Sport Bike -POPPING CLUTCH - why does this happen?

Question

I remember riding a dirtbike a 1982 yamaha or 83 and I popped the clutch cause I kicked, and gave it gass while holding the clutch and released it too quick. The front came up and got hurt.

I could never understand why this happens? couldn't they make a bike that you don't need to be holding down a clutch?

My questions are the following

1) Do all sport bikes start this way in 2008?

if so - how come I 've never seen somebody not do this at a red light, or starting in a parking lot? you would think this would happend to even pro riders all the time. You can just have a lapse and forget or in a hurry, and pop-oooops there goes the front.

2) Do Harley Davidsons start the same way?

3) how come a sport bike can't just have a key like a car, and start and you hold down throttle like a scooter?

Thank you

Answer 1

A clutch controls the power transfer from the engine to transmission and, in the end, to the rear wheel. What happened to you is basically what you said, when you "pop" the clutch you release the lever to quickly which disengages the clutch and thus engages power flow to the transmission. At idle the bike would usually just lurch forward and stall but when the throttle is open there is enough momentum to overcome the weight of the bike and you sitting on it and there for the bike is able to move.

Newton's third law states objects in motion tend to stay in motion, objects at rest tend to stay at rest, this is applied to the motorcycle in this way; when the clutch is "popped" the power flow to the rear wheel forces it to move but the rest of the bike is resisting that change in motion and trying to remain at rest, but the rear wheel has leverage on the rest of the bike as it is the fulcrum of a lever (the lever being the bike) the leverage from the rear wheel is applied to the rest of the bike and this causes the front wheel to lift off the ground thus resulting in you looping out.

The ways to avoid this are to be smoother on the clutch, you need to let the clutch out till you begin to feel the bike trying to move. Then gently twist the throttle as you continue to release the clutch.

They make after-market parts for dirt bikes and quads mainly that are automatic clutches, they run around $600 and operate using a ball and ramp method based on the RPM's of the motorcycle engine, and small bikes for kids like the CRF50F, TTR90, and KLX110 usually do not have a clutch unless intended for race use to prevent exactlly what happened to you.

1.) Yes all sport bikes are like this. The reason you don't see this is because most people riding on the road today have mastered the use of a clutch and can do it both quickly and smoothly, or if they do pop the clutch they know how to recover quickly or the do it on purpose and control it into a nice wheelie.

2.) Yes, although a Harley is typically going to be much more difficult to wheelie due to its length and weight.

3.) Sport bikes do have keys just like a car with the addition of a head lock position. Scooters use a centrifigal clutch which operates off of the engine RPM, when you get to a certain RPM the clutch disengages allowing power flow to the transmission and out to the rear wheel. This is tyically a good system for smaller motor but people tend to burn through CV belts and clutches much quicker with this type of clutch on a bigger bike.

Hope that answers your questions

Answer 2

Man Im going to bed !!!!!!!!!!!!

This is just plain---------Never mind

Answer 3

poping wheelies... because you let the clutch out to fast..

Yes they make Automatic bikes( not many though)

Yes all sports bikes have clutches..

the reason you dont see them poping wheelies is they know how to ride...

& yes even pro riders give the bike to much now & then & wheel stand....  but not often...

Yes Harleys start the same way..

some bikes do start on the key... but not many because its a cheaper key system without the start incorperated in the key..

& you dont just hold down the throttle like a scooter for the same reason that Ferraris arnt automatic four cylider cars...

Answer 4

For one, some sportbikes do that. New riders make that mistake and hurt themselves all the time.

Second, a transmission on a sport bike would weight too much and be too bulky. A manual transmission is better in any vehicle because you have more control over what the vehicle is doing.

All sport bikes are manual. Scooters don't have a transmission / gears to change that's why they just go without shifting.

Answer 5

The first sport bike automatic transmission that I know of is in the Honda EVO 6, a concept bike.

Once you learn how to opperate a sport bike your body won't let you accidentally give it too much gas while at the same time letting out the clutch too fast.

When you let the clutch out too fast with not enought gas, bike dies, not pops, beginners do it all the time.