Speed shifting

First post! Hey yall. Ok anyway, I upgraded to an '03 600rr after a year of ridin a piece of junk '83 550 suzuki. Needless to say, quite a bit more power and way the hell lighter. My problem is bad speed shifting technique. I didn't really notice it on the old bike cause it weighed 100 more pounds, it was less responsive, and didn't have a lot of torque (probably due to its age and misuse or fun-use of the people that owned it before me). When I shift from 1st to 2nd, without clutchin it, and sometimes 2nd to 3rd the bike usually jumps a little. Roll off throttle, shift, roll on throttle. I've been playin with it but i can't shake it. Any RPM specific or throttle control advice?

:welcome:

Why are your using clutchless shifting? Your problem is probably in your wrist control with the FI. The FI on these new bikes are so sensitive.

I would suggest one of two things if this is a sensative thing. Try using the clutch till you get use to the throttle. or Add some slack to the throttle cable... not too much just on the looser side of what OE says. For example is Honda says 1/4" - 1/2"...use 3/8" or 1/2".

you need to be fast on the throttle. And pressure the gearchanger before you shift, so the soonest it can go in, it will. When i shift, i pull the clutch lever till the slack comes out, mabye a mm over. Combine that with the foot pressure and throttle blip and its smooooooooooooooooth.

you need to be fast on the throttle. And pressure the gearchanger before you shift, so the soonest it can go in, it will. When i shift, i pull the clutch lever till the slack comes out, mabye a mm over. Combine that with the foot pressure and throttle blip and its smooooooooooooooooth.
:iagree:


It should be a quick blip of the throttle and like said you should already be applying pressure to the shifter for the blip of the throttle to go smooth. It should almost be un-noticable. but as said Why? If your wheelieing then you need to master this. Otherwise Mr. lazy grab the lever.:lol:

alright alright. Maybe I was being a little lazy and I kinda wanted to have speed shifting memorized far in advance before I try to wheelie, but that's far down the road. Thanks for the advice anyway.:cheers:

This may be a dumb question but is "clutchless" shifting bad for your bike? Ive heard some people say that you shouldn't do it too often because it tears up the bike then others say its not a problem for the bike at all.

I dont even use the clutch on mine. I sometimes will when I am downshifting if i am riding slow, but if i am powering the bike, I never use it. Just keep practicing and you will get the hang of it.

And clutchless shifting does not hurt anything if done right.

:welcome: :twfrox:

And clutchless shifting does not hurt anything if done right.
i think thats the key here...:bash:

and :welcome:

if you are having problems speed shifting do the following:

remove as much slack as possible on the throttle cable.
reposition the gear shifter lower so you don't have to raise your foot as high during shifts.
check the drive chain for excessive slack.
routinely change your engine oil.

-a|ex

never even heard of that before. learn something every day

Ya, after reading what everyone had to say I took the long way to work through rural fargo and did a little practicing.:dthumb: My problem was definitly that I wasn't putting prepressure on the clutch lever and that my blips were actually blaaaps. Just gotta learn to be a little quicker on the throttle i guess.

Ya, after reading what everyone had to say I took the long way to work through rural fargo and did a little practicing.:dthumb: My problem was definitly that I wasn't putting prepressure on the clutch lever and that my blips were actually blaaaps. Just gotta learn to be a little quicker on the throttle i guess.

youll be suprised how little your RPM's have to drop before it all works, just a quick touch off throttle and BAM!

I've thought about clutchless up's but I'm afraid to do it on my old 92.

:welcome:

Why are your using clutchless shifting?
Doesn't this say it all? My vehicles have manual transmissions and I love fanning the clutch on my bike. Why would I want to chance missing a shift, hitting neutral, or staying in the same gear when it's a 100 percent certain shift when I use the clutch? Stinking automatic transmissions are going to ruin us.

I use to do this a lot. i stopped doing it for some reason. i think it's because i couldn't do it smooth all the time. but when i did, it felt awesome. haven't done it on the new bike yet.

I use to do this a lot. i stopped doing it for some reason. i think it's because i couldn't do it smooth all the time. but when i did, it felt awesome. haven't done it on the new bike yet.
As awesome as a perfect downshift when using the clutch? Even the sound is awesome, with the harmonious change of higher pitch, when doing a perfect downshift with the clutch. I have stock exhaust, and love it when sightseers on a steep, curvy road turn to look and wonder how the old guy on the CBR performed that melodious downshift.

