Clutch or No clutch when shifting ??

I don't know if you'd call me fast, but I do. I just sort of slap it while upshifting to get a hiccup in the power - the gears sync better that way, at least to my "seat of the pants" dyno. On downshifts, I'm usually clutching to keep the engine spinning. It avoids stalls and helps me keep the revs up and get back on the pipe faster coming out of corners. 

I only use the clutch through corners and when brake tapping. If I happen to be shifting during those times, "using my clutch while shifting" is only a bi-product of two other things I happen to be doing at the same time. 

I can tell you with certainty I bang through the gears without touching the clutch heading toward the straightaways and do the same in reverse heading into corners using compression braking to assist me in slowing down and setting up for the corner.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong. I aim for whatever's smoothest to help me setup for my next maneuver as that will produce the fewest mistakes.

There's 69 ways to skin a gecko. 

'23 Yz450F for reference. 

Clutch to shift up

No clutch to shift down

cut and dry

Down- never 

up- depends on the load of the motor. Not sure what tracks y’all are ridding but in deep it ain’t shifting if you don’t give her a quick feather. I try to time my shifts over jumps but if it’s deep and I can’t you have to use clutch. 

Always a blip of the clutch when up or down, never once had a transmission failure doing it that way. Also I buy my own shit so I don't abuse it, and not using it isn't going to make me any faster.

Generally no clutch.

It's a sequential dog box, it's not abuse... it's just use.

I do ease up on the throttle very slightly and very briefly, purely as a little mechanical sympathy or more of a requirement if the track is deep or steep and the bike is under serious load.

Edit. Just saw this was actually about fast riders, I have no idea.

No clutch for purely shifting unless I'm hard on the brakes or intentionally wanting to freewheel. Never had any issues.

I typically used my clutch all the time. If I didn't use my clutch I was upshifting, letting up on the gas slightly. Down-shifting puts way more stress on the trans than up-shifting. I'm surprised how many guys said they never use it down-shifting. Now I'll never buy a used bike again.. haha.

To guys that don’t use the clutch to upshift, do you decrease the throttle a little bit or grab gears under power?

I would put pressure up on the shift lever and once you let up on the throttle slightly it'll fall into the next gear, then back to full throttle. Its maybe a 2-3mm twist of the throttle.

I’ve never used the clutch for shifting up or down the whole time I’ve rode since the early 90s and never had a transmission problem.  I’m obviously not in contention for next years mxdn team though so maybe not the opinion you required! 

Yes.

Outside of using a rekluse clutch, I didn’t even know not using the clutch while shifting was even a thing 😂 

I don’t really think about it or have any rules, I just know when the bike will need clutch to shift smoothly. Mostly just combination of throttle and RPM. More throttle high RPM situations I use the clutch. For example if I know downshifting will cause a lot of engine breaking and high RPMs, even off throttle, I will use the clutch. It’s just smoother. 

The correct answer. 

I always assumed not using the clutch is hard on the transmission? 

Why? Aren't they "syncro meshed?"

Never when downshifting.

Sometimes with upshifting. Depends on the load. Sometimes it doesn't won't to shift at WOT with a lot of traction and no clutch.

I was told to clutch when shifting up as a kid but I stopped using it for shifting once I got up to bigger bikes. I never knew if I did it right back then when I still raced. I think this topic is super interesting because the opinions seem to really differ to some extent. 

I would love to hear or read from some of the Pros/Ex Pros like DV.

Motocross bike gearboxes don't have syncromesh!

I always back off the throttle for at least a second, pull in the clutch, then shift, letting the clutch out slowly. 
But by the time I get done, I’ve slowed enough I need to downshift. 

Never did when I was fast enough to matter. Also became very skilled at splitting the cases to fix bent shift forks and worn gear dogs! These days I use the clutch most of the time as a kind of manual traction control. 

Clutch. Used to not use the clutch until I hit neutral going off the 90 at Perris. 

Yep full throttle no clutch. But I feel timing of the shift is super crucial. If it doesn’t want to shift instantly I dab the clutch to get the shift through but full throttle. 
but I always try to shift when in the air. Whether it’s a jump or a bump I’ll preferably shift when not on the ground. And never clutch changing down. Unless the clutch is in for other reasons

Can’t help it, I use the clutch for everything without thinking.  Even if I tried, I couldn’t stop and it’s just the way everything meshes together.  Been that way since the first day I started riding and I Love! That clutch.  I eat, breathe and sleep dreaming about the clutch and I’d feel like a Spode not using it.

I always do a little dab with the clutch while shifting. You can clearly see McGrath do the same thing in this video.

Just the opposite of what I thought the recommended thing to do is. I always try to use the clutch for downshifting as it's harder on the gears to suddenly slam into a lower gear. 

I may or may not using it for upshifting depending on the situation. 

I was saying what I do not necessarily what is best for our bikes. 

I’m not one of the fast guys, I’m one of the old slow guys.  I’ve never had good clutch technique, grew up on a CZ is my best excuse.  Now days I’m  trying to use for both up and down shifts but suck at using it down shifting.  I stalled twice yesterday not using my clutch on down shifts in tight corners.  My new 2 stroke Beta doesn’t have a heavy flywheel helps to use a clutch on down shifts in tight corners at times.  I’m bad about going down one to many gears at times, getting old sucks lol.  But I still try.

It was evidently a poor attempt at humor.

It was funny in my head...