Qucik shifting gears with or without a pillion?

[SUPERSTARDJ01]

Hi,

I've read in another forum that when carrying a pillion you should shift without using the clutch, is this possible? :confused:

[fizzwheel]

You should try and ride smoothly so as to avoid being headbutted in the back of the helmet.

If you can change smoothly with the clutch then thats fine. But sometimes you do get a smoother change without using the clutch, but it can take a little bit of practise to achieve a smooth change this way. The technique is

1. Put your boot under the gear change and apply a tiny little bit of pressure to take the slack out of the change rod assembly.

2. When your ready to change roll off the throttle a tiny bit, its not necessary to completely shut the throttle

3. As you roll off the throttle increase the upwards pressue on the gear lever until you feel it snick into the next gear

4. Roll on the throttle again

It does work best if you are pressing on and riding quickly. You need to be positive with the change, but dont force it into gear. Just practise it.

Well thats what I do anyway. It not something that you should or have to do with a pillion on board though, just ride how suits you best.

[leesh00]

dunno??

I remember a good few years back somebody told me that you could do it with a car, I had a scrapper at the time and thought id give it a go - it did work but you have to shift at a certain amount of revs as they are falling - hence getting it wrong caused much gear crunching. Cant say I'd want to try it with my bike though_ hold fire till you get a hoard of definitive answers would be my advise :bounce:

[Rocket]

Best thing with a pillion is to block shift. I know I have 1000's but when Di is on the back I only use 1st, 3rd and 6th. Less gearchanges = less headbutting. Using the clutch will always give a smoother gearchange than not using it as you can fade the revs in till they match rather than a step change from 1 RPM to the next. The clutch is not used in racing for speed of changes and they rebuild their boxes after every race so are not affected by the increased wear that a road bike will suffer.

[jamesterror]

Fizz's explination will probably be the best you will get, unless yc drops by. I've always wondered how to do it, with a pillion though until you have that down to a T I think clutch is smoother.

[yorkie_chris]

I use clutchless shifts 2 up. It can be just as smooth as clutched and much faster.

Block changing's a naff idea because you don't know where you are exactly in the power curve and it will inevitably lead to you being in a situation where you need power and are in totally the wrong gear for it.
Obviously your thous have plenty shove low down, but the 650 needs to rev if you want to make it move at any rate...
Use the gearbox properly to keep you at around 5 or 6k rpm while braking, don't worry about using a tiny whiff of throttle to kill the engine braking off if you want to.
You're in the power if any caged spastics start moving into the side of you or the lights turn green before you expected, blip the throttle properly and it's plenty smooth enough going down.

[ging6996]

mmmm i dont no why it would benefit missing out 2nd 4th and 5th gear would make things better.

if you go steady all through the gears and do it smoothly, not just slamming the throttle shut, changing up and then waking the throttle back on, it would be alot better going all through the gears.

when my mrs is on the back i try to short shift as the higher in the revs you are when you shut off the throttle you get more engine breaking. so it is more jurky and noticeable.

i dont use the clutch when riding fast, but it isnt as smooth as using the clutch. and also sometimes when i change up without the clutch it dosnt always work it never grinds the gears so i would asume it wouldnt do any damage.

graham

[yorkie_chris]

In response to the OP, you should ride smoothly with a pillion. This is key to making reasonable progress 2-up without tying the suspension in a knot and parking yourself in a hedge.

For a beginner this is much easier to do WITH the clutch!

Also, remember to grip HARD with your knees when braking, unless you want your plums smearing across the back of the tank!

[-Ralph-]

Just practice feeding your clutch in and out to get smooth shifts. Don't use surges of acceleration between shift and try to get acceleration linear, and use the bikes momentum to help smooth things out. Imagine a deaf and blind person on pillion who can do nothing but feel, would they know you'd changed gear? Try to get it as close as you can to the answer being no.

