2023 Yamaha Quickshift

[tjohnson4845]

Hi everyone, I am under the impression that the 2023 MT07 comes prewired for Yamaha's quickshifter.  However, I cannot seem to find the factory part number.  The R7 has a dedicated Yamaha PN:beb-e81a0-v0-00.  Does anyone know if this would be compatible with the MT07 as well?  Dealer didn't know.

 

Can anyone confirm that the 2023 models are equipped with a slipper clutch?

 

Thank you

[M. Hausknecht]

The 07 doesn't come with the R7's slipper clutch (or any other, for that matter) but the R7's slipper clutch will fit and work on the 07. Their clutches actually share several parts. I too see that the '23 is prewired for a quickshifter but I also couldn't find a parts list for the '23 on the retailer sites I rely on so I don't know if the R7 QS can work or not (but i imagine it does). The R7's QS cannot accommodate GP shift, if that matters to you, and it works by killing the spark rather than the fuel. 

[Subito]

I’m curious how a up-and-down quickshifter operates on a cable-throttle bike as opposed to a ride-by-wire motorcycle. On upshifts the electronic ignition can briefly pull timing to unload the gearbox, so an upshift-only quickshifter seems like it would be easy to implement on a cable bike.

But trying to implement rev-matched downshifting via a quickshifter on a cable bike seems tough/impossible. A ride-by-wire bike can just have the ECU auto-blip the throttle on downshifts, but how can a cable-throttle bike do that?

[M. Hausknecht]

The R7 and, presumably, the MT 07 QS are upshift only. I've heard of servo-operated blip-aided downshift quick-shifters but haven't seen or used one. With a slipper clutch, like on the R7, downshifts without a blipper are still fairly easy. Some of us learned how to do this stuff before there were slipper clutches or auto-blippers; you know, old guys.

[tjohnson4845]

Thanks for feedback, my dealer mentioned the 23 model had a slipper clutch and saw some prior release articles online that mentioned the same.  It's easy to buy into bad information, so I appreciate the clarification. 

I know relying on aids can be a crutch but if they help improve the riding experience why not, especially since a lot of modern bikes that people are going encounter are equipped from the factory with them. 

 

 

[shinyribs]

Yamaha slipper clutches should really be called an assisted clutch, but slipper sounds cool and assisted sounds like something your grandpa would want. 

 

You're never going to activate it on any reasonable downshift. I recently swapped one over to my 09 and you'd never know it was there other than the light clutch pull. I downshifted to 2nd gear at around 80mph and it did nothing. Normal and aggressive downshifts still allow you to use full engine braking. Even stupid things don't unlock the clutch. 

 

Yamaha uses the same slip/grip clutch setup in the CP2, CP3 and the quad that runs the WR450 engine. Maybe others I'm not aware of. None of them activate under hard downshifts. 

 

The beauty of them is a very light clutch pull due to only 3 springs, and a very smooth engaging clutch due to a Belleville washer in the back of the clutch pack, a dimpled steel in the front of the clutch pack and the engaging ramps that close the clutch tighter with rpm vs slamming it completely shut immediately. 

 

If you want a true slipper clutch so you can bomb downshifts ( it is fun)  I would spend more and get an aftermarket slipper that you can adjust to activate to your liking. From my experience, you'll chatter a rear tire before the OEM "slipper" will intervene, but I believe Yamaha intended it to work as it does. Friends CBR1000RR had one that was very loose. Almost no engine braking at all. He hated it. Unsure if it was OEM or not.

 

Two up , loaded with luggage and you've still got full engine braking. And a very light, smooth clutch that makes the whole bike feel more refined. 

 

Just food for thought before anyone takes the plunge. I think Yamaha's slipper clutch is a huge improvement, just not if you really need a slipper. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by shinyribs

[Pursuvant]

3 hours ago, shinyribs said:

You're never going to activate it on any reasonable downshift. I recently swapped one over to my 09 and you'd never know it was there other than the light clutch pull. I downshifted to 2nd gear at around 80mph and it did nothing. Normal and aggressive downshifts still allow you to use full engine braking. Even stupid things don't unlock the clutch. 

 

Great info for me. Since first saw "slipper clutch" & 07,  my reaction has been "no way I surrender my moto life synchrony over to parts" (but I kept my mouth shut). I saw the need for the track and the sharp turn at the end of long straight. Synchrony is so fundamental, the most basic of skills that when "honed" are an accomplishment, as challenging as  braking. It's not a moto without synchrony that is learned.

I see (some) light, @shinyribs , thx. I can almost say yes, if it only kicks in to save me from disaster when I'm really too deep too faster in a corner. If it's like the current ABS/front brake, that gets in the way of every spirited braking action, I pass. That's why I pulled the ABS fuses to disable (ABS) when I finished my Brembo front brake master mod.

Because I want the brakes I've lived with over this lifetime.

 

[Subito]

FWIW, I have no experience with Yamaha’s slipper clutch, but I had one on my 2019 Street Triple R and hated it. Because I’m immature, I sometimes love to blast up a short hill in 2nd gear and then descend down the other side under heavy engine braking, with the engine booming and burbling.

Sorry, can’t do that on the Triumph, the slipper clutch constantly cycles between engaging and slipping as it fights the mismatch between engine/vehicle speed. The lurching this causes is a major PITA.

Is using strong engine braking like that when going downhill kinda dumb? No doubt, but it is fun and that’s sort of the whole point of motorcycles.

[shinyribs]

Subito, what you described is what my friends CBR was like, and what I worried the slipper for my 09 might be like. I asked the guys who've done already and felt confident enough to order the parts. I'm pleases to say that it's completely transparent in normal riding. I play on mountain roads and love engine braking hard. Those burbles and burps are worth it  

The super smooth clutch engagement makes the bike a joy to ride. You can be really sloppy and the cushioning effect it has will cover up any laziness on your part. I suspect that cushioned/smooth engagement might be what some are feeling and thinking the clutch is overriding, but I don't think that's the case. I've tried to make it slip and it just doesn't. 

 

It seems to me that a slipper clutch that slips often like the Triumph you described would cause a lot of unnecessary clutch wear. Every time the slipper aspect of it activates, seems like that would be scrubbing off friction material. 

[shinyribs]

5 hours ago, Pursuvant said:

Great info for me. Since first saw "slipper clutch" & 07,  my reaction has been "no way I surrender my moto life synchrony over to parts" (but I kept my mouth shut). I saw the need for the track and the sharp turn at the end of long straight. Synchrony is so fundamental, the most basic of skills that when "honed" are an accomplishment, as challenging as  braking. It's not a moto without synchrony that is learned.

I see (some) light, @shinyribs , thx. I can almost say yes, if it only kicks in to save me from disaster when I'm really too deep too faster in a corner. If it's like the current ABS/front brake, that gets in the way of every spirited braking action, I pass. That's why I pulled the ABS fuses to disable (ABS) when I finished my Brembo front brake master mod.

Because I want the brakes I've lived with over this lifetime.

 

 

I'm not a fan of electronics intervening in how I want to use a machine. Or relying on them to keep my machine operating properly. But I really am grateful for things like power brakes, power steering, etc. 

 

I categorize Yamaha's slipper clutch under "Really cool mechanical technology I wish we had earlier".