powershifting?

[Exrider434]

My dad tells me thats all he does, the clutch is really only for starting and stopping. Is this true? Is it bad for your motor to powershift?

[dustin_j]

I've heard it's generally alright to upshift without the clutch, but downshifting w/o the clutch is not recommended. I use the clutch and assume things will last longer if I do. JMO

[Toadz400]

Originally posted by Exrider434
My dad tells me thats all he does, the clutch is really only for starting and stopping. Is this true? Is it bad for your motor to powershift?

If you know how to do it properly it's not a problem. My dad does it anytime he drives a stick and that's what most semi truck drivers do. My dad also drives truck on the weekends for extra cash.

Quad dirt bike you can. Most guys with dirt bikes only use the clutch for taking off. The dudes with shifter carts with bike motors only use the clutch for take off. I always use the clutch.

powershifting isnt shifting without using the clutch, its when you dont let off the gas while shifting. im not to sure about shifting without the clutch, and more importanly why you would there wouldnt be any benifits from it in my opinion.

[Flynbryan19]

You can do it, but you WILL wear out shift forks prematurely. I do not recommend it. Your only gaining 100th's of a second doing it and damaging your machine to gain it. Taking that insignificant time to pull in a clutch will only help you in the long run.

+ not using a clutch it might not shift up for you when you try.

[07250ex]

Originally posted by dustin_j
I've heard it's generally alright to upshift without the clutch, but downshifting w/o the clutch is not recommended. I use the clutch and assume things will last longer if I do. JMO im pretty sure its the opposite lol

[joshyz125]

Originally posted by 07250ex
im pretty sure its the opposite lol

I could be wrong, but i'm pretty sure he is write
i upshift without the clutch alot of the times, but i dont downshift without it

[Scro]

Originally posted by 07250ex
im pretty sure its the opposite lol

No, he is right. When you downshift without the clutch, all the momentum of the bike slowing down is going through the transmission, i.e. gears banging each other abruptly. When you upshift, it not near as bad because the RPM's of the motor are going to decrease.

[chris46250r]

Originally posted by 07250ex
im pretty sure its the opposite lol

I'm sure you are wrong. LOL

[416exfreak]

If the machine didnt require a clutch, it wouldnt have came with one. Like someone said earlier, it only takes 1/100th of a second to pull the clutch in a shift. Just use it and dont damage the transmission.:chinese:

[troyleepred719]

There really not a perpose to be doing it everytime you drive somewhere, and if you are good at drving stick, then you will be able to go just as fast as if you were drving normal...

theres really no reason to do nothign but beat on parts...

[mineralgrey01gt]

nothing wrong with it, but ive seen quite a few of my friends clutches in their cars take a dump on them from it. Also, a few of them have broken shifter's, shift forks, input shafts, etc. I dont do it in my mustang since i can actually shift it pretty fast (no bragging meant)

[trick450r]

when racing those hundreths of a second can make a difference...i always powershift on the track, no clutch going up, clutch going down.


and i have never had a problem, even though i get a new clutch every year if it needs it or not.

[Flynbryan19]

Originally posted by trick450r
when racing those hundreths of a second can make a difference...i always powershift on the track, no clutch going up, clutch going down.


and i have never had a problem, even though i get a new clutch every year if it needs it or not.

bs. Unless your a pro there are plenty of other ways to gain 1/100th's of a second. Has your cornering speed been perfected? Are you staying lower than all your competition over the jumps? Are you even jumping all the jumps on the track? Are you blitzing the whoops instead of double/tripling through them?

There are LOTS of others ways to shave time off of laps. I've heard the same bogus excuse in the past and unless your a pro rider and are not paying for your maintnance costs theres no reason that that 1/100th of a second to pull in a clutch will not benefit you in the long run of your transmission life. How fast will your lap times be when your dnf'd on the side of the track because your tranny just locked up or won't come out of 3rd gear?

[282ex]

Originally posted by trick450r
when racing those hundreths of a second can make a difference...i always powershift on the track, no clutch going up, clutch going down.


and i have never had a problem, even though i get a new clutch every year if it needs it or not.

i only use the clutch when on a long straight away during a race, and thats only to keep the gas pegged and not tire out my arms. i also use the clutch when down shifting.

i mostly dont use the clutch because it tires you out during a race...

[#101]

the only time i dont use the clutch is on the holeshot shifting from 2nd to 3rd...defintily helps

[CDALEMX301]

I only use it when I am downshifting or when I am starting off...Other then that on a quad i never use it and never have and never had any issues to speak of

[Toadz400]

Everyone that's saying you should always use the clutch and there's no reason not to use it, try driving a semi truck for long periods of time.

As for other vehicles as long as you're not beating the crap out of the transmission and you know how to shift properly without the clutch, it's only needed for taking off and stopping.

