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Changing gear

16K views 39 replies 28 participants last post by  OldBobagain 
#1 ·
Sorry guys this may seem a dumb question. I am used to riding harleys.

Which is the best way to shift gears on this GSX S1000 bike?

I noticed that if i pull the clutch lever all the way in, shift up and let it back out I just get a delayed clunky gear change ( which is what I do on a harley)

but if I just tap the shifter in up shift and let out I can change gear almost instantly and little movement required on the clutch lever.

My question is ...is the second way the right way? if so will this be ok for my clutch plates?
 
#3 ·
Generally speaking I just squeeze the clutch rather than pull it right in.
If accelerating all the way though the gears then no clutch at all, just roll off the throttle a little, slight pressure on the gear lever and in she goes.
 
#8 ·
The way to change gear best is first to second clutch lever in a bit just enough to disengage clutch and then second up no clutch lever pull at all just let the throttle off a bit but back down the gears clutch lever in all the time
No clutch going up. Clutch used coming down. Always have. No need for quick shifters !!
Now this is interesting. I too have escaped the cult of Harley (thank God) with the purchase of my DL650 a year and a half ago and now my GSXS. I have never even attempted a clutchless shift but will give it a go next time on the bike.

So, after second gear, back off on the throttle a bit and just shift? Interesting.
 
#6 ·
Definitely the way to go, only clutch from 1 up to 2, then pre load the shifter, ease the throttle back so the box is not under load, & in like Flynn. A Harley gear box is like a truck compared to todays sport bikes, a little practice & you'll never go back.
 
#10 ·
Hard to believe people don't shift clutchless going up. I can shift so smooth that a person riding on the back will never notice I shifted. I don't completely close the throttle, just enough to engage another gear.

I've never used a quickshifter, but I just can't imagine it being that must faster and smoother than what I can do shifting clutchless.
 
#12 · (Edited)
How many miles do you get out of your tranny, Slow Rider? Are you one to keep your bike for 10,000 miles and trade it in, like most people. How then do you know if you're doing any long term damage or not?

A Jap bike should go nearly 70,000 miles without a maintenance problem. I don't think clutchless shifting will achieve this. I have friends who bought used sport bikes and the tranny went after 20k miles. I'm sure it's because the original owner trashed the it. That's why it's not common to see sport bikes with more than 30k miles on them.

A sport bike can be ridden hard while still taking care of it and ensuring it will last tens of thousands of miles without any problems.
 
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#14 ·
I've never had a tranny fail, but I've never put 70k on a bike either. However, over the years I have read articles in motorcycle magazines stating if clutchless upshifting is done correctly it will actually reduce the wear and tear on the tranny. So it's certainly not something I'm going to be concerned about.
 
#15 ·
I had 70k miles on my 2003 Z1000 even it got stolen, which prompted me to get the gixxus. I rode that thing HARD from 20k miles with clutch less up shifts everyday, and the transmission/powerplant never had an issue.

I think the bikes that get ruined in 20k miles have riders learning to wheelie on them and thrashing the clutch, and probably not performing regular maintenance.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I'm having issues with 5th and 6th gear. It's like they don't exist lately. Happened 5 times on my morning commute of 17 miles today. Going from 5th to 6th there's like a wall that completely blocks 6th, like I'm in 6th trying to keep going. Then after a clutch release it'll shift fine again like nothing ever happened. Between 4th and 5th I get a false neutral.

Just under 5,000 miles on the bike and this started happening very suddenly, almost overnight. I expect some miss-shifts here and there when being lazy or what not, but not this often...

Very annoyed to be taking it to the dealer...
 
#19 ·
I wonder if your clutch cable is somehow off. I cant say i personally know, but is the tension on a motorcycle cable supposed to change as you increase gears on a motorcycle? If its anything like a bike deraileur then all gears can seemingly work fine until your tallest gear. Thats where the gearing can manifest it problems when the tension in the cable is off (to high or low depending on type of deraileur). If not, I wonder if its related to your clutch.
Just being academic. I would also likely be taking it to the dealer.
 
