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by floating the throttle i mean that i dont just snap the throttle shut when i clutch to upshift. I just let it close a bit while shifting to let the revs drop to where they will be in the next gear. and as the clutch is hooking up i begin to roll back on. its kindof like rev matching a downshift but the opposite.
hope thats helpful!

Ok, I know what you mean. I went out and practiced for awhile and I was doing that..."floating the throttle"

I can definitely feel an improvement in the smoothness of my up shifting. When I eventually take a passenger, I want my shifting to be so smooth, they don't feel it.
I don't want their helmet to bashing into my helmet.

Thanks for the help.

I think the previous owners of my bike didnt treat the clutch too well, it releases almost all the way out from the bars, that and i found a stripe of balled up rubber under the rear fender.

dont feel bad. my clutch was the same but it was a piece of cake to adjust. now it grabs halfway out which is much nicer/smoother.

Floating the throttle? Sounds like what I do when I ride my dirtbike when I'm flying through the trails, or when I'm in technical stuff. You have to have some serious clutch and balance skills to ride through some of south NJ swamps, foot deep water with no traction trying to get over roots that stick out of the deep water while the whole time not getting my feet wet

f8aw8su wrote:i dont know how true this is, but it semms like the more time the clutch spends in the friction zone the more it wears. It is posisible to float the throttle on upshifts so that very little finnessing is needed. On downshifts, you can completely pop the clutch;provided the revs are matched just right for your speed and the lower gear you selected.

Yes, it probably is less wear and tear on the clutch, but is more on the transmission. Clutches cost a lot less than a new transmission. The clutch is what's helping keep the transmission working smooth. They put it there for a reason, I figure at least.

not to hijack this thread or anything but my friction zone happens to be at the very top if you pull the clutch lever in 1 inch its all the way engaged. i assumed this meant the clutch was gonna need replaced soon. my question is this something that can be adjusted? also the clutch does not slip at all. i just don't like where it "grabs" at.

My zone reaches it's maximum friction tolerance after about 3 straight hours in the seat, after which I walk slightly bowlegged.

Just kidding. But really, I think I need a new seat.

For the clutch friction zone I'm not sure other than it's somewhere between all the way in and all the way released. I'll make note of it next ride!

Mine is still how it was from the factory. About halfway out, which works for me. I got used to it and THAT'S HOW I LIKE IT NOW.