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I feather clutch up so i don't have to back off the revs, no clutch coming down for me.
I don't use clutch to up shift my 450 but I do on my ninja. 450 shifts perfect without clutch where as its definitely smoother with clutch on my ninja
This is the vid that convinced me to start doing clutchless shifting.
https://youtu.be/viWuolNYGyI
The Shop
None on upshifts or downshifts in the air.
Several of us have said you need to blip the throttle slightly to take the load off the tranny right when you shift to get that smooth as butter up-shift. It's all by feel and happens in fractions of a second. This is why you don't lose any time compared to "shifting while wide open" because you can't really shift while wide open unless you use the clutch. Too much pressure on the tranny and gears. It's all by feel. If you are already maxed out on RPM's to the point you can only use the clutch to up-shift, you are late shifting anyways. So using your clutch doesn't make up for that fact.
I'm speaking only about SX/MX racing. Not anything else.
You can go watch some old two stroke videos and you can hear especially on the starts when guys blip the throttle to hit that next gear. That's all up up-shifting with no clutch. You can hear it by the sound of the throttle. Good starters can feel exactly when to hit that next gear. Using a clutch would really only slow them down.
You can get away with not using the clutch in Moto/Supercross but I use my clutch on every shift, I feel like a neanderthal without. In other forms of motorcycle riding and racing, the clutch is very important. The clutch can help with rear wheel speed and traction. I've heard Nicky Hayden say he doesn't use a slipper clutch because he has that feel in his clutch lever and he doesn't need a slipper clutch to help him with traction. Also, enduro riders use the clutch to help gain traction on climbs, descents etc. I use the clutch a lot on my trials bike for sure! Street bike's too. My CBR didn't come from the factory with a quick shifter... One key thing MotoVentures teaches with beginners is clutch control and throttle control. Also it will help prevent whisky throttle for new riders.
This was sort of specific to using the clutch while shifting.
The clutch is important in sx/mx racing. Just not as it pertains to shifting.
Pit Row
However, maybe it helps keep the power to rear wheel as it eliminates engine free rev, thus keeping better torque mid corner and while exiting corner? That would make logical sense to me.
Interested in why this was never discussed while I attended RCU in 2010. They mostly just harped on body position, balance, and front brake usage for cornering speed. I was in Intermediate group I believe though, not expert, so they may have considered that a more advanced technique, not sure.
Will definitely try this the next time I ride.
When you learn to use the rear brake so that you do not stall the engine, that means you're rear wheel is braking while remaining tractable, therefore slowing your bike more, than it would just sliding behind you, while fully locked.
Not to mention there's a pretty big risk of your bike getting into a brakeslide and forcing you to change the entry line into the turn if you clutch and stomp on the brake.
Now that I'm thinking about this more, I actually do use this technique a little when I ride my ninja, bc it keeps the rear tire from breaking loose on tight corners. I don't track ride street or anything, but just do it while I'm having some fun cruising, hence why I never actually put any thought into it.
Also just talked to my bro, whos always been better through corners then me, and he said he doesn't use the clutch while entering the corners when we race bc he just doesn't feel like he has enough time to think about pulling it in lol One time we were having a nice little backyard track battle and he was blowing my mind bc he had no clutch lever on his bike, so I was thinking while we were battling, how the hell is he doing this and it was pissing me off that he was still just as fast as me haha now I see why. Cant believe iv been doing this wrong my whole riding/racing life and never thought about it more.
This could open a whole new door for me lol Can't wait to start practicing this.
I wonder if Kent was left handed and he just had more control on the clutch than throttle....just a thought.
man this thread makes my head hurt. Obvious how many moto bros are on here. Clutch is our middle name in the single track woods lmao
basically the idea is to go faster through corners you are either on the gas or on the brakes. as you're entering the corner you are braking and down-shifting which will keep the engine from stalling out without pulling the clutch in. as said above, pulling the clutch in will allow the back wheel to lock up and force a straight line turn, this is bad unless doing a brake slide. watch some Gary Semics videos on it, i'm sure there's something on youtube.
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