anything wrong with clutchless upshifts?

Lately I've been shifting without the clutch, up into 5th and 6th mostly. Is there any downside to this? Is it stressing the transmission or anything?

 

you will have a pile of opinions here..all good of course.. As for me, I haven't used the clutch on any bike I have had in the last 30 years to shift with cept down into first. Just never bother.(Cept the harley I had which was way tooo clunky) I have 28 year old bikes that the original clutches look like new, and the trannys work great, so for me it clutchless,I find it easier, quicker, and smoother, especially as i rarely ever miss a gear when bagging my bikes. Just do it right.

 

The way I have been told...

Use the clutch when up shifting from 1st to 2nd, after that, doesn't matter. Always use the clutch to down shift.

 

Why only the 1-2 shift?

 

Because if you don't do it right you hit neutral or have a really really hard shift going into 2nd and can cause damage.

 

I used to do this on my first bike. It died from a broken transmission before too long.
I didn't know to avoid lower gears, but then second and third are usually the first to go I think.

Then again: right before I bought it I walked under a ladder and then tripped over a black cat, so.
Your millage may vary.

 

Exactly what I was told. I just barely pull the clutch in higher gears even when using the clutch.

 

There are as many opinions on this as every other topic I know. Basically the purpose of the clutch is to allow the two parts to match speed during engagement. As long as you aren't trying to change under full throttle or compression braking, after some time you can blip the throttle as you downshift without the clutch or back off just enough when upshifting. Having said that, I know that on my motorcross bikes, it was bang the lever when accelerating. I have not blown up a transmission yet and only use the clutch about half the time on my three current bikes. It works with trucks (tractor-trailer) and race cars as well. Sometimes I use the clutch on either side of the shift in a car/truck. pop into neutral then press in clutch or disengage clutch to neutral and release to match revs and slip into next gear. Harder to do with a syncromesh transmission but possible. It all comes down to what you are comfortable doing, in practice and knowing the possible consequences. I have never ridden a bike with a slipper clutch though so I dont know if that would have any effect on methods.