Gears, just wondering?

Question

I got a new kawasaki 300 made in '98 and i was just wondering if you should pull the clutch in when changing gears iv had people saying that it doesnt matter and some saying it will stuff the gear box up

Thanks,

Kai

Answer 1

Upshifting without clutch is commonly used in racing to shift faster... its OK as long as you are doing it right meaning you are matching the RPM to the speed of the bike when doing the clutchless shifting and there is no load on the tranny...

Downshiftin on the other hand DO NOT DO without the clutch... it may damage your tranny really good!

Answer 2

it also depends on the application (bike)

as an example, clutchless shifting will be alot worse on a 2 stroke dirt bike, when compared to a four stroke dirt bike...

as for me, i always use the clutch.... it's there for a reason... if it wasn't needed, they wouldn't continue making bikes with them.... common logic....

Answer 3

doesn't matter...whichever way you feel comfortable...

I'd suggest using the clutch, it's there, why not use it?

Answer 4

Yes, always use the clutch when shifting gears.

It will shift without the clutch, but each time you do this you damage the gears just a bit.  Eventually the transmission will fail.

It is a major expense to repair a transmission.  he engine must be removed from the bike and completely disassembled to repair the transmission.  On a 10 year old bike, this would not be worth the expense.

Race drivers commonly shift without a clutch.  However, they have sponsors and dedicated personal mechanics so their bikes can be frequently torn down and rebuilt.  They have backup bikes.  I doubt you have any of these.

So why take this risk.

Answer 5

it takes about an extra second to grab the clutch lever and takes the load off the gearbox...unless your racing why not do it?

Answer 6

I have up shifted with out     the clutch for years no problem so far. Just got to learn to do it right and it is much faster not slower.