Should I use the clutch?

[bruce aussie]

In my younger days racing motocross I never used the clutch and driving trucks with Road Ranger gearbox's. On road bikes although I haven't found the need to on the Rocket I tend to do the opposite, flat change. Used to do it all the time on my Harley just hold the throttle on the stop and a quick feather of the clutch to release the load and jam another gear at it.

 

[dougl]

There you go , I wouldn't dream of changing gears up or down without the clutch. Just what I've always done I guess.

Is this a trick question?

 

[mr hunt]

When I want to "give it some", will my Rocket be happy to change up a gear with only a blip of the throttle and not pulling in the clutch?

still learning,

Ian.

You won't launch the front wheel that way.....that's the real problem right there

 

[Mittzy]

I must admit I don't use the clutch when having a race
But when calm riding I use the clutch most times.... ALWAYS when changing down.....

 

[barbagris]

Personally since yours is a 07 bike if it has not had the updated second gear I would worry about the extra dogs on the cluster rounding off. Other then that it really is not bad if you do it right because you have no engine kill to release the back lash and the backlash is not released IMO it will wear rounding off the dogs and eventually start jumping out of gear.

Not to mention the stresses you're feeding through to UJ's - gearbox shafts etc. Which ( as some have discovered) are hardly over engineered.

Shaft drive bikes DO NOT LIKE clutch-less changes ime. I've been riding them since 1978. If you want the bike to last - use the clutch.

 

[peter k]

It was scary enough for me when the detent spring broke there's no way I want that feeling again with the gear box .with every thing I've read about the gear box problems I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing .always usin the clutch

 

[mexican]

Every now and then i shift without the clutch but for the most part i use it, don't want to get the dogs mad!

 

[CanberraR3]

Don't really understand why you wouldn't use the clutch all the the time. I reckon I can change just as quickly with it than without it anyway. If you can't, maybe you're not riding enough........

 

[Pres10]

100% correct.

 

[dougl]

The reason there is a clutch is so there isn't a huge amount of torque on the drive shaft and gears attached to it when you shove the dogs into the gears on the output shaft. Don't treat your bike like a racing bike unless you want to replace the transmission between races.