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Old September 15th, 2018, 05:01 AM   #8
adouglas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smoreschoco View Post
OT: I know the synchromesh exists, but always though double clutching would lessen the rate of wear on the synchromesh.
A bit of insight coming from a lifetime of experience:

I'm 59 and have been driving manual transmissions for 45 years, give or take. I've driven something like a million miles all told. The highest mileage I've put on a single vehicle is 254,000. My current car, a tiny Japanese econobox that i use to tow my bike, broke 190,000 miles this summer.

I do not double-clutch and never have. I have never, ever had anything go wrong with a transmission. And I have never, ever had a clutch wear out. Not once.

In theory you're right, but it's akin to saying "I never rev the engine past 2,000 rpm because I want to lessen the rate of wear on the engine block."

Seriously. Don't sweat it. The sun will expand into a red giant and consume the planet before you wear out those synchros.

You've already noted the big reason NOT to double-clutch: It makes shifting really slow, because you're adding some steps. You won't hurt anything by doing it, but you really aren't getting any meaningful benefit.

Shifting really slowly could potentially be a safety issue. What if something happens while you're in the middle of the whole process? What happens if you mis-time it and wind up in neutral when you NEED to give it some throttle?

It's a lifetime habit so I'm sure you'll keep doing it anyway. Just one caution: Don't do it WHILE you're in a turn. Way too slow between gears. Get into the proper gear before you reach the corner. You don't want to be rolling around the bend in neutral. (PS: Watch the "selfie" video again and note that shifts don't happen in the corners.)

Your bike really can handle it (so can your car). In the video above did you notice that Ken doesn't even use the clutch while upshifting? I'm about to buy that very bike. It has 15,000 miles on it. I'm going to trust my life to it. And I have absolutely no doubt that the transmission is fine.
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Last futzed with by adouglas; September 15th, 2018 at 07:03 AM.
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