Triumphrat

DrEnglish · 03-28-2005

Anyone else here notice that the Thruxton does really well with clutchless upshifts?
If you have not tried this, the technique is to roll on the throttle to where you might want to shift, roll off slightly, shift, then roll on again. With a little practice these are actually smoother than the clutched shifts, as well as faster.

I discovered yesterday that it's possible to use the same technique on a downshift as well, which was a surprise to me. So I guess if you are really cool you could get rid of the clutch altogether and save about 40 lbs off the bike. Well, maybe not, but it's a lot less essential than I had realized.

Anyway, try the clutchless upshift; it's prety cool. The downshift is trickier.

TBSstunta · 03-28-2005

To refine the procedure a little more.

Accelerate, put a little upwards pressue on the shift lever, quickly roll off and then as soon as you feel the shift happen roll on again.

FYI...It is harmful to do clutchless downshifts.

Thrux-ton-up · 03-28-2005

DrE, I have done the clutchless up shift on the thrux, I've been doing it for decades on dirt bikes, it works very slick. I do use the clutch for down shifts though. Due too moderate brakes on the thrux I use all the engine braking I can and I get better control using the clutch when the back end breaks free. Clutchless tends to lock the back wheel much easier putting it into a slide more often. An interesting note - my 58 T-bird 650 had what Triumph called a "slick-shifter" which was basically clutchless up and down shifting. Clutchless in the sense you did not have to pull a lever, a mechanical linkage tied into the shifter mechanism actuated the clutch for you. It did work pretty well. JCW

Thrux-ton-up

[ This message was edited by: Thrux-ton-up on 2005-03-28 10:35 ]

DrEnglish · 03-28-2005

Clutchless downshifting is harmful? How come? I know it's unorthodox. Where does the damage come in?

TBSstunta · 03-28-2005

Its very jarring on the engine, clutch and drivetrain, more so than upshifting.

03-28-2005

To me clutchless shifts are always bad, up or down. The gear dogs are undercut such that when the gearbox is loaded ie under acceleration or deceleration the gears pull into each other so as to prevent them from jumping out of gear. To change gears you have to unload the gearbox, usually with the clutch. For clutchless shifts this is achieved by rolling off the throttle for up shifts and momentarily rolling on the throttle for down shifts (assuming you are slowing down and the throttle is shut). Too many botched shifts and the dog gears undercutting wears away and you get gears jumping out. Ever wonder why whenever you have a problematic gear that jumps out, it is nearly always second gear? It is because most the time this gear takes the most hammering from stoplight racing. First goes in easily because you are stationary. Then second gets hammered in, cluthcless or not, and by the time you are ready for third you are going too fast for the street and usually have backed off by then.

Every since bike magazines have popularized clutchless shifts I have an aversion to buying second hand bikes because there is a strong chance of a buggered gearbox.

TBSstunta · 03-28-2005

Every time I see them mentioned in magazines they always say not to do downshifts as its bad for the bike.