I'm new to motorcycles, and I've been wondering about this for a while. I have read many threads on this and other forums about why it's OK and why it's not. But I think it'd be good to see what everyone does, without getting to much into details.

Voted no .  I always use the clutch except when I forget.     Shift seems to go quite smoothly either way.

Quote from: gsJack on June 11, 2010, 08:14:02 AM
Voted no .  I always use the clutch except when I forget.     Shift seems to go quite smoothly either way.

I edited the second option to "sometimes"...
Thanks for the input gsJack!

You need to take the load of the drive train or you'd damage shift forks and such. Dip the throttle, cut the ignition or just use the clutch like normal people do

sequential gear boxes with a rotary drum (AKA motorcycle transmissions) are in constant mesh and don't have synchros, they are designed to shift without use of the clutch, they just need the load taken off the dogs. You will find that a lot of bikers shift with little or no clutch unless there going very slow, all you need to do is apply pressure to the lever then dip off the throttle for a split second to shift. It wont hurt any thing as long as its done correctly, it actually wears the dogs less, shifts faster, shifts more reliably, and keeps the rpms from jumping above redline under hard acceleration.
I only know one person who uses the clutch always, and shes a girl 
What most of my friends and myself do is just touch the clutch on up-shifts to keep it smooth.

I voted "sometimes" but its actually more like only 1% of the time that I use the clutch fully.

I always use it for normal riding, but the only time I ever don't use it is when I'm just cruising and want to make sure I'm in 6th gear. Sometimes it's hard to tell because the GS is geared so low and a lot of times I'll be in 6th going 45mph and still think there should be another gear. My bike is pretty loud, and I'm tired of pulling in the clutch to shift, and realizing I'm already at the end, and just having to let the clutch out. It'd like admitting failure via exhaust note. If I pull up on the lever with my foot and then let off on the gas, and it doesn't upshift, then you can't really tell the difference. Given the situation, I only ever do this when I'm in 5th gear and not accelerating hard.

I've had to ride a bike home with a broken clutch cable, you can shift up or down (up is easier) without the clutch and without stressing the gearbox if you're careful. Its harder between the lower gears as the ratios are further apart.
To take off without the clutch you stand beside the bike with it idling in neutral, push it as fast as you can then jump on and slip it in to first. To pull up, just ease it in to neutral as you slow down. I also did it with a car once, a hundred miles including 20 of city traffic (not the run and jump method!). Some cars are easier than others, its a lot harder than a bike and likely to wear the synchros, but you can get home.

I use the clutch to change up most of the time. But when I'm leaving the lights or riding in the hills I like to leave it alone.

when I am drag-racing, I only use the clutch to take off.  on the street, it varies, sometimes I use it, sometimes I dont

I always use the clutch, due in the main to the fact that I cant see a need for it during normal road riding and that I am a sucker for `mechanical sympathy`

BTW, If you need to ask what mechanical sympathy is............ you probably havent got it:thumb: