1/4 mile Technique on a GS

[Juanfer]

[mwdbruno]

Fast for as long as possible before the race...power to weight!!   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[Rich500]

Id say 5000-6000 rpm, and feather the clutch for the first bit too keep the engine spinning, and then shift @10000. Make sure you start from a dead stop. its faster than going from a rolling start. Do cluthless shifts once your in 3rd- 6th. Your gonna top out as far as speed goes withing 13-15 seconds depending on how good you are, and the bike. !km is a real long race, unless there are corners. What is he riding? If his top speed is much over 120mph, your going to lose.

[Juanfer]

[alerbaugh]

I would shift at 10,500 and never go much below 9,000 cause thats where the power is.  Clutchless shifts are harder on your engine.  I would shift with the clutch but never let the RPMs drop when you change gears.

[Rich500]

If you are gonna use clutchless shifting, dont do it at low speed. I dont use it when shifting into 2nd, but i do use it into 3,4,5,6, and only when Im trying to go as fast as possible. Burn out a little just before the race to get that rear tire nice and sticky. Your gonna hit 120mph pretty damn quik if you do my way. I can go 130mph+ on my GS, so report back, and tell us how you did.

[Blueknyt]

Clutchless shifting isnt harder on engine unless done improperly, fact its easyer on the engine as well as rest of the driveline. if you practice, you can clutchless shift up OR down all you want at any speed. its all on how you work your throttle and what speeds your travling.  you cant skip gears like you can if you pull in the clutch.  often the only time i use the clutch is starting off, or stoping. or want to skip 2 or more gears down.

[Rich500]

/\---Thats why Im saying use the clutch for the 1-2 shift. If you arnt good at it, then its easier to f%$k up that  gear. They are more tempermentle than the rest.
Personally, I am pretty good at rev matching, and clutcless shifting, but would rather not f%$k up a gear. And you are wrong about it not being harder on the trans. That first shift, if hit wrong will screw up 2nd. One of my best friends works on motoGP bikes, and rallyc ars in the middle east, and that is what he told me.

[ashman]

I have a hard time believeing theirs no ill-fated effects on the drivetrain from not using a clutch even if done "right." Even if the wear is minimal I just cant see how it couldnt be doing something not good somewhere down the line.   I admit i'm no expert but not disengaging the engine and just throwing it to another gear. EEK. just sounds bad. Anyone have any actual knowledge of whats going on inside as to what happens that you suddenly dont need a clutch? I'm curious to learn.
-ash

[pizzleboy]

Are we trying to say that there's more to it than:

1.  hammer throttle
2.  stay there until end of quarter mile, shifting when rpm ~~10k

? :dunno:

[Blueknyt]

What does a Clutch do? it acts as a buffer between the power and drive line. this buffer is only TRUELY needed when starting up from a stop, and coming to a stop.  there are no syncros in  the sequinchal (sp?) gearbox. there for the only other POSIBLE use for a clutch in this tranny is to give drive line "SLACK" to perform the shift,  the gear dawgs (interlocking parts) have bevel cuts to them, if you try to shift under hard power on a STOCK bike, you will not easyly get it to move, if you do, you will find a false neutral. now, when you let off the throttle you briefly supply all the drivline slack you need to shift. granted you cant take your time toeing the next gear(lazy shifting), you have to snap it inplace. ive seen more clutches screwup gears cuz folks go to "Speed shift" by paying more attenion to getting that clutch in and out fast and not paying attention to how far they are throwing the shifter, and they short shift the gear, this causes the corners on the gear dawgs to slap eachother and not grab over time, the corners round off and they wont hold anymore. the gear teeth dont wear out (extremely rare to fail), its the locking parts that wear out making the gear useless, sometimes, it will effect 2 gears, often 2nd and 5th cuz they work together.  


now, as to your buddy who builds GP bikes, No offence, ask him why truckers who have been driving rigs around the world hualing HUGE loads and trucks with lots of horsepower useing 10-15 speed trany most being unsyncro'ed and the only time they touch the clutch is starting , stoping and backing up.  they call it Floating the gears.  how many 100's of thousands of miles of constant beating underload and very very few trany failures, but plenty of burnt clutches?  allisan,roadmaster,Rolls royce, herculies and Borgwarner all use the same type of metal in their gears as honda,suzuki yamaha.  I dont know everything, but what i do know is solid, not from hearing from this person or that, but my own hands on them and seeing.  you can take what i say as BS, your choice. your bike, you shift how it makes you comfortable.   how ever you shift make sure you GET IT INTO the gear.

[Rich500]

/\---- take apart a trans from a bike that has been shifted without the clutch too often, and improperly. What will you see? Advanced wear.
Im just saying that if your not 100% proficient (most truckers are damn proficient) at matching revs, or knowing when to shift, then dont cluthchless shift at low speeds. theres more time for things to meet internally, and that means parts will wear quikly. Thats all there is too it. Im taking what I know from rebuilding bikes and cars, and the advice of a very advanced mechanic. I personally dont want to wear shaZam! out too fast, so I avoid that one clutchless shift.

[JLKasper]

Juanfer,

I think you mentioned racing this guy on the Freewind in an earlier post, didn't you?  If you negotiated a one km race (6/10 mile or so), you played to the GS's strength--  top speed.  Use the clutch, shift at 10K, and don't worry if he gets a jump on you.  Just tuck in, don't wear loose clothing, and don't shift to sixth unless you get to 9k rpm in fifth.  You should easily take him.  Good luck!  

[bibik]

Juanfer relax.You have to do something real rong to loose the race.Just  rev to 5000  throw clutch and go.Shift  just before the redline, stay down, go straight and dont look at him.I have both bikes remember?Magazines wrote:GS 0-1000m  27,1sec.FREEWIND 27,7.

[ashman]

now thats what i wanted, some solid facts. I can kinda follow what your saying. might try that tmo. so i'm sposed to rev up to a shifting point then drop the throttle nd shift? so it should just feel like i'm able to slide it to the next gear i assume???
-ash

[Juanfer]