First off I'd like to say that I just got my first bike a 1994 Suzuki GS500E and love it. I've already had the carbs torn down 4 times before fixing the gas leak. I now have the bike running perfectly ( except for syncing the carbs ) and she rides nice. I have one question though that I could not find an answer for while searching. Is it better to shift quick like I'm racing or shift slow and smooth? I also tried not using the clutch to upshift and I find it smoother than if I use the clutch.

Welcome! 

Here's a thread on shifting that you might find useful. 

I use clutchless upshifts when i'm hauling arse , but that's about it . I usually run out to at least 10 grand before shifting on most gears except from 5 to 6th (presuming i'm trying not to get a ticket) . It really depends on how fast I'm going , if i'm on a steep grade , etc ...
I think most of it's personal preference ... if the gear still has life to it , i'll use it  

On a side note , my 2nd gear seems to cover a much broader range than the others ... not usre if that's all the GS's or just my '96 , or just the rejetting from the previous owner  

So I should rev the engine to about 4k rpm then let the clutch out slowly huh? I've been letting it out 'til it starts to grab then I give it some gas and let clutch out more. Also is it better to shift quick like I stole it or shift slow?

Depends , Drive It How You Feel, Erics Right , I Shift Like 10 , But Thats When i See It Safe To , When Im Trying To be Calm , And Build up, Kids About , Etc , Just Slow , Easyly Shifts , Theres No Right Or Wrong , But , Trying To Do 10k Changes In A Small Built Up Area.. Asking For A Spill

Wolfy

a good way to practice shifting smoothly is this exercise: find an empty piece of road. maintain a constant speed. start at, say, 2nd gear and 5000 rpm. then practice shifting between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd while maintaining this constant speed. try to not surge forward on upshifts or bog down on downshifts.

i found that even doing this a few times has helped a lot.

I upshift slow, mainly because sometimes when I'm tapping up really quick, I'll miss the gear and wind the engine way up. On my bike, just because your toe lifts doesn't mean you actually hit the next gear.  Since I kinda need to pay attention and make sure it locks in, I've just gotten used to easing the clutch out a little longer. It feels more fluid to me this way anyway.

well I've been shifting fast since I got it. I do it smoother when I shift quick and I haven't missed a gear yet. Also when starting out and reving to 4k and letting out clutch isn't that hard on the clutch rather than doing it the way I posted in my first reply?

Maybe you should take a MSF class if you don't know how to shift.

If clutchless shifting is more smooth, you just need to work more on your clutch technique.

For the bike it is better if you shift with clutch. You can shift without clutch faster if you learn it and really need to save some fraction of a second.

I find it very good to shift with clutch even if i try to ride fast. I start pushing gear lever up, and then i blip the clutch. Also that little time the clutch is released, revs go up, since i dont need to blip the throttle( maybe a little ). So the revs are a bit higher, and when clutch engages i get a nice little slip and pull forward. Just be carefull not to go over the rev limit.

The key is to hold little pressure on gear lever. So gear changes as soon as clutch disengages.

Try it. It's a nice alternative to clutch less, and better for your gear box.

Quote from: Jay_wolf on April 13, 2007, 07:03:53 PM
Depends , Drive It How You Feel, Erics Right , I Shift Like 10 , But Thats When i See It Safe To , When Im Trying To be Calm , And Build up, Kids About , Etc , Just Slow , Easyly Shifts , Theres No Right Or Wrong , But , Trying To Do 10k Changes In A Small Built Up Area.. Asking For A Spill

Wolfy

dude seriously, commas!   

Im A English Man !!!!!!
Poor Excuse I No .. But .. You No lol

Quote from: domas on April 14, 2007, 12:10:39 AM
If clutchless shifting is more smooth, you just need to work more on your clutch technique.

For the bike it is better if you shift with clutch. You can shift without clutch faster if you learn it and really need to save some fraction of a second.

