[Derail]

Just thumbing through the old owner's manual(08 1800 hpna viii) and after reading their recommended shift points I feel like an al-Qaeda member. 12,20,25,31 mph plus or minus. I drove truck since I was a kid and I could run a 750 hp cat with a 21 speed and not scratch a gear. I'm going to try it their way this evening and I may have to flog my own back while reading the manual aloud...cover to cover. WISH ME LUCK.

 

[Pure Texas]

Pay no attention to that stuff,your wing is very forgiving,I pull mine down to 25 in 5th and it’s happy,I too am driver and I never look at the tac,I know it shifts at 14 hundred but never look,

 

[david_root2000]

I read in the manual of my 99 1500 it says to be in top gear by 31 mph. NOPE! I did try it and its turning 1250 RPM. NOPE. Its my bike, I shift when I want. There is a red line for a reason.
I was looking to see about the linked brakes. It says nothing about that. Not much of a manual.

David

 

[Derail]

Cummins not a cat hey Texas. Right on guys I do a slight overspend and roll the gear in without the clutch is that wrong?? I used to drive my 900 cb custom that way.

I read in the manual of my 99 1500 it says to be in top gear by 31 mph. NOPE! I did try it and its turning 1250 RPM. NOPE. Its my bike, I shift when I want. There is a red line for a reason.
I was looking to see about the linked brakes. It says nothing about that. Not much of a manual.

David

Thanks for your feedback David. I've found the older I get the better I was.

 

[Bike...and Dennis]

Honda's published shift points feel like I'm lugging the motor to the extreme.

 

[MaynardGKrebbs]

I try to use the engine torque, it is nothing to take a corner in town and just drop from 5th to 4th, no strain.
Shifting without a clutch is a no-no in my book. The transmission is a motorcycle is nothing like a Roadranger. there is only one neutral and the transmission passes through neutral only once in progression. Otherwise it is always in a gear.This makes it impossible to "float" a shift. Yes you can get it to shift without the clutch, but there can be nothing smooth about the shift. This rattles the whole drivetrain and causes stress throughout the rear axle.
I know I probably opened a can of worms, and everybody has a different opinion and 50% of people will disagree. But the clutch was put there for a reason. Do it however you wish.
I have overhauled transmissions, Automatic, manual, car, truck, motorcycle, front end loader, If it has gears I have worked on one.
I admit the the book sounds crazy, the goldwing has incredible torque and power throughout a wide rpm range. Your best bet is to get out of the lower gears as soon as possible and use 3,4,5 to get up to speed. In trucking they call it progressive shifting. Or you can shift it like you are mad at it(aggressive shifting).

 

[siouxindian]

well if your in a race shift when you start losing power if riding shift when you need to.

 

[Pure Texas]

Cummins not a cat hey Texas. Right on guys I do a slight overspend and roll the gear in without the clutch is that wrong?? I used to drive my 900 cb custom that way.
Thanks for your feedback David. I've found the older I get the better I was.

Some do shift without the clutch,I do sometimes but in higher gears but these transmissions are way too hard to repair so clutch is recommended for long term use.

In trucking they call it progressive shifting. Or you can shift it like you are mad at it(aggressive shifting.

we say FLOATING gears,clutch is for starting and stopping

 

[MaynardGKrebbs]

Yep, started driver truck in 1976, the license testers still want you to double clutch, but when you are only dealing with 2100 rpm and the gears are as large as a small dinner plate, things are moving kinda slow, easy to float and transmission is designed for that. You mention "clutch brake" to other than a trucker and you get a look like you are trying to sell headlight fluid.

 

[roscoepc]

A year or so ago I read about a guy that was yanked outta his car and 2 guys jumped in to steal it. Less than 15 seconds later they jumped out and ran like Satan Himself was after them!! The Reason?? The car was a Stick Shift and they didn't have a CLUE how to drive it!! I think my next vehicle is gonna be a '69 Ford Pick Up with a "Three on the Tree"....

