Racing gear change - clutchless gear change

When I bought my XJ900S Diversion I was told that it liked a "racing
gear change". But never having raced seriously, what is it?

I tried clutchless gear changing, but somehow the bike wasn't happy with
it. I've done it from time to time over the years when pushed, or when
playing, but it was always a bit clunky on older bikes, though with my
Enfield Bullet it was invaluable when the clutch cable broke (kick-down
neutral, then clutchless change up to the necessary gear).

Now back to the Diversion. The gear box was knackered after 75,000
miles of clutch-enabled gear changing, so I replaced it, and clutchless
gear changes are now really lovely. It's quite like the mechanical
pre-selector gear boxes you used to get in cars many decades ago, and it
even changes down as well.

But! Is it wise to do clutchless gear changes, even though they feel so
sweet? Is it likely to damage anything? Or is it the "racing gear
change" I was told about and I should have been doing it all along and
not doing it contributed to the knackered original gear box? GRRRRRR!

--
Dave OSOS#24 Remove my gerbil for email replies

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If a mechanical thing like disengaging one set of cogs and at the same
time engaging a different set of cogs (a.k.a. shifting gears) *feels*
slick, then it is not putting any undue stress to the mechanical parts
concerned. Fortunately, these old-style mechanical components give
quite a good feedback if they "like" something or not.

Besides, your clutch mechanism receives less wear.


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Clutchless upshifting, when you get used to it, places less stress on
the gearbox, is smoother and it allows for a seamless progression of power.

The bike is 'disturbed' less as you are not off and on the power as you
would be with the clutch. It is also very useful when you have a
passenger as you get less head clonking, due to the smooth upshift.

Unless you were really hamfisted with the clutch, I can't see clutched
shifts contributing to wearing the gearbox out to a significant degree.
Like you said, it is like using a pre-selector gearbox

Personally, I rarely use the clutch for upshifts other than 1st to 2nd,
and usually use it for downshifts. In 21 years of riding bikes on the
road, the only worn out gearbox components I've ever had was on my
XJ650, and that was the selector drum grooves, not the shift forks or
engagement dogs. Oh yeah, I have only ever replaced one clutch. I think
the two are connected.

Hope that little ramble helps.

 

In message <cfkhju$j3r$1$>, Sean

Interesting. That is my experience too since the short time I have been
trying it. There seems to be circumstances where the higher gear simply
doesn't engage when in first or second. I haven't worked out what the
circumstances are yet, though my working hypothesis is that it is when I
am giving it a tad too much power.

I'm surprised I can do a clutchless down-change, and it feels as smooth
as the up-change. Just shows my ignorance of the mechanics involved
(yes, I know, but the day we stop learning is the day we are dead ;-)

Certainly did. Many thanks.

--
Dave OSOS#24 Remove my gerbil for email replies

Yamaha XJ900S & Wessex sidecar, the sexy one
Yamaha XJ900F & Watsonian Monaco, the comfortable one

http://dswindell.members.beeb.net

 

Sean secured a place in history by writing:

What he said. I've never really wanted to downshift without the clutch,
'cos you can't blip the throttle to use the engine braking smoothly.