I’m curious how many zx14r owners utilize clutchless upshifting in day to day riding. I have a 2018 zx14r SE and find that using that method results in much quieter upshifting even when not pushing the bike that hard. It seems to be an acquired skill but once you get it it becomes automatic.

4th is a good bang, but that may be a ratio jump from 3rd. The cornball, 'be at one with' is sort of true or becomes automatic, because slow or on the robust, I'm usually clutchless up and down with this bike. The other vid is 16 min and that's pointed at the hand. Videoed both at the same time.

This one was sped up 1x just to condense the time. Earphones and I can listen to that engine note all day.

I do it all the time, especially now that I'm using a thumb shifter. I learned it back
when I was racing. Quicker shifting helps lap times a tiny bit.

Mad

If I wanted to go fast, I relied on a quickshifter but a quickshifter with too fast of a kill time was not anything I wanted to rely on. Other than going fast, I clutch shifted. Second to third at high rpm on my Gen1 was a little crunchy with the clutch. That was still a lot better than missing a shift and popping back down to second with the quickshifter. Major surprise wheelie and not a low one either.

Been doing it for 45 years…

I say shift how you want. A lot of people think it's some special talent or something, clutchless shifting, rev matching, and all that.

Not a fan myself. I've had transmission problems with a bike before. Not sure what the cause exactly, but I do know a couple bad shifts can be all it takes to cause more damage than one might suspect. We've all known someone that's had a bike that pops out of gear. That's a cancer that only gets worse and worse.

As far as performance goes, I recently saw an interview of a top WSBK rider who said rev matching would slow him down in most cases. As far as "being a real man", well I drove over the road semis so there's not a whole lot someone can do shifting a motorcycle that's going to impress me, clutchless or otherwise.

I remember when Troy Bayliss was racing for Ducati in WSB He would use clutch less
up shifts AND down shifts. His mechanics had to build special transmissions that
could withstand the abuse.

Mad

Yes, a motor and trans that get rebuilt/new every race, with a couple backups in the trailer? Go for it!

Sylvain Guintoli is the rider I mentioned.