As far as powershifting goes, I could only see that doing major damage if you were downshifting without a clutch or you were holding the throttle wide open while you shifted with or without the clutch. Going to cause premature wear in those cases.

[CDCHONDAS]

I know whats inside of these motors and what happens when you shift, that being said I use the clutch to stop, start, and get rpms up, thats it. up, down, all around no clutch, if your an idiot you can hurt some things inside but if your good you already don't use the clutch anyways, i really suggest on the downshift to get to the point that you can burp the gas coming out of gear and before you get into the lower gear, that helps soften things up.

Then again a true powershift is another thing and I am not condoning that in any way right or wrong, but I am guilty.

[chris46250r]

I always thought that power shifting was in fact using the clutch just not letting off the gas. Thats what I call power shifting and thats what I do. I dont do it all the time just when drag racing or mainly on the track. I've got an 88 250R sitting at home that got power shifted every Saturday night for 7 to 8 years in MX, most of the time two classes and it still has the original clutches, basket, pressure plate, gears and shift forks that Honda put in it new. Cant be all that hard on it as long as you do it correctly.

[Flyin-Low]

If you know how to do it, upshifting can be done just as smoothly without as it would with the clutch..

Actually, if you do it at just the right RPMs it feels smother than with the clutch because the engine kinda helps it get in gear.

I wheelie from 1st to 5th without dropping the tires all the time and I've never used the clutch doing it.. haven't had a problem yet (knock on wood)

-Martin

[KXRida]

The gears are always in a constant mesh meaning they do not seperate during shifts. With a properly maintained tranny powershifting won't affect it. I only used the clutch on downshift just to make a smoother trasition between gears and not to break the rear wheel loose and have it wheel hop. Usually try to use the clutch when dropping gears, because you don't want to put that surge of stress on everything. Including transmission

[brink400]

I dont use the clutch to upshift, but I dont do it to save 100ths of a second. During a race you need to find every little way to conserve energy and reduce arm pump, if I pull the clutch in every time I shift I get arm pump quicker, if I just shift with no clutch, I can ride wide open for longer time without fatigue, which is WAY more important then 100ths of a second. That doesnt add up to fractions of a second, that adds up to several whole seconds by the end of the race.

[NJ450rider]

When your on the mx track or any track using the clutch all the time youll fatique a hell of alot faster. i dont care what you say. Its only needed for taking off. only time ill use the clutch is if its a tight turn and i need to slow down fast. long sweeping turns ill let the trans/engine slow me down and only downshift a gear or two and than stab it out of a turn. once you get the feel of how the trans works with engine speed. youll never need it upshifting or downshifting while moving.

Now cars and trucks i would defintalty use the clutch all the time.

semi's and dump trucks you dont use the clutch except to takeoff.

[trick250r]

Originally posted by Flynbryan19
bs. Unless your a pro there are plenty of other ways to gain 1/100th's of a second. Has your cornering speed been perfected? Are you staying lower than all your competition over the jumps? Are you even jumping all the jumps on the track? Are you blitzing the whoops instead of double/tripling through them?

There are LOTS of others ways to shave time off of laps. I've heard the same bogus excuse in the past and unless your a pro rider and are not paying for your maintnance costs theres no reason that that 1/100th of a second to pull in a clutch will not benefit you in the long run of your transmission life. How fast will your lap times be when your dnf'd on the side of the track because your tranny just locked up or won't come out of 3rd gear?



you are correct, there are other ways to make up time (im not saying this to bash trick450r because judging from his list of sponsors he can ride) but if hes jumping everying, scrubbing jumps, "blitzing" whoops and everyones still faster, then i guess he has no choice but to not use the clutch because that 1/100th of a second matters that much. if you take care of the bike maintenance wise (oil changes, new clutches every year, preventative maintenance, ect...) you dont have to worry about the little bit of damage done to the bike. its racing, its expensive, thats the way it is.

[BlaineKaiser450]

i always use the clutch when i shift. I have gotten good enough at it so i dont really lose any time IMO

[440challenger]

I always use the clutch, it just feels wrong if you dont....probably stall out a crap load too coming hot into corners not using it, i cant even imagine not...

[swigs84]

Originally posted by chris46250r
I always thought that power shifting was in fact using the clutch just not letting off the gas. Thats what I call power shifting and thats what I do. I dont do it all the time just when drag racing or mainly on the track. I've got an 88 250R sitting at home that got power shifted every Saturday night for 7 to 8 years in MX, most of the time two classes and it still has the original clutches, basket, pressure plate, gears and shift forks that Honda put in it new. Cant be all that hard on it as long as you do it correctly.

he is right. you still use the clutch when you powershift just never let off the gas