Hey, if you are not a Member you need to join! Get instant access to the Field Guide with tons of practice exercises and get the Forums to talk motorcycles with other like minded rider coaches and riders. www.MCrider.com/Member See you there, Kevin

The key is to put pressure on the shift lever before clutching. As you bring in the clutch, it'll automatically shift once you've clutched enough.

Thanks for this tip! I've been riding for DECADES and always pulled completely back. Due to my engrained muscle memory it took me a few weeks to get to the point where this tip made me smoother when shifting, but I just kept at it because it is intuitively better. Now I use this "just outside the friction zone" technique and not only am I just as smooth as ever, but it oddly made my ride more pleasurable. Again.... THANK YOU!

Dude i cant thank you enough! This has taken me from clumsy gear changes to being smooth like a pro!! Thankyou!!!!

This is one of the BEST tips that most beginner riders should see and practice. It’s crazy to me that no one ever talks about it in videos when giving advice to beginners. I would be willing say one of the most important things to learn to give yourself more control over your bike.

Thanks for the tip as always Kevin and see you out on the road!

I rarely use the clutch for upshifts. I find it quicker and easier to simply apply a little pressure on the shift lever during acceleration, then shifting to the next gear only takes a momentary unloading of the transmission by just quickly backing the throttle a small amount. When done properly it almost sounds like an automatic and is not harmful to your transmission unless you're really applying a lot of pressure to the shift lever.

I already do this and I thought I was doing it wrong but yes it does make for a much smoother change - I'm also gonna try the preload of the shifter others mension - good explanation!

Always good stuff on this channel

Great tips

Great advice and great video. I learned this the hard way when I went to the hydraulic clutch Harley bagger. It seems more pronounced if you pull it all the way in when shifting. Better to ease into friction zone, shift and release...no clunking or slamming this way. Always great advice on this channel @MCRider Thank you!

If you release the throttle accurately (upshifting), those plates won’t even need to slip.

Great tips Kevin. I try to keep my shifts so smooth that my passenger can't tell when I change gears. Friction zone and a tiny bit of preload on the shifter are key for my klonky old 08 Victory Vision 😜✌️

Good advice.

Im gonna start practicing this asap

Good Simple Vid 👍

Thank you ! I’ve always doubted myself just a bit when I didn’t bring that clutch all the way back when shifting but never asked if that was okay 😅

Thank You

The pursuit if smooth riding is a constant!

With my bike - a 2019 Kawasaki Vulcan 650 - I find I can't do this from 1-2-3, but can for 3-4-5-6!! Maybe just one of those things!!! It did take me a while to get to this stage...

Great information as usual. What are the PROS and CONS of doing this mechanically? Can you not accomplish the same thing through adjustable levers or adjusting the cable so that a full pull of the lever is just past the point the friction plates disengage? I ask because this is how my motorcycle was set up from the dealer and even more so after I upgraded to ASV levers. Add this to a nice slipper clutch and you have some very quick and smooth gear changes.

Yes, you can feel the resistance/pressure zone in the clutch lever and get in the habit of not squeezing the lever all the way. Thanks!

😊😊thanks

I think it depends on your bike. The friction zone can be located different depending on the bike and whether or not the owner or shop have made adjustments.

Thanks for the good training…..

And as you transition to the ready position you will have your right hand on the front brake and your foot on the back brake. So you automatically should be shifting into 1st and just below friction zone. So when you stop your ready to go instantly. Which might save your life when you realise that the dude in the Tesla behind you isn't stopping!

Does your transmission breaks when you didn’t use the clutch to change gear right above 3rd gear?

I like this guy, strictly in a Patriotic American way that needs no more explanation. Thank you for your show

Thank you Kevin! I've never heard of this being brought up before. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I've learned a lot from you!

Hi back in the 80s I never heard of a windshield for a motorcycle and many times I rode down the highway without gloves and windshield and I loved it. Now I have a windshield and still nervous or a little scared about on the highway could it be because I am still grieving over the loss of my wife.? This is her husband who's using her account. Hopefully you got some answers for me how to handle on the highway

Put a little pressure on shift peg as you pull clutch a little> quickly goes into next gear up...

Is there a way to communicate with you personally? Quitman tx.

Great Videos keep up the great work of educating us. I’ve passed on your site to a few newbies and oldies. I was interested in your demo showing four finger clutch control vs one or two. I ride a large R1200GS and small WR250R. I use two fingers on the clutch and brake for all on and off road riding (except if I was emergency braking). What’s your take on number of fingers for regular riding?

This is a great tip. However, lets not forget that First, we need to see where our lever is, withinnthe swing before the clutch is no longer engaged. We need to make sure oir clutch lever is adjusted properly. Ive riden bikes that were adjusted so that the lever was right up against the grip when disengaged.

On the Challenger, with my fingers at least, the friction zone is just right where I can leave my ring and pinky on the grip, pull clutch with 2 fingers, and shift.

Also pretension the gear lever gor quiker and smoother

I do same, just enough to almost bareley release clutch to shift up or down makes the shifts shorter and smoother. Another great vid, Thank You

I just put the DCT into auto mode. Quicker and smoother than any human!😊

My issue isnt the clutch, it is rolling off the throttle to shift gears, it always feels like it throws my passenger forward. Maybe I accelrate too fast and there's just no way around it...had this issue in cars and on bikes for decades.

A1

With gloves on?

Closely related to this, although not for all, it is worth trying a "shorty" clutch lever which (1) allows you to change to 2-finger clutching, which is vastly better, (2) shorty levers will mostly allow you to adjust the start of the friction zone to /very/ close to the grip - mine is about 5mm - this is also a huge advantage as it is easier to know exactly where the friction zone starts, and (3) it is easy and even natural to use partial clutch to change gears, plus only 2 fingers, plus lever starts closer to the grip at full extension. All of this helps. And finally, (4) 2 fingers on the clutch means 2 fingers permanently closed on the grip - this makes a huge difference to low speed manoevers with the clutch partly in, you have far better control of the bike. Almost forgot. Using only 2 fingers on the clutch, I normally drive in traffic with two fingers permanently covering the clutch, so changing is extremely quick - just a slight pull of two fingers that are already right there and gear up or down in a flash. By the way, my bike has a quickshifter, which I disabled after getting the shorty lever. I find I prefer to have complete control over what is happening, plus then all shifts are the same including down to first and stop.

I have to be a little more careful as my Harley has a different ball and ramp assembly. I had it put in to make an easier pull on my clutch. My left hand has a finger missing from an accident that happened three years ago. Btw, I have more clutch travel with that different ball and ramp.

I upshift without using the clutch. Is that bad for my bike?

I just bought a bike after not riding for 20 years. I keep dumping the clutch coming out of 1st gear. It's gonna take some time to get back into it. Yesterday was brutal for that.

I start off in 2nd

upshifting....what clutch?

✌✊

My solution was to mash the clutch off my ring finger then let it out real fast and somehow my shifts were good but at the cost of bruises

Keep zwo Fingers on the clutch dude!!!!

Good Tip ! I shift into Neutral at long traffic lights . You should do a video on rev-matching & blipping the throttle on downshifts . And not completely letting off the throttle on upshifts . For those who don't have a slipper clutch or Quick shifter . Thx for the videos 😎

I never knew until watching this video that every motorcycle clutch in the entire world is adjusted exactly the same. Thanks!

Baahhhh, just don't use the clutch at all except for stopping. A little pressure on the shifter, release the throttle, shift, apply more throttle. Easy as pi. Harley's don't seem to like it but any other bike I've ridden can go up and down the gears, w/o clutch, smooth as silk. (it does take a bit of practice)

I use 2-3 fingers for clutch engagement this makes bike control much more better cause one-two fingers always stay on the grip and when your finger in the way you won’t be able to fully press the clutch lever 😉

First time commenting on MC riders’ videos and usually I am in total agreement with what he puts out there. Even learning a few things along the way. But this thing, here, honestly, I couldn’t disagree more. First off, why even chance having a miss shift, especially with Harleys, when a false neutral is much more common with them. Secondly, I am very well aware when I pull the clutch all the way in to shift. People around my way drive crazy and I’m always prepared to use my brakes and possibly have to swerve around traffic so I don’t want to be focusing on the friction zone or anything like that but that’s just me personally.

I keep my clutch lever adjusted so that the end of travel is also just past the end of the friction zone. Why doesn't everyone do that? The friction zone is super easy to find and the clutch plates are completely seperated when the lever is fully compressed without needing extra lever travel.

That is a hairy hand

Do that on my British vintage bike and you'll get an earfull of noise and a gearbox full of teeth....😮

you don’t need clutch after 1st gear…. or get a scooter