But on a steep, curvy downhill, you have to be 100% sure that downshift is a downshift. Same with upshifting when going uphill. That's why I always use the clutch.

i only clutchless upshift. C'less down is not worth the trouble to me, though i do blip when i down shift. But accelerating and going cleanly through the gears without the clutch is niiiiiiiice.

speed shifting down? now that's dangerous. i don't even do that on the track.

-a|ex

Just use the clutch.

Just use the clutch.
Yup. be VERY thankful this isnt a synchronized tranny. if it were, clutchless shifting would be quite bad for the synchros.

Yup. be VERY thankful this isnt a synchronized tranny. if it were, clutchless shifting would be quite bad for the synchros.


:scratch: yeah, what ever he said.

Sorry my only experience as a mechanic is with MI ARNG vehicles... most were put into service the decade I was born 1970's. Nothing complicated here.

Wow all this clutch talk has me scared guys...lol I went out for a practice ride the other night, and found myself kinda popping the clutch like I do on my dirtbike when moto-ing...IM SO SCARED ITS GONNA WHEELIE lol

Wow all this clutch talk has me scared guys...lol I went out for a practice ride the other night, and found myself kinda popping the clutch like I do on my dirtbike when moto-ing...IM SO SCARED ITS GONNA WHEELIE lol

:lol:

:lol:
:iagree: :lol:

speed shifting down? now that's dangerous. i don't even do that on the track.

-a|ex

Nah....it's just like upshifting.....a teeny bit of pressure on the shift lever, then a little gas and pressure on the shifter at the same time.....practice a little and your downshifts are seamless. BUT.....do not do it at higher rpms...it's too hard to judge speed and rpm match...which can result in overrev or big black commas on the asphalt............

Clutchless shifting is NOT speed shifting or slam shifting (same thing)...that sort of shifting is done with full power on...you physically force the gear dogs over into the next gear; either by slamming your boot up into the shift lever, or reaching down and yanking it up by hand (an old dragracer trick).....this is virtually guaranteed to trash a trasmission in a short time

As for the "it's hard on the transmission" controversy....I'm now on my 23rd or 24th motorcycle (I forget which)...a many of which I have ridden in excess of 25,000 miles, several of which I've ridden in excess of 75,000 miles.

A. I've NEVER had to even service a clutch, let alone replace one.

B. I've NEVER had a transmission problem, of ANY kind.

I will qualify this with the fact that I don't do burnouts, clutch wheelies, or drag starts or slam shifting... and I do change oil at or sooner than recommended intervals. I also get about 9-11000 miles out of a set of sport-touring tires, and average about 7-8000 miles out of a set of 208 Dunlops, so you can see that I don't hammer a bike, (but there is many a young rider that will attest to the fact that I am not slow on a twisty road).

Most of it has to do with how smooth you are willing to become.

It may also have to do with the fact that I learned streetriding and roadracing on an X-6 Suzuki (go Google it). They had needle bearing transmissions that were renowned for fragging in the hands of ham-fisted (or is it ham-footed) riders....I was taught to be smooth as a requirement of survival of my equipment.

Huh, i never knew the difference. I guess slamming it up into second never occured to me with full throttle still going... but then again I value my bike and my life.

Nice post OTB. :cheers:

Nice post OTB. :cheers:
Per normal! Rep Pt to him!!

They got a thread going on the BMW forum right now on this too.. whining about rebuilding transmissions, and clutches exist for a reason. Kinda funny to watch the different points of view.

Different POV is always funny to watch. You should see the difference between here and my Big Dog forum! :yikes:

They got a thread going on the BMW forum right now on this too.. whining about rebuilding transmissions, and clutches exist for a reason. Kinda funny to watch the different points of view.

Beemers are a different kettle of fish...depending on the model, many use a single plate dry clutch, have much more flywheel effect, and very notchy (compared to Japanese) trannys, which shift more like a car trans than motorcycle (I can"t speak for Harleys and clones, but those heavy primarys and trannys are prolly similar). If your bike clunks and protests during clutchless shifting, it likely doesn't like it, and you can notch gearteeth, break engagement dogs and generally make a mess if your bike doesn't tolerate it.

I should have qualified those statements with the admonition that MOST Jap, modern Triumphs, and most ('cept for Guzzi's) Eye-talian bikes should accept smooth clutchless shifts.

:cheers: Nice.

They got a thread going on the BMW forum right now on this too.. whining about rebuilding transmissions, and clutches exist for a reason. Kinda funny to watch the different points of view.
BMW bikes or cars?

BMW bikes or cars?
Bikes

She wants one.

Bikes

She wants one.
:iagree: