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I learnt to drive using the double declutching method, it's so ingrained that even now I do it. It's not for the clutch at all Ted, it's so the 2 gear shafts come into synchronisation, the one connected to the drive wheels is going at a different speed to the other and the gears will graunch if you try and select gear until the 2 speeds match, eventually they came up with synchromesh gears where a small ring inside the gear stopped the gear allowing it to engage at any speed. On a bike on the downshift you need to make the mainshaft match the countershaft speed and the easiest way is to blip the throttle and change gear just when you judge the speeds are close to each other, when the clutch is released the sudden speed change in the countershaft then doesn't lock the rear wheel up or make it skip sideways.
I learnt to double declutch on a Leyland PD1 double decker bus, gearstick was a yard long, 3/4” solid steel bar with a solid steel snooker ball on the top, to get from 1st to 2nd on a hill start we did what we called a snatch, you pulled back on the gearstick so hard it started to bend, then you released the accelerator whilst dipping the clutch at the same time and the gear lever would suddenly shoot back and the gears would engage so fast they didn’t have time to complain about it. My left leg was highly muscled from the really heavy clutch the buses had at that time. No power anything, vacuum brakes not air, even the windscreen wiper was air operated. There are some pics for sale on eBay we me driving and some with me as a conductor.
Quote from: Oddjob on June 28, 2023, 12:34:14 AMI learnt to double declutch on a Leyland PD1 double decker bus, gearstick was a yard long, 3/4” solid steel bar with a solid steel snooker ball on the top, to get from 1st to 2nd on a hill start we did what we called a snatch, you pulled back on the gearstick so hard it started to bend, then you released the accelerator whilst dipping the clutch at the same time and the gear lever would suddenly shoot back and the gears would engage so fast they didn’t have time to complain about it. My left leg was highly muscled from the really heavy clutch the buses had at that time. No power anything, vacuum brakes not air, even the windscreen wiper was air operated. There are some pics for sale on eBay we me driving and some with me as a conductor.Blakey
It was Butler (Reg Varney) who drove the bus, Blakey was the inspector. At least get it right when you're insulting me