Andrew tells myself and Chris that he doesn’t use the clutch when going up the box when he is on it! Just rolls the throttle and slips it into gear. Chris states that he always uses the clutch on the up shifts but not on the down.
I personally use the clutch all the time it’s there to be used so I do! Can’t see I would be that much faster not using it.
Anyway anyone else do clutchless up changes?
Clutchless upchange all the time. Only time I use the clutch is for getting between neutral to first. Sometimes clutchless downchange as well, depends on the bike and whether it will cope. If changing down at high revs I clutch it but if just going at low revs I usually just press the pedal without using the clutch.
Sometimes do clutchless up changes on me gixer but haven’t sussed the downchange yet. Dont think its a good bike to do clutchless down changes on? If you get the timing wrong you get a bit of a jerk but do it when im being lazy or riding 1 handed for some reason or another!!
Can’t do clutchless changes on a bike in a cage dead easy. Once had a Vectra without a working clutch master cylinder. Willing to learn though as had cable for clutch on my bike snap six months ago.
Ah, ok you’ve beat me to it. Changing up very good very good. Changing down very bad very bad (I’ve been told, but Chuffster - if the bike’s ok with it fair enough I guess)
I’ll add this article in my defence.
Post deleted Andrew! Chuffster, could you please repeat your answer to this thread mate? Sorry 
I totally agree with no clutch to go up on gears! so much so that I got the Dynojet Quickshift on my bike and love it to bits! 
Ta mate.
Quickshifters are the stuff of wet dreams no? Must be a complete blast.
With a quickshifter fitted you can get away with it really easily but this is all extra money to have installed. Clutchless upshifts are easy as long as you get the revs correct. I have heard that with a quickshifter fitted on a 2004 ZX10 you are still supposed to use the clutch to downshift, as, apparently by not doing so you destroy gear boxes.
If you kill the throttle and push on the gear change whilst upchanging it should just click into the next gear quite happily, changing down is a fine art, I have not found many bikes that like it but my previous ZX6 was ok as long as you were at less than 5 thousand revs. You do risk the back end locking up if you don’t clutch down, especially on twins or when braking hard.
So when I am on it, so to speak, clutchless up the gear box but I use the clutch to go down the box, epsecially when on the race track. My SV is not allowed a slipper clutch so I have to use clutch control to try and act like a slipper.
I have mine setup for work only after 7000 revs as at low speeds I don’t really mind changing it, but as soon as you start to push the speed it is brilliant! Under acceleration it’s just so smooth and really quick ! 75 miliseconds mine one is setup to change.
You do need to get used to it though! It took me a while to understand that I have to keep the throttle open and just touch the gear lever to change the gear, my hand kept closing the throtle by default and then the bike gets a bit jumpy… After you learn it things get really somooth and the feeling of the speed is greatly improoved!
It took a few hours on the dyno to setup the quickshift a the dyno won’t reproduce the tarmarc conditions as it is! On the dyno it was still a bit jumpy but on the road and track it was perfect!
Clutchless upshifts are the only way to ride quickly and smoothly, Terry! When you’re riding hard (i.e. at the track), a very quick and short roll off the throttle, with pressure already applied to the gearshift will change the gear without the bike coming off the power and without the suspension upsetting as weight moves from the rear to the front as the power comes off.
At the track this is very important for making good progress. I too used to have a quickshifter fitted to my K4 750, but it was also a Dynojet one and I couldn’t get it to work properly (was ALWAYS too jerky, despite being looked at by various ‘experts’), so I got rid of it.
Clutchless upshifts do no harm to your gearbox, don’t worry.
At somewhere like Snet you’ll prob save yourself between 3 to 4/10ths of a second per lap…
Clutchless up-shifts for me, don’t normally think about it; just habit.
Nearly aways change up clutchlessly, and occasionally down if revs/speed etc are appropriate. Been a bit more cautious about changes since reading about the long term test CB1300 in Bike magasine stripping the top 3 gears…
I did my first clutchless upchange last year and was very pleased with myself!! I’ve not tried downwards ones yet. how it works mechanically, I wouldn’t have the foggiest, being a bird an’ all that.
So Terry / ChrisD, help me out here I’ve lost count.
Am I slightly ahead perchance…
Andrew seems like your right 
I still won’t be doing them though and still not convinced it’s good for your gearbox. How can it be clutch is there for a reason. 
Depends on the situation, if im on the limit I tend to not use the clutch for Up or Down shifts. 
Always use the clutch if just chilling about.
can you get it so its smooth when riding normally or is it just best for nailing it up through the gears to next gear comes in fast and hard?
i’m not sure that at the moment i need to be going any faster tho at the mo…an opinion no doubt shared by the copper that did me on embankment 
It’s just for when you’re nailing it and want to get through the box as quickly as possible, though I also use it when taking pillions, as it’s normally much smoother, stopping the rocking motion you get. Again, it does no harm to your gearbox, this is a technique used by Motorcyle cops as well, so it’s not some dodgy back-street racer trick.
Pillions??? Smoother?? No, thanks!!!
