babyhog wrote on 12/29/09 at 09:27:45:



Ive shifted standards w/o the clutch for decades. Learning gave me the opportunity to make a few sounds with a tranny they werent really meant to make, but I never saw any negative results. Them gears in there is Hard Stuff. Lots of racket can be made w/o making a mark. On a vehicle w/ a neutral between gears, its easier to learn, since the shifter can be held in neutral while the gas is used to synchronize the engine RPM to the driveline in the gear you want it in. You know the engine is running at lower rpm at 30 MPH in 4th than in 3rd, so, to get it into 4th, from 3rd w/o lurching it, the throttle has to close some. Also, if there is a load on the transmission, either from slowing or accelerating, the shifter wont easily move the tranny internals, so, throttle must be operated in a manner to unload the tranny & shift. You can try to downshift(d/shift) by putting light pressure on the shifter & closing the throttle quickly. Itll fall right in. Try 5th to 4th at 40 ish MPH. That will raise the RPM as soon as you do it, but since the RPM difference between 4th & 5th are minimal, it wont lurch or slide the rear tire. Strange as it seems, these d/shifts work even as the gas is being shut off, I  also give it a slight Goose just as soon as the shifter drops, to kill the lurch.But, while you work to learn, Id suggest staying with 4th & 5th for practice, because as the Rowboat says, the higher gears are easier to work with. I dont do 1st to 2nd, up or down, anymore. Ive done it & I can do it, its just too hard to do right & when its not right, its hard on the equipment.

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 12/29/09 at 10:41:57:


Hmmm.  Thanks a bunch... but you just had to throw in that last "when its not right" part, didn't you...  But maybe if I ever get to ride again (darn cold weather) I will try it.  4th to 5th sounds pretty simple.  I guess my hangup is why is it designed to use a clutch if you don't really have to use it?  But thank you for helping me understand.

I think back to learning to drive a car with a stick.  I hated it when I'd miss a gear!  "If ya can't find 'em, grind 'em"???  That always sounded so horrible, I just figured it had to be hurting something!  Maybe my husband can draw me a picture that would make it make sense....

Sorry only got 4  

Serowbot wrote on 12/29/09 at 15:18:46:


Sounds goofy but Ineclipse's savage was sold to him as a '95 four speed. Turns out the PO of 3 years didnt ever shift to 5th hard enough or didnt bother trying. Which means the guy before him probably told him it was a 4 speed and didnt shift to 5th either.

Wow,...thank god for this post. I was getting worried !

bill67 wrote on 12/29/09 at 13:33:37:

i had a friend when i was a teen, that had an rm 80 dirtbike. as long as i can remember that bike never had a clutch cable. he'd just stomp it into gear lol. probably owned it for 5+ years. i generally use mine, but have shifted without it.

rigidchop wrote on 12/31/09 at 06:56:13:




I was driving an 18 wheeler & the clutch linkage broke. I sat & thot about it a while, then pulled the kill & when the engine started to die, I shoved the thing in 1st & firewalled the kill & nailed the gas pedal. Wasnt a smooth launch, but I got it to the shop w/o a tow truck