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Shifting without the clutch
Posted: 04:44 pm May 25 2010
by heckler
A buddy I ride with tells me to shift without using the clutch by getting the engine revs to the right speed. It seems to work quite smoothly and I've even figured out the down shift.
Question is - am I damaging or prematurely wearing anything out by not pulling on the clutch when I shift? The clutch would be used for first gear or letting it coast.
Posted: 05:19 pm May 25 2010
by scheckaet
should be fine if you're not doing it under heavy load.
Posted: 06:20 pm May 25 2010
by Julien D
Right, no problem at all. If it's hard to shift then you're doing it wrong and probably causing damage. As long as you have the trick of shifting smoothly without the clutch then you don't need to use it. When the trails are tight, I almost never use the clutch to shift. Use it plenty for other things though, like getting the front end back down on the ground!
Posted: 11:39 pm May 25 2010
by heckler
sweet, thanks! time to start practicing!
Posted: 10:40 pm Jan 05 2012
by hbgod
downshifting withou the clutch can damage ur trany if done wrong and also can make parts wear out faster. but upshifting without the clutch doesnt have much of an effect
Posted: 11:00 pm Jan 05 2012
by MadMax
If I'm going through the gears while doing a wheelie I never use the clutch, otherwise, I keep my ring or middle finger on the left lever and give a small tug. But that's just me.
Damage? Nah. Just don't try to do it with a serious load, either direction.
Posted: 10:02 am Jan 06 2012
by Julien D


hbgod wrote:downshifting withou the clutch can damage ur trany if done wrong and also can make parts wear out faster. but upshifting without the clutch doesnt have much of an effect
Do you have a solid understanding of how a constant mesh transmission works? Doesn't sound like it...
Posted: 04:44 pm Jan 06 2012
by KarlP
You won't hurt anything.