gear shifting opinions on motorcycles

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Yet to experience a quickshifter on a motorcycle...

[KiwiCol]

Pop round this weekend Eric & you can try mine.

[Tony Nitrous]

Yet to experience a quickshifter on a motorcycle...

It feels a bit odd the first time, then becomes very addictive!

Holding the throttle fully open, not touching the clutch, just tapping the gear lever up.

This is an old clip, same as my H2 SX SE. He's a bit sloppy on his launch, but it shows the acceleration, much faster gear changes staying in the power.  My Gen-3 is pretty similar.

0 to 274kph / 170mph on a short track....

The white bars to the right of the blue ones are throttle position. He holds it fully open open from pre launch to shutting off at the end.

The rev counter shows it sitting on the 2-step launch control before he takes off.

On the Busa I leave the quick shifter turned on all the time, unlike the Kawasaki it never interferes with manual or lazy shifting. The two step launch is activated by pushing the starter button.   A very childish person would think both were funny at a set of traffic lights.

LOL!

[Mick_J]

Yet to experience a quickshifter on a motorcycle...

A few years ago quick shifters were only really designed for sports bikes so adjusted to change above 7000 revs, not so clever on the road.  However manufacturers have realised a lot of people ride road bikes at much lower revs so have redesigned the quick shifters accordingly.  So if you want to try them for yourself you wont find better one than the unit fitted to a Kawasaki Z900, super smooth at all speeds, if you try one on a 5 year old sports bike you might not like it unless you cane it.

[Tony Nitrous]

Yet to experience a quickshifter on a motorcycle...

A few years ago quick shifters were only really designed for sports bikes so adjusted to change above 7000 revs, not so clever on the road.  However manufacturers have realised a lot of people ride road bikes at much lower revs so have redesigned the quick shifters accordingly.  So if you want to try them for yourself you wont find better one than the unit fitted to a Kawasaki Z900, super smooth at all speeds, if you try one on a 5 year old sports bike you might not like it unless you cane it.

Mine brings up a 3 option setting.
OFF, ON, Sports.
Basically lets you chose between a daily ride and a much more aggressive harder use version.

Big difference for me was down shifts and auto blippers (and cruse control) being common thanks to modern fly by wire systems. As you say, the older up shift only cable throttle version weren't quite the same.

[Mr Gee]

Quick shifters might be great on the track or drag strip but don't really, see the point on the road. 

[Tony Nitrous]

Quick shifters might be great on the track or drag strip but don't really, see the point on the road. 

If you have ever accelerated away out of a bend, away from traffic lights, past cars or anywhere else... they just do it better.

If you want to go quick, they are a good thing to have.

Like sticky tyres, radial callipers and a 1000 other things, they just do stuff better.

[KiwiCol]

Agreed Tony.  I'm tryin my best to stay out of this one.

[Hooli]

I never thought I'd use cruise control on a bike, till I got one with it. Now I use it everywhere.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

My BMW is the first bike ive owned with cruise, can't go back now, love it.

Apart from 1st gear clunk, the 6 speed box on the K1300GT is quite nice, just need to be positive with the gear lever. Clutch-less changes ate possible, but you've got to know the rpm point at which to change.

Given that replacement engines and gearboxes are hard to come by, using the clutch each shift is cheap insurance.  There is a QS available,  but more suited to the S and R versions than the GT.

[Daytona]

Quick shifters might be great on the track or drag strip but don't really, see the point on the road. 

[Mr Gee]

I was raised on gearboxes without synchromesh, so knowing when to change gear at the right time was something that had to be learnt.

[Tony Nitrous]

I was raised on gearboxes without synchromesh, so knowing when to change gear at the right time was something that had to be learnt.

Me too, but that's a bit removed from being able to shift up gears faster and cleaner at the optimum point that a quick shifter offers. A quick shifter doesn't change for you or tell you when to change, it just makes a better cleaner job of it when you do.

I wasn't so enthusiastic about them when I first go one, but 7 or 8 years and many many thousands of miles use they have just become another feature that a good modern bike should have.

[Batkwaka]

Who remembers "Angel Gears"? I haven't seen those in awhile thankfully.

Shift assist is good but debatable as to whether faster than a timed clutchless shift.

Cruise control makes speed limits easier to maintain.

[KiwiCol]

Angel Gears?    heaven knows where they are?