I only use the clutch to down shift and pull away never to change up on my MK3 Roadster, I always get a smooth change and I have never had any gearbox or clutch problems. I the past I had a Norvil Commando proddy racer and never used the clutch to change up when racing and raced it for 3 seasons (years), I estimate around 30-40 races per year(approx 600-800miles) and also never had any problems with the gearbox due to this type of gearchange.

I the past I had a Norvil Commando proddy racer and never used the clutch to change up when racing and raced it for 3 seasons (years), I estimate around 30-40 races per year(approx 600-800miles)

Johnny its mostly just personal taste and opportunity to clutch or not clutch,
So I'm just posting to salute your campaigning vigor and bike endurance.

hobot

Clutching, and changing oil, gear lube, primary lube, fork oil, and brake fluid, are for WIMPS!!!

So is lunch, sayeth Mr. Gekko/Boesky.

To each his own.

No need for clutchless shifting unless you are roadracing and every millisecond counts. Clutches last for years on streetbikes, nobody will convince me that clutchless shifting doesn't prematurely wear transmission components - it does.

northern750 wrote: nobody will convince me that clutchless shifting doesn't prematurely wear transmission components - it does.

I seriously doubt if it causes any significant wear at all. The change is nice and clean, it never grinds , I see no problem. Might save some wear on the clutch cable though

pommie john wrote:

northern750 wrote: nobody will convince me that clutchless shifting doesn't prematurely wear transmission components - it does.

I seriously doubt if it causes any significant wear at all. The change is nice and clean, it never grinds , I see no problem. Might save some wear on the clutch cable though

And for those with badly adjusted clutches/wrong stack heights, it's a lot easier on the wrists.....so you can save it for other activities

The only gearboxes that are at risk to proper clutch-less shifts are those with synchronizer cones which does not apply to the vast majority of antique to super modern motorcycles. Done properly clutch-less shifts can be easier on gearbox and clutch gizmo's. Done in anger it can lower acceleration times is that ever matters.
I have had times in tractors, trucks, cars and Commando's and my SV650 where
clutch gizmos failed and only chooses were wait for a pick up or just ride home
snicking shifts up and down clutch-less matching rpm and loads as normal and to find N before rolling stopped. Search web on this reveals countless similar tales
and not one single event of geabox damage but the alert don't do it on syncho egquiped gearboxes.

Swooh, please point me to your animation here or in private please.

hobot - hope for torque enough in Peel to eliminate most shifting needs.

maylar wrote:The only times I've shifted without a clutch is getting home with a broken clutch cable.

Same thing happened to my old '79 Bonnie. Got home just fine but hardest part was coasting before gently "slamming" it into second.

Ok i found the 6 speed display link with this comforting piece of news for us clutch-less shifters.

"Constant mesh" means that each gear on one shaft has a matching free-spinning gear on the opposing shaft, which are meshed with each other at all times. This means there's no synchromesh mechanism as there's no need to bring a gear up to speed before meshing it. Gears transfer power by pinning one of the free-spinning gears to its shaft, and in a motorcycle transmission this is done by having one of the non-free-spinning gears slide over to engage dogs into slots in the free-spinning gear.

3 gear boxes, 4 rear drums, a pair of shafts, couple sets of wiped off cog teeth, trashed bushes globally -, yeah I've an idea of what I can and can't get away with. Clutch-less shifting is not dangerous, a handy skill and delicous normal way to shift. Purely a style or opportunity choice, either for fun or forced into it.

hobot - not so confident a mechanic I've decided to build rock wall this wkend and delay a bit more my risking another engine and gear box assembly fumble.

First may be the only only one that's not running in sync, but it's also the only one where you consistantly use the clutch to engage, 'cos generally, you're staionary.

Once the fear of clutch-less Commando shifting is dissolved by understanding, its natural to clutch or not clutch to provide the most sure slick stress-less easy shifting for the conditions and your own mood. If I'm injured or very tired or hurting I'll clutch most the time to avoid mistakes or poor operation of wrist or throttle linkage, unless of course the clutch lever is missing in action.

Alas much as I like hooligan image, i've no claim to breaking AMC shells by hard power usage. First one was DOUBLE mistake not revealed under low power 'break in' period. 1. rear drum teeth machined too wide for 520 chain.
2. 520 O-ring chain was too stiff to lay in valleys when good throttle applied so ran on top of teeth, which put insane drive train jerk loads, which I detected by a sharp kick in the butt as the shocked fully compressed and bottomed out from chain tension. This bent shafts and skewed bearing in bores and may have initiated the axle failure some 4000 wild and wooly hooligan miles later, after new trimmed drum down to .240".

BTW Weakest AMC cog is 3rd gear set and the O in O-ring stands for Obolete!

hobot

hobot wrote:
Alas much as I like hooligan image, i've no claim to breaking AMC shells by hard power usage.

hobot

The day mine blew up I had been clutching up wheelies. On the ride home, the throttle no longer gave forward thrust . Coasted to side of road. Called old lady with instructions to bring me my tools. Removed primary and clutch fell out with the end of the mainshaft attached. Trucked home to find the box and most of the interior scrapped.

Will