Clutch less gear changes.

[Kiwifruit]

A daft question....
Does anyone not dip the clutch when changing gear on a 14 ?

[grog]

Just from habit, yes Col. Just how ive always done. Probably not needed but way i do it.

[seth]

Going up is OK but I tend to go down using the cluch 

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Always, as in i always use the clutch up or down shifts.

[Tally]

1st to 2nd I use clutch , the rest I don't, changing down clutch always.

[GSXKING]

No 

[Hooli]

Clutch? who needs no stinking clutch?!

I never did above 2nd up or down. I found it was smoother & faster, deffo can't damage the box as some claim as I never had the K2 2nd gear issue.

[Pommeroy]

Always use clutch.

[Kiwifruit]

Thanks guys. I have always used the clutch except on my motocross bikes. Just thought I'd try without recently and found it not to my liking.

[Mick_J]

Don't use the clutch going up the box and sometimes coming down as well on any of my bikes.

[grog]

Try riding an old bike, example B34 BSA without clutch, even worse, old hand change Harley.Just not possible.

[Hooli]

Oddly though I always rode my Bonnie clutchless, it'd fall out of 3rd everytime if you clutched. Worked fine clutchless & again I found it was smoother which probably says something about me being hamfisted.

I always clutch the HD though, only 1/2" or so of lever travel but just enough to unload things so it's smooth. Again a full declutch isn't as smooth for me.

[Tony Nitrous]

I use the clutch out of habit, some bikes need it more than others and I just do it out of habit.

Busa has a 2 way quickshifter and I use the clutch a lot less, rarely ever use it accelerating.  Not the same thing though, full throttle up shifts are quite different to being able to change up clutchless.

[KiwiCol]

"Not the same thing though, full throttle up shifts are quite different to being able to change up clutchless."

Yep, agreed Tony.    IMO, full throttle upshifts have a waaaay bigger grin factor . . .

[Tony Nitrous]

"Not the same thing though, full throttle up shifts are quite different to being able to change up clutchless."

Yep, agreed Tony.    IMO, full throttle upshifts have a waaaay bigger grin factor . . .

One of the guys I raced with in the UK had his quickshifter wired into an air shifter and a shift light so at something like 10,000 rpm it just changed up on its own. He also used a 2-step launch control similar to what new bikes have.  You just sat on the start line holding full throttle, launched with the clutch and did the full quarter mile with the bike changing up on its own. 

He already had a double skinned exhaust that stuck out a fair way before turning back (that had been filled with lead as they had banned additional weights).

We were looking at running a nitrous system to come in and out with a shift light as a fire signal, but they redid a lot of the rule book for some reason.


I use the 2-step launch on my Busa with the quickshifter. I sit at the lights with the engine loaded up but hesitating, launched and just tap the gears up without ever shutting the throttle.  It's very silly, completely unnecessary but always makes me smile!
Funny though, most folk are actually quicker at the drag strip without the 2- step, most factory systems give you consistent hard launches every time, but a good rider on his A-game will beat it as it won't allow for super aggressive launches.