wrecking ball... tends to cause humbleness. It's hard to try to convince people of the MENSA status after that sometimes. BUT.. with the true meaning of MENSA.. maybe the title fits at this point?


Tod

[fvincent]

I did a controlled

I did a controlled, non moving tilt into a bench at the park 20 miles from home and broke the clutch lever off at the pivot point. Not enough to get small vice grips on ETC... pulled it into neutral to start it, ( let it warm up so it wants to start quickly). turn it off. Place the bike in 1st gear with the clutch out and slowly roll on the gas you will start and move forward simultaneously. I say slowly roll the gas on as you move as these bikes will wheelie right over backward if you are over zealous. When you reach about 20 mph pull the shift lever up into neutral then blip the gas to increase the RS', then release. Hold up pressure on the gear change lever and don't touch the clutch. when the speed of the associated gears match, the transmission will slip right into gear. You have to kind of "feel" it. Proceed to 5th gear this way and plan on "the long way home" with minimal stops. When you have to stop tap the gear shift down into neutral and use your brakes. Turn off the bike and repeat. The warm bike should easily start in 1st gear with two up! Remember to roll the gas on slowly in first. After a few stops it gets to be kinda fun and you won't grind a thing. Just remember, "feeling" the gear speed match is the ticket.

From experiance,

Floyd '80G
Syracuse NY

[Fddlefoot]

Been there done that

First week I had mine I took the wife up to Boulder about 20 miles with another friend and goofed off and then as we left as soon as he headed diffierent directiion my clutch cable snapped, as good old truck driver figured could free shift made it home easy once out of town but those start and stops at lights sure were interesting only bad thing didn't even manage to lose wife off back.