Conventional or GP shift pattern,pros and cons?

[Pedropat]

Conventional or GP shift pattern,pros and cons?

Sorry if this has been rehashed before. I was at Laguna today watching the Yamaha and Kawasaki teams practice. At turn #11, I could stand right by the pit wall and really get a close-up view of the guys braking and down-shifting.

Every rider I saw today was using the GP shift pattern. That got me thinking that maybe I should try it too. How many AFM'ers and trackday junkies use the GP shift pattern? What are the pros and cons?

Another point of interest: I did not see one rider blip during braking. Even Jamie Hacking, who in the past when I've seen him, was Mr. blip. Must be those slipper clutches.



Thanks

PedroPat
AFM#758

 

[afm199]

We had one discussion on this a few weeks ago. Two riders among many who use standard shift:
Matt Mladin and Jeff Tigert.

I love the GP shift, just went over on all my track bikes this year and it rocks! Disadvantage? Sure, downshifts suck when coming into T2 at Sears, and if you are not meticulous you blow that corner freewheeling and out there.

Zoran runs standard I am pretty sure. He said he's to old to do things backward.

All those AMA guys who don't blip have mechs and budgets to replace those clutch plates EVERY day. (Slippers eat clutches, you work the plates a lot more and if they wear slightly they slip more and more and more and more......)

 

[duh_ave]

I love it.

Pro-- easy to up shift coming out of a turn/turning since your toes dont have to be under the shifter as you corner

con-- as Ernie said, down shifitng takes a bit more mental preparedness every once and again i think.

 

[Kurt]

I've done both , but in the end I preferred street shift pattern.

there are many times on the track when you need to do multiple rapid down shifts, but I have yet to come across the situation where I needed to do multiple rapid up shifts.

 

[JimE]

It's the only way to run a 2-smoker for sure!

 

[Dar25]

I think the biggest idea begind the GP shift is to be able to up shift quicker when coming out of the corner., while you do most of your downshifts being upright anyway. But either way works as long as you are used to it really.

 

[420]

6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of another.
Half empty, half full.

...what I think I'm getting at is its rider preference. I run GP style, but at Gingerman raceway a group of corners (5-6) made it very difficult so standard was the way to go.
Play with them both and choose.

 

[MrCrash]

6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of another.
Half empty, half full.

...what I think I'm getting at is its rider preference. I run GP style, but at Gingerman raceway a group of corners (5-6) made it very difficult so standard was the way to go.
Play with them both and choose.

Just curious - what was the cirumstance that made GP difficult?

I was running Streets of Willow last week on a 2006 R6 with stock gearing, standard shift. It was tricky to make a solid, positive click into second in the tight section with a standard shift pattern, and slipped it into neutral by accident once.

 

[420]

Just curious - what was the cirumstance that made GP difficult?

I was running Streets of Willow last week on a 2006 R6 with stock gearing, standard shift. It was tricky to make a solid, positive click into second in the tight section with a standard shift pattern, and slipped it into neutral by accident once.

At Gingerman Raceway (http://www.gingermanraceway.com/images/mapfullcolorbig.jpg) turn 5 is a left with a fast entrance where 6 is tightens up and requires 1 downshift. I commonly combine both corners as 1 corner with a double apex. Since you are completely leaned over in 5, its hard with GP shifting to cram your foot under the shifter at lean to downshift for 6.
Not completely insurmountable, and definitely a rare combination of corners, but kind of a pain for the GP shift pattern.

 

[GoGo]

Pros: You'll probably need to upshift while leaned way over far more often than you'll need to downshift while leaned way over (except of course for turn two at Infineon). GP shift will help you here because sometimes you just can't get your foot under that damn thing to upshift (like coming out of the carousel at Infineon, or onto the straight at Button, or out of Riverside at Button - etc. Obviously it's rider preference. Not absolute rule. Biaggi doesn't do it either. Hmmm. Maybe that's his problem.

Cons: Back east they let you wheelie through the checker. First time I did this with GP shift I had a good one going - everything was perfect - then I downshifted instead of upshifted, for third gear.

ooooooooh_my_balls_still_hurt!

 

[christofu]

Whenever someone asks me which is better I tell 'em to try it both ways for themselves. If you're currently a standard-shift guy, switch to GP shift then stay that way until it becomes absolutely second nature (several months at least).

Then sit down and analyze the pros and cons of each.

I did that, and I ended up switching back to standard. The deciding factor was that braking is one of my only skills and a standard shift pattern was less work than a GP shift pattern under hard braking, so standard worked better for my riding style.

 

[Pedropat]

Thanks for all the great feedback guys. I think Chris has the right idea. I just have to try it myself.

GoGo, that's a funny story



PedroPat
AFM#758

 

[Corey11c]

Chris put it well. Try it, see if you like it. On a 125 it's almost mandatory since you can go thru several gears coming out of a turn and on that tiny bike there is no way you can get your toe under the shifter.

 

[EC70]

I used to ride Loudon back east and turn3 is a up hill right hander the made gp shift easier to make the shift up.
I use GP pattern these days.
I can go both ways

 

[BohnJerntsen]

I can go both ways

Ok, that's more information than I think he was looking for.

Track/race bike...I prefer GP shifting...easy upshifts when exiting corners.

Dirt bike...I prefer standard...easy to slam down a gear or 2 while climbing, which most of the time you are in a standing position.