Race Shift or Road shift

[jacob11379]

Like the vast majority of riders I have been riding with road shift for 25ish years.

Ive only rode T-hill east but there is a corner there i believe its 11 that I go through in 2nd and have a heck of a time getting into 3rd heading into the straight.

I think that the race shifting will probably cure that, but does it bring up other issues?

Those of you racing have you converted shift style? Do you like it better?

And how long did it take to get used to?

 

[Maddevill]

There are a couple advantages to race shift pattern on the track. When you're in a full tuck you can easily upshift by pressing your toe down. Easier than lifting the toe when fully tucked. Conversely, it's easier to lift your toe to downshift while you're sitting up for braking. Also, as you discovered, in some turns it makes upshifting easier.

Mad

 

[stangmx13]

Pulling up will always be harder than pushing down. So GP shift makes downshifting harder. The consequences of missing a downshift or getting a false neutral on entry may including blowing the corner and running off track.

 

[jbawden]

If you ride on the street too it can be confusing to go back and forth between patterns. Track days should be below race pace, but high intensity situations is when you're likely to make errors when transitioning to new shifter logic. There could be steep consequences for shifting to an unintended gear, so might be best to really consider if the benefits outweigh the potential downside.

 

[jacob11379]

Pulling up will always be harder than pushing down. So GP shift makes downshifting harder. The consequences of missing a downshift or getting a false neutral on entry may including blowing the corner and running off track.

:wtf

thats something to consider for sure. I would MUCH rather have problems grabbing a gear on exit than missing a gear on entry!

 

[Honey Badger]

I don't really have an issue going back and forth. I switch my street bikes to GP shift as well so my "emergency" reactions are all the same, but I've been known to hop on bikes with the opposing shift pattern, and back onto my own bike without any real issues. Maybe one shift in the wrong direction, but that's enough to remind me and it doesn't happen multiple times for me.

I've had some friends who tried the GP shift pattern on their street bike and found it to feel more "intuitive" than standard shift. On track there's a definite advantage if you're riding a mid-B group or faster pace IMO.

 

[berth]

So the real question then is why not race shift on your road bike?

Is the pattern that we use "the best"? "the easiest" for new folks? or simply just plain momentum from the past cuz "everyone did it this way".

 

[ScottRNelson]

So the real question then is why not race shift on your road bike?

Is the pattern that we use "the best"? "the easiest" for new folks? or simply just plain momentum from the past cuz "everyone did it this way".

Some bikes have the shifter connected directly to the shift shaft. Okay, my two bikes are a dual sport and an adventure bike, not sport bikes, but both have shifters connected directly to the shaft. The shift pattern cannot be reversed.

If you have multiple bikes and one of them is of this type, you'll still have to deal with different shifting when you switch between one and the other.


It might not be that hard to automatically adjust, but I'm sure that I, personally, would have a hard time doing it. Although at one time I switched the brakes on my bicycle so that the right brake lever controlled the front just like on a motorcycle rather than the default of it going to the rear brake. I discovered after only a week or two that my brain automatically knew which brake lever was which on bikes and motorcycles, so I switched it back because it didn't improve anything.

 

[Shaggy]

Race bike is GP shift, MTS1200 is standard shift. I haven’t had any issues switching between them.

 

[afm199]

I used to race a GP shift Hurricane (Honda F1) and a standard shift right hand side Norton. Back to back races. Only missed once.

 

[jacob11379]

I don't really have an issue going back and forth. I switch my street bikes to GP shift as well so my "emergency" reactions are all the same, but I've been known to hop on bikes with the opposing shift pattern, and back onto my own bike without any real issues. Maybe one shift in the wrong direction, but that's enough to remind me and it doesn't happen multiple times for me.

I've had some friends who tried the GP shift pattern on their street bike and found it to feel more "intuitive" than standard shift. On track there's a definite advantage if you're riding a mid-B group or faster pace IMO.

Im gonna go ahead and run the GP since the new bike is already set up for it. Most of the time when riding im very conscious of what im doing but there is moments where i loose thought process and well see how well I do than....

I would like to increase my pace so this is one of many things ill be working on....Thanks for feedback

 

[ddold]

I've usually had bikes with both patterns simultaneously and the only time I've ever forgotten was the first time I got my knee down, at Thunderhill coming through the left-hander after the cyclone. Promptly downshifted on the way out of the corner thinking I was now an official badass and revved the thing to the moon.

 

[Hammerstime]

the only time I tend to have problems is after riding dirt all winter long. I have started to put a post-it note on the dash to remind me of shift patterns. The first time I rode my friends NS250SP with GP shift. I got too excited on an off ramp & forgot the pattern. Almost ate the windscreen as the tact hit redline & the electrics saved my dumbass from needing to buy my buddy new pistons & rings. Sorry Dave :gsxrgrl

 

[ejv]

I have run a reverse pattern since the first or second week I was riding, as I just had to flip the linkage on my first bike. It feels much more intuitive to me. Recently I have ridden a lot of bikes without reverse shifting and it has not been a problem at all.

 

[jacob11379]

the only time I tend to have problems is after riding dirt all winter long. I have started to put a post-it note on the dash to remind me of shift patterns. The first time I rode my friends NS250SP with GP shift. I got too excited on an off ramp & forgot the pattern. Almost ate the windscreen as the tact hit redline & the electrics saved my dumbass from needing to buy my buddy new pistons & rings. Sorry Dave :gsxrgrl

That would not be a good situation coming out of the turn with someone behind you and shifting up a gear. Person behind you would likely be on throttle and plow right into the back of you.

 

[Med23]

Spent years on the conventional pattern. Took the plunge to GP pattern one day and it was much more intuitive than you think.

My counterpoint to the "difficult to pull up...so more likely to miss downshift" argument is that this makes you much more deliberate with your downshifts than stomping down. I think that's a good thing.

 

[stangmx13]

Spent years on the conventional pattern. Took the plunge to GP pattern one day and it was much more intuitive than you think.

My counterpoint to the "difficult to pull up...so more likely to miss downshift" argument is that this makes you much more deliberate with your downshifts than stomping down. I think that's a good thing.

very true.

last time I ran GP shift was on a friends bike. his lever was adjusted so high that I couldn't reach it with my foot. and of course I found this out as we were leaving the pits. so each downshift, I had to pull up w/ my entire leg. I didnt actually miss any downshifts :laughing

 

[Biga]

Spent years on the conventional pattern. Took the plunge to GP pattern one day and it was much more intuitive than you think.

My counterpoint to the "difficult to pull up...so more likely to miss downshift" argument is that this makes you much more deliberate with your downshifts than stomping down. I think that's a good thing.

^^THIS^^
Riding minis where you need to shift all the time, I found myself many times at mid turn, in a complete lean out of gear but I could not get my foot to shift because of standard shifting. GP shift eliminates that.
Once I tried GP there is no going back. It makes more sense if you ask me

 

[Kalen]

I switched my street bike when I switched my track/race bike over. I didn't want to have to think about it when going back and forth.

 

[Lewd_Ferrigno]

Although not as important today with QS (I raced when we thought it was funny for novices to bring tire warmers) GP shift also allows you to preload the shifter with a bit of soft pressure, making up shifts a hair faster.