Question 1: How essential is the clutch when shifting my KLR250? Are bike transmissions dog boxes or more like a street car with syncros and such?
Question 2: I have a pair of Fly Maverick ATV boots and I have a heck of a time shifting with them on. Its getting easier but it still isn't nearly as easy as when I was wearing work boots. Is that normal?
Dog box. Roll off the throttle and kick the lever. Clutch is not needed. It will shift very nicely this way
Caviat, most bikes are easy to shift this way, some are not. If yours is difficult, go ahead and use the clutch.
Excellent. Looks like my bike has the same trans tech as top shelf race cars 
Ya just get the motor to torque neutral and shift.
Same trans tech, less torque capacity.
You may want to adjust the position of the shift lever to make it easier to reach with those boots, try moving it up or down a notch as required.
While you have the lever off cut the tip off and weld on one with a flex tip. IMS make just the tip you weld it to your shifter cost around $8 saves you cases if you go down of nail a tree etc.
SHIFT LEVER TIP 1606731 (6055588-001)
And one for the rear brake too.
BRAKE LEVER TIP 1606732 (6055589-001)
44
Get used to the boots. Ankles/feet are a vital part of walking. Unfortunately you don't realize this until you've destroyed both of them racing motocross
44Dwarf wrote:While you have the lever off cut the tip off and weld on one with a flex tip. IMS make just the tip you weld it to your shifter cost around $8 saves you cases if you go down of nail a tree etc.
SHIFT LEVER TIP 1606731 (6055588-001)
And one for the rear brake too.
BRAKE LEVER TIP 1606732 (6055589-001)
44
Luckily the bike came with a shift lever and brake lever with pivoting tips as I don't have any welding skills to speak of 
Cool. 
you got lucky they normal don't come that way.
If you are going to do any serious off roading in the woods, make a set of Brake Snakes.
The first time you snag a bush and the shifter/brake stays where it should be it'll be worth it. Use good quality stainless cable and those aluminum cable ferrules so they won't rust, make sure to crimp them TIGHT! and a little vinyl tubing slid over them makes them look nice.
About the boots: even though they make it tough to 'feel', don't ride without them! A set of Alpine Stars saved a good friend's right foot when he nailed a chunk of granite hidden in tall weeds and I'm sure they have kept me able to still perambulate as well. About shifting: it's not necessary to get the whole toe under the tip of the lever in order to upshift. With some practice, you'll be able to use the edge of the sole which makes it much easier.
as far as downshifting goes, is it possible to shift without the clutch in most cases and just twist the throttle as you click down a gear, or do you pretty much need to use the clutch for downshifts?
You can downshift without the clutch, but it's a little trickier than upshifting - you have to be really good at matching the revs just right.
In reply to Slyp_Dawg: A nice thing about (most)motorcycle clutches is that they are wet and multi-plate, you don't need to fully disengage the clutch, or rev match perfectly to down shift. The quick & dirty way is like this: slip clutch/blip throttle/tap down shifter all in one motion. A bit of intentional clutch slip on up shifts can be helpfull too.
In reply to Curmudgeon: Brilliant! That's one of those, "Now why didn't I think of that?"
Curmudgeon wrote:If you are going to do any serious off roading in the woods, make a set of Brake Snakes.
OK, I keep coming back to this and I can't figure out what these are doing. Are they keeping the brake/shifter from bending or what?
When going through brushy stuff, sticks wedge between the pedal and the case. I've ridden through tall grass and had enough pack in there to make shifting difficult, and my back brake (drum) was hot.
I just stopped cussed and cleaned it all out, never thought of actualy preventing it.
OH! I get it now, its similar to limb risers on expedition rigs. Those cables go from the bumper/front of fender to the roof to keep branches off your windshield, as seen below:
They will keep the shifter/brake pedal from bending, too. There are few things worse than going through a snotty section with brush etc, grabbing for the next gear and it's not there. Well, there was the time I broke the shifter shaft off of my XR600... had to ride the last 15 miles of the enduro in 2nd gear. 
At least you were on something with torque lol.
Never heard of a brake snake before, not a bad idea though. Might be another thing to buy this winter.