I find it very good to shift with clutch even if i try to ride fast. I start pushing gear lever up, and then i blip the clutch. Also that little time the clutch is released, revs go up, since i dont need to blip the throttle( maybe a little ). So the revs are a bit higher, and when clutch engages i get a nice little slip and pull forward. Just be carefull not to go over the rev limit.

The key is to hold little pressure on gear lever. So gear changes as soon as clutch disengages.

Try it. It's a nice alternative to clutch less, and better for your gear box.

I only tried clutchless shifting once and it worked alright. I normally shift using the clutch but I just do it as fast as possible because it comes smoother than if I try to do it slow and smooth.

My Conk can be shifted without the clutch if you catch it just right, and let off the gas.  This might be a useful skill, so you would still be able to get home if the clutch cable breaks.   
The transmission doesn't know if the clutch was used or not.  I suppose it is possible to harm the tranny even if the clutch is used, if you do it all wrong.
Clutchless shifting at high RPM gives faster acceleration.  Fun!   

One of the bike mags had a thing on clutchless upshifts last month . They said "contrary to other opinions , it won't hurt your transmission" , but then I guess that's their opinion though lol  I only use it when I'm on the throttle hard though , so it slips in pretty nicely as I have a broader RPM range to mesh the gears . My figuring was that if it slips in clutchless (assuming you aren't forcing it in ... "clunk!" lol ) that you must be around the appropriate rpm vs speed for that gear (or engine vs gearbox RPM???)  and it'd actually be easier on the clutch plates .

Can anyone clarify ... i'm not the most knowledgable yet - "aggressively learning" though 

-Eric

I'm scared to shift without using the clutch.

assuming you can actually leave a redlight without blueing the clutch:

Use easy progressive throttle until it 'feels' like a good time (usually around 5-6K rpm here) then put light preasure on the shift linkage until you just feel resistance.

A quick (quick, not fast or forcefull dammit man!) PARTIAL and minimal release of the throttle will allow the revs of the engine and tranny to sync.

Now you're in the next gear, time to do it again soon.

Remember, you don't have a goose the thing after it slips into the next gear.

The whole thing should happen in a blink, and NOT sound abusive. It's not like you're racing anyone, you just want a SMOOOOoooOOOOooooOOOth upshift.

Forget all the shaZam! about being faster than the next guy. Just learn to ride smoother and enjoy it instead of killing your ride.

Now why is it I should keep the rpms above 4500? I like cruising through town in about 3rd or 4th at 35mph. If it's not good on the engine though then I'll stop. I just figured it'd be better on the engine to keep rpms low. Also when does the power band kick in? I think it felt like about 7k. Thanks for the help so far guys this site rules 

You want to avoid bogging the engine, but even 4500 seems a bit high for that. If you're cruising its probably ok to go lower. One advantage of keeping your rpms higher (5-6k) is that its easier to get into the powerband and out of trouble by accelerating. The downside is that you will burn more gas.

You should be feeling the powerband in the 7-9k range.

When I first started out on my Baby G, I tried to keep the RPMs down, too (if it's good for a car, it's good for a bike, right?). I was having trouble with stalling and not enough power on takeoff from traffic lights, and I was clueless as to why (I figured I just sucked...which I did, but now I suck less  ). When one of my mentors advised not even trying to let the clutch out until I reached 4k RPMs, a whole new world opened up for me. It took practice to get the RPMs up first (it goes against what we learn as cagers), but now that I'm practiced, it's second nature....and I don't have trouble with stalling or lugging anymore. 

As Unnamed said, keeping the RPMs up also helps when you need to get out of a tough spot. I've learned to keep my RPMs up when I'm lanesharing and/or in congested traffic. I've been happy to have the power *right there* when I've needed it to get out of tight spots. It definitely takes practice to accept the higher RPMs (and the gas mileage definitely takes a hit, but it usually does anyway in traffic), but better management of the RPMs definitely helped me become a better rider (though I still have a LONG way to go to ever claim to even be good  ).