Do you use the clutch when changing gear?

[MATKAT]

yes I do

I often dont use the clutch both on upward and down gear changes, so could not poll as no tick box for that. It changes very easily and I guess I feel when its right to snick it up or down.

 

[Tim Cullis]

Doesn't that make you a "don't normally use the clutch" person?

Tim

 

[pogo]

Yeah but that's a 1200. They saved half of the quoted 30 kilos by making the gears from cheese that's why it says use the clutch.

True,but that's Original Swiss cheese they used,so it makes the gearbox even sronger

A+ pogo

 

[intensive care]

Perhaps those of you who prefer not to use the clutch would be better off on a scooter

 

[ec50]

Always clutchless up and getting better at down. Box much smoother, and partic helps with pillion, less weight transfer as power out time massively reduced. Will a qualified motorcycle gearbox engineer please tell me if this is genuinely a bad thing to do? The other 1150gs owners i know use the clutch - and both have had gearboxes let go at 32k miles - which is where i am and my box is smooth and rarely drops a gear, despite being a first generation version. i'd like to know before i ruin my impending k1200r...

 

[Tim Cullis]

Changing down without the clutch is something I've done since my earliest days on a Lambretta--blip the throttle to match the speed and snik it into gear. It's clutchless upshifts that I have only just started to do. I've had a google on 'clutchless changes' and found tons of references including

If you're not used to swapping ratios that way[clutchless change] , it can sound brutal, but a motorcycle's constant-mesh gearbox is designed for this sort of thing, and the majority change upwards seamlessly without the clutch.

.
And from an article on the K1200S

While still vocal and a little notchy, especially at low revs, the change is at all times light and positive; it lends itself to clutchless changes in both directions, which is unusual for any shaftie, and driveline lash is limited to a loud, typically BMW "clonk" when taking up the power in first.

Here's a quote from BMW South Africa's site talking about clutchless changes on a R1100S

Clutchless changes are a delight. There is nothing as sweet as the sound as a clutchless gear change... when you have a nice sounding exhaust.

Tim

 

[GSmonkey]

Perhaps those of you who prefer not to use the clutch would be better off on a scooter

...perphaps those that do should try riding a motorcycle better