Clutchless gearchange benefit

Originally Posted by Baph

Obviously I'm not being clear enough. As we all know, the SV has damn good engine braking. BECAUSE I changed the point before the corner where I change down gear, instead of braking like I usually do, I was letting the engine do this for me. Because I was in a lower gear for a given corner than I usually am, it at least felt like it was faster overall, and this could be true because the engine wasn't slowing me down as much I as ususally do under normal brakes (my perception of how I rode, nothing factual). THATS where the advantage was.

Fizz, opinions (from gods or otherwise) are ALWAYS welcome. I was merely putting mine forward when I started this thread And I completely agree with what you say about using the clutch to change down, which is why I intend to try it on the way home (same route in reverse).

Time will tell

yes, but engine braking works the same regardless of how you shift, you roll off throttle, bike slows abruptly, if fact, use of the clutch helps control engine braking , do not be afraid to slip clutch if engine braking is slowing you down too fast

I changed my style of riding when I switched to the SV650S after many years on BSA's.
I find quick, crisp upshifts, using just a light touch of the clutch is the smoothest and I whack it down the box and slip the clutch when slowing. I like to be well off the brakes when I'm leaned over. At first, I was always in too low a gear through the corners,but now I corner in a higher gear and find my speed is higher. If need be, I slip the clutch a bit on exit.
My son took his wife for a ride on my SV and tried to short-shift casually and the bike lurched every upshift. I told him next time he should leave the wife at home and drive the crap out of it!
Oldie

Baph whats cheaper, a set of brake pads or a gearbox build? Not being disrespectful but are you a new rider? OK we all have to learn techniques but let me say that changing down with the clutch gives a bigger tolerance for an error than clutchless changes. Using the clutch "eases" the power where as clutchless is direct feed and considering the time of year and road conditions be very very careful if you decide to continue clutchless changes and be prepared for a rear wheel lockup

Originally Posted by Beenz

Baph, clutchless downshifting will destroy your gearbox in no time, certainly quicker if the revs are higher. Slipper clutches allow downshifting without matching revs but I'd still use the clutch.

You'll end up with a gearbox full of teeth of your lucky, unlucky you'll have a broken tooth land in the remaining gears and lock it solid, very risky.

It wont reck your gears if done correctly , i have used this technique for years and never had a problem ...

if done with out the know how then yes it will fook your gear box up

Originally Posted by stewboy

It wont reck your gears if done correctly , i have used this technique for years and never had a problem ...

if done with out the know how then yes it will f**k your gear box up

I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Dicky Tricker, yes I am a new rider. However, as many others have said (including Sid) if done WITHOUT jerking or a grinding noise, the damage is minimal (if at all). Yes I agree that using the clutch gives a bigger tolerance for errors, and generally I do use the clutch (even for changing up). I will only NOT use the clutch, when I feel it's right to do so (this means revs are right, I'm happy about my ride, there's no ijit's nearby that are likely to do anything, the tyres are warmed up, the engine is warmed up, the road is relatively dry, I'm vertical... and there's probably a whole lot more I think about whilst on the bike).

I did go back over the same stretch of road, both directions, and changed gear earlier than usual (with the clutch), and overall, it didn't feel quite as fast. The gear changes were no smoother with the clutch, than they were without it (see previous posts, clutchless down shifts cause NO jerking or noises). So in general, when I'm hooning, I will probably....

... decide just before the corner if I'll use the clutch or not, and most of the time, this will be an instinct call, based on everything I've observed throughout my entire journey up to that point.

Thanks for the comment about road condition etc, I know how it was meant, so I won't critique that.

With my new boots, there's so little pressure on the gear lever (up or down) that I honestly can't feel the lever there, but I know it is there, and move the throttle accordingly. No jerks, no slips, no noises, just perfect cohesion. That concept may be hard for some people (for any reason) to grasp, but that's how it works. There has also been a time when I tried it once because it felt right, and it didn't work, so I didn't try it again for a while. But when I did, I was just following my motto from the IT industry "If you're trying too hard, you're doing something wrong!"

It works for me, I'm not saying it will work for everyone, and I'm not saying it'll work for me on another SV, let alone another bike.