Clutch-less shifting

[rwthomas1]

Hello all,
I find the ST1100 one of the most challenging bikes I've ever owned to shift smoothly, consistently. What I have noticed is clutch-less upshifting is easily the smoothest and most consistent of all. On my bike at least, once rolling, I can shift smoothly and easily through all the gears under normal acceleration without touching the clutch lever.. I know the preload the shifter technique as well as shifting right at the clutch friction point. But nothing equals the clutch-less upshift, consistently. Curious if this is the experience of others. And incidentally I always use the clutch when downshifting.

RT

 

[Al Gully]

Same here on my 1300, never use the clutch up shifting.
Don't really downshift either, I like wearing out my brake pads instead coming up to lights

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Don't really downshift either, I like wearing out my brake pads instead coming up to lights

You'll save a ton on brake parts like pads and rotors using compression braking.

 

[Bee]

Never done it and never would. I have read numerous times it does no harm (if done well) but it’s not for me. I find the Pan gearbox lovely and sweet and equal if not better than many bikes I have owned. Personally I prefer shaft dive bikes it’s a much more direct feeling (IMO) but maybe not quite as forgiving as a chain? Keeping the foot linkages lubed up helps keep things nice.

 

[OkieRider]

It works better (in both directions) at higher revs, particularly on a 5 speed wide ratio gear box. Close ratio boxes are a joy to ride clutchless. Generally, the shift from first to second is the most brutal. A bike with no second gear is probably due to snapped off dogs from brutal clutchless shifting out of first. Bikes that pop out of second have rounded dogs instead of snapped off dogs. I usually fan the clutch, but I shift both ways in both directions without any particular rhyme or reason. Done correctly, fanning is not appreciably slower because the clutch is not fully pulled in and it's only in the engagement zone as long as the throttle is being blipped, anyway. Most people are lazy in use of the clutch or they grab too much of it, so they think the clutch makes them slow, when it's really their technique. My recollection of the bit on shifting in the Keith Code video (mine is VHS, I don't even have a way to play it lol), the clutch was used. If someone has it, they can check my recollection. I haven't watched it in a very long time.

 

[Uncle Phil]

With all my surgeries on my left side, I learned to up shift without a clutch early on as I was recovering.
Downshifting can be a bit of a trick but doable with some practice.

 

[sirepair]

I usually use the clutch for 1-2 shift, but often "quick-shift" through the rest of the gearbox. Don't often downshift that way, but as UP sez, it can be done.

Modern motorcycles have a constant mesh transmission (gear pairs are always meshed together, and slid on and off of the input and output shafts) so all that is needed to allow the gear change is to take the load off of the drive line (quick snap off-on blip of the throttle) and many newer models have a quick-shifter option which has a sensor on the shift linkage which does the "blip" for you. Some even work to downshift too.

 

[Ron]

"I find the ST1100 one of the most challenging bikes I've ever owned to shift smoothly, consistently. ..."

I've found the oil affects the shifting. Fresh synthetic oil makes shifting a lot smoother for me.

A slight pull on the lever dis-engages the clutch on the 1100.