2 finger clutch?
I’m a new rider and I watch countless hours of videos of professional motorcycle riding as I try to copy some of their techniques (obviously not hanging off the bike at high speed on public roads haha, I mean smooth operation of the vehicle, using body parts for stability , etc) and I’ve noticed many riders use two fingers to clutch and brake. For me I naturally want to grab the levers with all 4 fingers when I need to so I don’t hover with my fingers over them.
TL;DR I know the benefits to this technique would be reducing reaction time but is that really beneficial/something I should learn to build into my muscle memory? Thanks for the read and response!
Comments
Oh and also, should I pull the clutch in all the way? My friction zone is high up so I can disengage the engine from the transmission with only a couple of inches. I pull it in when coming to complete stops while still in gear for comfort, but when accelerating should I be pulling it in only as much as I need to to speed up shift time? Thanks again
No I think that is pretty fine if the biting point is high up, I’ve taken the clutch apart on mine and once you get passed the biting point there isnt really much more movement. SO i think you’re good
Two finger clutching allows you to keep a firm hand on the handle bar.
When shifting fast, you don’t realise it, but you already have disengaged the gear when the clutch is not fully disengaged (you can even shift without using the clutch), so I don’t think you should worry about how much you’re pulling the lever when shifting.
OK so not totally necessary unless hard cornering/stability. And I successfully did a clutch-less up shift the other day actually; I was a little skeptical and worried about it causing some problems for the transmission later on so it’s probably not something I need to use all the time.
I don’t two finger clutch because my clutch isn’t hydraulic and it hurts my fingers.
It’s a matter of personal preference, I suppose. I was taught to use 4 fingers, but I know people who use 2. On a lot of bikes, it is possible to upshift without the clutch, but NEVER downshift without the clutch, unless it has a quickshifter (like the BMW S1000RR does). Basically, just do what feels right to you. So long as you’re doing it safely, I don’t see any harm done either way.
I like to keep two fingers on the bars for more stability and also my clutch lever snapped in half so I only have space for 2 fingers :P
Two fingers on the clutch and two fingers on the brake are completely different. With braking, you can have a great feel for the brake and still maintain a firm grip on the bars, especially during longer braking periods or when you’ll be on/off the brakes several times in succession. With the clutch, however, a shift is a shift - you pull it in and let it out. For the time that takes, I use all four fingers. As the clutch wears or cable stretches, you may find you have to pull it in further. If you get in the habit of using two fingers, you may at some point need to pull the lever in further than you can. If you’re feathering the clutch in the friction zone during some low speed maneouevres, then it may make sense to use just a couple of fingers. I’ve been riding 30 years, participated in moto gymkhana events, teach beginner and advanced classes - and I commute in heavy traffic daily. I use 4 fingers on the clutch, two fingers on the brake.