[Bluefish]

I found it a lot smoother when two up to pull the cluch in a fraction earlier than you would normally, this makes it a lot smoother and no headbanging.
i have been trying cluchless changes, is easy enough with a bit of practice, in fact i was going around a r/bout and it changed up when i wasn't expecting it i must have dropped of the throttle a bit and the pressure on gear lever put me up to third, no drama thank god.

[SUPERSTARDJ01]

Thanks everyone, I think I will try both ways and see what suits her best.

[Dave20046]

On the v-twin being careful with your gearing (i.e not the gear change aspect) and particularly throttling off helps, try to smooth the jerkyness or you'll be constantly getting nutted/punched in the kidneys.

[Baph]

It can be just as smooth as clutched and much faster.


That's exactly why I use the clutch when I have a pillion. I tend to ride a LOT faster when I'm not using the clutch. It depends on the pillion as to if they'd be scared of that, but there's also implications in the bikes handling.

So long as you're smooth & comfortable, then do whatever you want.

[yorkie_chris]

but there's also implications in the bikes handling.

I find the speed of a clutchless shift keeps everything a bit more planted, less time off the power means practically no time for the rear suspension to unload itself.


So long as you're smooth & comfortable, then do whatever you want.

+1 Most important thing.

[vardypeeps]

Iv surprised someone on a Aprilia Tuono before on the SV650 by shifting clutchless as he was changing using his clutch.

Best thing is to stick to the clutch with a pillion just makes it easier.

[gettin2dizzy]

Use the clutch with a pillion if you need to ask this question. Personally I always use the clutch with a pillion, but the SV 'box was a blinder for smooth clutchless up or down changes.

[DANINPLYMOUTH]

I tend to use the clutch around town but when out on it dont bother it seems smoother without using it, its quicker plus it makes me feel a lot better.
This is on my own or 2up

[stevebetts]

In response to the OP, you should ride smoothly with a pillion. This is key to making reasonable progress 2-up without tying the suspension in a knot and parking yourself in a hedge.

For a beginner this is much easier to do WITH the clutch!

Also, remember to grip HARD with your knees when braking, unless you want your plums smearing across the back of the tank!
I didnt realise some people find riding two up such a mystery.
If you know your bike then you should not have any problems.

[ophic]

I didnt realise some people find riding two up such a mystery.
If you've never taken a pillion, sometimes its hard to find a willing volunteer :smt029

[stevebetts]

If you've never taken a pillion, sometimes its hard to find a willing volunteer :smt029
Spose its possible.
I ride mostly two up and have been fortunate to have good passengers.
I think it is key to explain to them what to do and what is going to happen during the ride.
I remember many years ago (too many) i had a mate on the back of my RD250LC and i pulled away fast from the lights when he wasnt ready - his legs came up and kicked my hands away from the bars!
I grabed them quickly enough though.

[stevebetts]

If you've never taken a pillion, sometimes its hard to find a willing volunteer :smt029
on another thought - who as a bike rider would willingly go pillion on someone elses bike?
I know i wouldnt!
Must be a control thing.

[ophic]

I remember many years ago (too many) i had a mate on the back of my RD250LC and i pulled away fast from the lights when he wasnt ready - his legs came up and kicked my hands away from the bars!
lol done similar when the SV was quite new. Snapped the throttle shut to get his legs back down. I was always more courteous with the ladies though... used different techniques to get their legs in the a.. *cough* never mind :-$

[stevebetts]

I was always more courteous with the ladies though... used different techniques to get their legs in the a.. *cough* never mind :-$
Too much info Ophic!

[Dave20046]

on another thought - who as a bike rider would willingly go pillion on someone elses bike?
I know i wouldnt!
Must be a control thing.
Ditto.
I've given a few mates backys and they ride. Wouldn't like it myself though.

[-Ralph-]

on another thought - who as a bike rider would willingly go pillion on someone elses bike?
I know i wouldnt!
Must be a control thing.

So long as I trust the rider, not a problem.

Who would want my 15 stone ar$e on their pillion is another matter, which is why whenever I'm on piliion it tends to be through necessity not pleasure.

[SUPERSTARDJ01]

Cheers all.