Clutchless Shifting?
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,140
Likes: 17
From: Wisconsin
Several people I know have air shift on their bikes, it has a cut out when it shifts, not something you notice, it just happens. The one guy has a CVO Street Glide that he runs hard, always air shifts, doesn't use a clutch. He loves it ...........
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 30,881
Likes: 32,991
From: King George, VA
The Hondas seemed to shift ok without using the clutch. I've tried it with my RG when I had the stock tranny in it and it didn't lend itself well to an easy shift. I think the matter is that the motor doesn't wind back down as fast as the Honda does so the tranny doesn't unload enough to slide the shift forks easily.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: Irving, Texas
I got used to doing shifting without the clutch on Kawasaki Police 1000's, after breaking several clutch cables. I got pretty good at it, and it was very handy when pulling into an intersection and needing both hands to stop traffic.
My 98 Electra Glide wouldn't do it, but my 07 Ultra does it almost as easy as the old Kawasaki. How often do people have to replace the clutch cable on Harleys?
My 98 Electra Glide wouldn't do it, but my 07 Ultra does it almost as easy as the old Kawasaki. How often do people have to replace the clutch cable on Harleys?
4th Gear
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
i used to race sportbikes in the mid 90s....had a honda cbr 600.here is the fastest way to shift..used by most racers and drag strip guys.
put your foot under the shifter like you are going to shift up and keep the pressure on it....the load on the engine will keep it from shifting. then just tap the clutch...gear will slip right in in a milli second.
if you try to do it by backing off on throttle its to hard to get it perfect and you use valuable time getting the engine back to where the rpms were
on my sportster i never do it ...just shift like a regular fella...im never really in a hurry on it
put your foot under the shifter like you are going to shift up and keep the pressure on it....the load on the engine will keep it from shifting. then just tap the clutch...gear will slip right in in a milli second.
if you try to do it by backing off on throttle its to hard to get it perfect and you use valuable time getting the engine back to where the rpms were
on my sportster i never do it ...just shift like a regular fella...im never really in a hurry on it
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,389
Likes: 26
From: Windham,Maine
Used to a lot years ago when drag racing.With the Harley shift mechanism you can preload the shifter,as soon as you blip the throttle, drop the load for a millisecond, it will shift to the next gear,provided it all works.It is all a matter of getting to know your machine.Shifting like that makes over revving a real possibility.