#20 ·
I use the clutch all the time I think it's a habit from 2 stroke dirtbikes. But when up shifting quickly I never pull it all the way in its more of a flick of the lever just enough to unload the gearbox a bit at the same time I'm upshifting. I don't see the point in those split seconds of savings to stress the mechanics unless I'm racing or there's some money on the line etc. I've used up several clutches doing track days upshifting clutch less but I've also had my Supersport street bikes clutches last over 30,000 miles. I don't do wheelies ( at least not intentional ones) mostly because replacing fork seals is a pita maybe that's why they last.
 
#25 ·
Sometimes if I take off quickly (ok, every chance I get) and get to cruising speed in 3rd or 4th, I'll double shift to 5th or 6th since the ratios are so closely spaced. Never had any issues with it. Is this practice not recommended?

I'm assuming by double shifting we're talking about shifting through a gear without releasing the clutch.
 
#26 ·
I'm assuming by double shifting we're talking about shifting through a gear without releasing the clutch.
That's what I was talking about, it produced a very clunky, not smooth transition for me and fighting me on the second up shift so I gave it up. Something I tried as I learned this bike. Works better when I let out the clutch to complete the first change briefly and do another shift, or clutchless shift . Clutchless I can do a rapid two gear hop really smooth. But still around town i use 3rd mostly.
 
#28 ·
I hope you don't have a problem, best to get the dealer to check anyway.

I've noticed on some bikes they don't always like some brands of oil, what oil are you using?
My old r6 5eb had some very odd issues when I used motul oil. After about 100miles I noticed the clutch basket was rattling at idle (clutch out), I missed a couple of shifts (thought it was just me) and 50 miles later the top end was rattling and getting worse. I changed the oil again with silkolene, all the issues disappeared within minutes. Odd but my brother has a r6 track bike and bought the motul aswell (it was on offer) and had to switch back because of the same issues.

One thing I have to say about this bike is the shifting is ultra smooth on mine. Since I've added the quickshifter clutch shifting isn't as smooth ( I think it's because it cuts spark) but when using the quickshifter it's awsome, I love it.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 
#29 · (Edited)
I think I can attribute the problem to double upshifting. Or going to slow for 6th gear.

For oil, I just use the kit from Suzuki, only 1,500 miles since my last change, so maybe it's just due for one, but I really think it'll be ok for 3,000 miles between changes.

I'll have to see what the dealer says when I make my way in there.

Thanks for all the responses guys!
 
#30 ·
After about an hour of experimenting, I seem to have isolated the issue.

Now I don't normally ride around in 6th gear at 40-45mph but I feel like I should be able to if I want. But every 1 in 10 or 15 shifts from 5th to 6th at this speed will either result in a false neutral or a click like it made it to 6th followed by a clunk back into 5th when I release the clutch.

However, if I'm doing these speeds and shift without the clutch, up OR down it works 100% of the time. Also, if I'm going faster than 55mph I've never ever experienced this. Otherwise the trans is perfect.

After researching online I found some other Suzuki forums (GSXR and Hayabusa) describing exactly what I'm experiencing. "Too slow for 6th gear to mesh from 5th."

I'm still going to drop by my dealer and get a service ticket printed up and have them check it out just in case I run into issues later on. So if people want to fiddle around with their bikes and try shifting into 6th a bunch of times at 40mph and see if they ever get a missed shift - that'd be great.

Thanks again guys.
 
#36 ·
On my commutes, I usually try to shift up to sixth when I reach a constant speed, even when I'm only doing 45 or 50 just to watch my fuel consumption gauge hit high numbers. That usually means shifting without wringing the throttle. I haven't had a problem (yet). On my bike, I do get a "firm" clunk going into first, and I've had an occasional downshift into "no gear" which requires me to let out the clutch and re-shift. These are things I've experienced on other bikes too, so I haven't been too worried.
 
#39 ·
I generally go clutchless from 2nd on up, though if if running up a few gears to putt along in traffic then full clutch. If accelleration is enough to get a few secs of even mild throttle then no clutch needed. My gearbox really doesn't like 2 finger light pulls on the clutch when going slow, either up or down. Coming to a stop, full clutch downshifts particularly if the speed is decreasing faster than I'm shifting.

On balance, if operating it in its happy place the gearbox is lots nicer than my R6's was, but outside that happy place its fussy. The R6's gearbox was pretty much happy when the bike was over 10mph or so, its been a learning curve. When leaning on the bike the shifting is really nice 4th and above... I really like it.

The 1st gear clunk is less than my R6's- it almost disappears once the bike is warm and was recently moving.
 
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