GP shift adjustment hint

[No Worries]

How things come around. We used to swap bikes in the early 70's and riders would always ask "what's the shift pattern?" All the old British bikes used "one-up and four-down." Although my friend's black Norton Interstate, one of the most beautiful bikes I ever saw, was (as I remember) one-down and four- up.

[ceo012384]

Originally Posted by No Worries

How things come around. We used to swap bikes in the early 70's and riders would always ask "what's the shift pattern?" All the old British bikes used "one-up and four-down." Although my friend's black Norton Interstate, one of the most beautiful bikes I ever saw, was (as I remember) one-down and four- up.

Interesting that everyone went to a certain convention. Is there any reasoning behind it? Maybe that it's easy to get in first by just stepping down on it until it stops?

I guess you can now consider my bike "one up five down"

[Mr Lefty]

I think it's easier to learn... up to go up and down to go down... ya know?

[DLIT]

I have to think hard to ride regular shift bikes now, like my wife's. It takes melike 3 seconds to shift because I have to process which way to move the lever, up or down.

[p00kienrayray]

question: yes a gp shift will allow for easier upshifts, especially when hanging off to the right, but wouldn't it be a disadvantage for quick abrupt down shifts?
i.e., coming from a high speed straight into a tight turn?

[Mr Lefty]

yes but with down shifts as a opposed to up shifts... being off the throttle a bit longer to shift doesn't hurt you. cause your brake'n anyhow. where as on acceleration that extra .5 seconds can really hurt your exceleration and be the diffrence of 1000 RPM's...

or that's what I ASSUME... I've not tried GP shift other than a short ride on Cutty's SV650... and there it was a straight shot and I was too busy trying to see with his shitty lights!

[p00kienrayray]

I guess that makes sense. But I imagine kicking the shifter up many times quickly during a hard brake must be awkward.

[NONE_too_SOFT]

im keeping my bike 1down5up for now, i've gotten pretty good at it, and no need to mess with a good thing until i'm racing for money i suppose.

[DLIT]

Originally Posted by p00kienrayray

question: yes a gp shift will allow for easier upshifts, especially when hanging off to the right, but wouldn't it be a disadvantage for quick abrupt down shifts?
i.e., coming from a high speed straight into a tight turn?

Not at all. Besides trail-braking, you're usually downshifting under braking, so your body is upright on the bike, making it easy to get your foot under to downshift. And on the track, you don't shoot for anything abrupt. Smooth is fast. Get all your shifting done before you initiate the turn. Which translates to, get your heavy braking and shifting done before turning in so your bike's chassis is stable and the suspension can do what it's designed to do.