 

[DaveO430]

.
Shifting without a clutch is a no-no in my book. The transmission is a motorcycle is nothing like a Roadranger. there is only one neutral and the transmission passes through neutral only once in progression. Otherwise it is always in a gear.This makes it impossible to "float" a shift. Yes you can get it to shift without the clutch, but there can be nothing smooth about the shift. This rattles the whole drivetrain and causes stress throughout the rear axle.

There is a neutral between all the gears, just very difficult to find. If you can't shift without the clutch you have no business riding a motorcycle.
Back to the subject, you can shift at those points but I believe it is harder on things than using some RPMs.

 

[DaveO430]

This is how it's done. I chopped the video before I came to a stop in neutral.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Derail]

Thanks gentlemen the truck I learned in was a 69 kenworth log truck with a five four and a two. I did a lot of shifting with a screwdriver under the truck I must admit so dial a gear was pretty easy. What you say makes sense I'll try to clutch religiously it just seemed smoother without it. My favorite California trick was to touch the brake just enough to light the brake lights then slap the dash....buy a little distance.

 

[Derail]

Nicely done Dave! My thought was if you dont continuously unspool the engine and tranny you won't have one set of gears slowing down so the gears mesh easier. On a big truck, besides eating up a clutch brake the continuous uncoupling of engine and tranny was a no no.

 

[Bryanlj]

As an ex bike mechanic now truck driver that ought to have retired but the house loan wont let me.
Eaton twin split, clutch only for setting off and stopping.
Honda bike, clutch for every change----- if you have ever rebuilt a wing you know why!!!!

 

[GL Jim]

My old 89 1500 likes me to shift at 3000

 

[MaynardGKrebbs]

2700-3000 rpm seems to be the sweet spot for most 6 cylinder engines.

 

[Derail]

Well I'm gonna practice using the clutch, I agree with a second gear take off. First to second I always used the clutch on cause they're pretty close. I dont wanna be changing shifting forks or counter shaft bearings so I appreciate the advice.

 

[david_root2000]

If the bike is doing 3K @ cruising speed, then shift at 3k. Just a simple rule of thumb.

I rode my other bike to work today, Deer are thick this time of year, I never got out of 4th all the way to work. 4K @ 60. No problems, and a little extra engine braking.
Its 54 miles to work, mostly country roads, some along a creek. beautiful ride to start my work day.

More notes. There IS a neutral between every gear. It can't be in two gears at once, so shifting a motorcycle using your head, it will shift properly with out the clutch. I am sure I don't do it right because occasionally I grind them with the clutch.

AND the new motorcycles shift with out the clutch using the computer.

Diesel engines are apples to oranges, Diesel was made to run from 19 to 2100 RPM. It works best there and was designed to do that.
If I ran my "other bike" like that, i would never get out of 2nd gear.

OK, now for a pet peeve.

Its REVOLUTIONS per minute RPM
NOT Revolutions per MINUTES! RPMS

David

In High school and college in the late 70s. I drove an International with a 550 V8 diesel engine. It had 5 and a 4 speed transmissions. No clutch needed on a good day. We also had an International 1800 with a 392 GAS V8. It had a 5 and a 3. Boy am I glad those were the old days. That truck was a piece of junk.

 

[MaynardGKrebbs]

Saw Pure Texas' post with video of GL trans inards. It shows the gears and shift collars, but I wish it showed the shift drum and how it controlled the forks better. The drum is detented to push the fork from one gear to another with no intermediate position except between 1 and 2. If your trans has more than one neutral it is already damaged.
Certain years of wings are prone to ghost shifting and clutchless shifts can't do this any good. As each gear is changed, inertial forces of the spinning gears must equalize, thus the long slotted area for the dawg to lock into the gear.
Also remember that engine oil and transmission oil are shared. So that any metal that exits the trans must be filtered out of the engine oil.