my cousin that owns a 86 honda trx250r 2 stroke says he never uses the clutch when riding, only when taking off...he says i should do the same lol


is he damaging his bike in any way? i didnt do it i just laughed when he told me but it seems like hes been doing this for years and his bike runs like a champ

 

It goes like this. Most bike and quad tranny's are built VERY tough. Some are tougher than others. Some you can get away with it..............some you can't. When you can't you will bend a shift fork or even blow a gear.
I would shy away from speed shifting your 400 unless your buddy says he will pay for the tranny if it blows. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Perhaps I've been lucky, but I bought my "85" wheeler as a beater in "87" and I very rarely use the clutch after starting in first. I usually let off the gas when shifting unless I'm best time running or hill racing... and trust me my bike has had some serious hours on her over the years. In fact, for the last 3 years I've had a 310 big bore kit with the original Honda factory clutch.

I bought a new clutch to replace the stocker after the end of this season because I can feel her starting to slip on hard hill runs. 21 years on the original... not to bad!!! But again, maybe I was doing something right or just lucky.....or both!... or maybe it's a Honda thing!

 

If I'm racing through the gears, I don't use the clutch to up shift, I just let off the throttle. I always use the clutch to downshift.


Faster250R,

Very nice garage! I'll assume your wife has no problems keeping up [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

It's all about timing....

If you down-shift and up-shift at the proper times/speeds (with throttle off) you can shift without the clutch......... If you feel any resistance at all you are doing damage to the tranny. This is much tougher on down-shifts than it is on up-shifts which is why it is just easier to pull the clutch in when you are down-shifting. If you are pulling a hill and the quad bogs, you can click down a gear without the clutch, this illustrates one of the many "right-time-right-speed" scenarios.

It is not advisable to power-shift without the clutch at all.

Even in a car you can shift without the clutch if you shift at a certain time/speed.

 

lol k thx everyone

I'm gunna stick to using the clutch

 

Thanks DS2!! Garage space is at a premium! I have a 3 car 900 sq ft garage with only one car in it. The bikes and Buggy come first! Also, to good part about the wifes zilla is that she can't start it... She can't get to far w/o me!

DVXDUDE.... yah have to try it sometime! even if it just once. Your bike will tell you if it doesn't want to do it. Just roll off the gas, click up and gas it! It is pretty cool when you run the gears w/o the clutch.... kind of a rush.

 

i dont nessicarily agree if you know how to time releasing the pressure off the syncros shifting and gettin back on the power then it is fine, esp with a 2 stoke bc they release that pressure so guick, i have a 686 and ever sence i put in the new "motor" i have been using it the same way as ur friend, clutch only on start and stop, but then again i have been riding for a while and have just a little knoladge of what goes on inside a tranny. so if you are unsure i would use the clutch so make sure and save time and money of rebuilding a trans, but if you are racing and looking for every little edge you can get to make you faster then i would say go for it.

 

[quote]
Originally posted by: Faster250R
Thanks DS2!! Garage space is at a premium! I have a 3 car 900 sq ft garage with only one car in it. The bikes and Buggy come first! Also, to good part about the wifes zilla is that she can't start it... She can't get to far w/o me!q]


LOL, I guess your wife found out that starting a zilla can be like fighting with a huge, fire-breathing reptile [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

yaaah it gave me such an adrenaline rush i almost had a f*cking heart attack !!

I would rather wear out clutch disks and springs which only requires clutch cover removal
rather than tranny parts that require engine removal and splitting cases!!!!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]