new owner: street triple r clutchless upshift

[DCLXVI]

Has anybody tried this, and is it recommended on a new bike, or should one wait til the bike is broken in? Or not do it at all?

Thanks

[Diego]

Personally, I'm not into clutchless shifting for street riding; but if I were, I don't think I would do it until I had synthetic oil in the bike after the 500 mile service.

I'd probably also consider the quick shifter option for the R.

[mentasm]

Picked up my R 5 days ago and have just under 700Kms on it already.

I have tried cluthless shifting probably a dozen times so far basically without issue. Only probs were when I tried it too low in the rev range. Also haven't tried above 6-7000 rpm as I am still running it in.

Basically I find it slots right on home when you roll off a bit. I assume it will get better and work just as well above 10,000 rpm when it is fully run in.

Can't fault the engine or gear box on my bike as yet.

[Neanderthal]

Originally Posted by Diego

Personally, I'm not into clutchless shifting for street riding;.....

Agreed. Being in the engineering field myself, I feel fairly confident that the Triumph engineers provide a clutch lever/shifter for a reason. Just because one can shift without it does not make it a good habit.

[Diego]

Especially not when it's brand new and not fully worn in and doesn't have the good oil in it yet. Doesn't matter that it's physically possible to shift that way. It's just an invitation to cause premature wear for no worthwhile reason.

[terizius]

Clutchless upshifting is a technique that requires careful timing and control to do properly. That being said, it is also a technique that puts absolutely no extra strain or stress on the engine, clutch or other components when done correctly.

I am an instructor stateside of a program called "Total Control Training" pioneered by Lee Parks. On the second day of our curriculum, clutchless upshifting is one of the techniques that we teach.

The purpose of pulling in the clutch is to disengage the power from the engine to the rear wheel so that the gears can be changed smoothly. However, the same thing happens when you very quickly and briefly roll off, then back on the throttle. It is a very miniscule amount of motion as it requires very, very little roll-off to relieve the tension on all of the components. Basically, if you are rolling off the throttle to the point that the bike is engine braking at all (as this technique is best used under moderate to hard throttle at relatively high rpm's), either because you rolled off too much, or left it off for too long, then it is being performed incorrectly.

The shifter lever should already be preloaded (pull up slightly on the shifter, it wont shift until you blip the throttle) and shift up as in conjunction with blipping the throttle. Assuming you got back on the gas with only a millisecond delay, you'll continue on with absolutely no bucking, engine braking, grinding or any other unpleasant effects.

All this was explained to lead up to this point... Clutchless upshifting will have no ill effects on the engine, new or old, if done correctly.

[Diego]

"If done correctly." Aye, there's the rub.

How often is that truly going to be the case with a relatively new rider who hasn't yet had such training, on a brand new bike that is still largely unfamiliar to him, and which does not shift nearly as smoothly now as it will after it's better broken in?

Almost never.

One might as well argue that there will be "no ill effects" from letting an untrained layman land an airplane "if done correctly." Once in a rare while, a situation arises where experts have to talk someone down, and sometimes (whether by sheer good fortune, superb communication skills, or divine intervention) it is indeed "done correctly." But that's no reason to recommend it as a regular practice.

"If done correctly" is significantly more likely to happen after the bike has been run in a bit and has the synth oil in it, and the operator is fully familiar with the controls.

[MetaRinka]

sorry to dredge up old posts, but I'll also say that in the type of mileage it takes to see a difference the bike will have long been sold, or moth balled in a garage. Sportbike engines are pretty bullet proof and designed to be raced. very few bikes see the 60K miles plus needed to wear out items like transmissions.

[Diego]

It's a misnomer to think of the Street Triple as a sportbike in the modern sense of the term...not in riding position, aerodynamics, suspension, brakes, etc. etc. While it does have sportbike ancestry behind it, let's also remember that the way sportbikes are typically used is also why they don't bring very good money when they're ultimately replaced: by then, they're halfway ready for the junkyard. In the three years the Street has been out, not that many members here have either mothballed or replaced theirs! So again, that ties back to it not being thought of as a sportbike in the usual sense.

BACK TO TOPIC: Let's try to remember the original question is from someone on a brand new bike who has never shifted this way before, asking if it's better to wait until the bike's worn in.

Brand new bike, plus a rider who's not familiar with the bike yet, plus unfamiliar technique, plus all the recurring discussions that have appeared in Triumph forums about stiff shifting when new...? Rationally, there is only one good answer to the original question: Yes, if there's any chance you're going to keep the bike a while and you want maximum peace of mind, wait until after the first service before practicing this technique.

No one is arguing that he should never do it at a future time! There are existing threads already dealing with the finer points of clutchless shifting, though, so please take any further philosophical arguments to one of those.