I've heard that about you. :wink: I switched to GP shifting last winter & I prefer it now. Seems more intuitive to me. However, I wouldn't recommend riding two bikes with different shift patterns. Did that for a while until Santa Stone came up with a GP shifter for the Mille. Too taxing on the old grey matter. Slipper clutch saved my butt a few times. Probably spooked a few students in the process too. Maladin still uses a standard shift pattern though (due to an old foot injury), so it can't be too bad.
I use GP shift. I like that I can bang up shifts easier going through fast left hand sweepers. I don't have to take the extra time moving my foot around.
GP Shift I actually switched to GP this past summer. The three legged guy sold me a bike that was set up that way and i gave it a shot. Unfortunately, santa Stone didnt come to my house, so i had to change my own mille over. Anyway, i came to prefer GP over standard once i spent about half a day getting used to it.
GP shift for me. I rode my bro in laws cruiser once with a heal/toe shifter. :shock: Thought about putting one on the ZX10. :lol:
I often thought about a heal toe shifter like the opld Laverda race bikes had, but I never could find anyone to make it so I just switched over to GP shift this year (the Mille came that way) and I love it. Now I just need a quickshifter.
GP here too. I hang off the bike like a monkey sometimes and I was finding it hard to upshift out of a right hand turn cause my left foot often doesn't reach the peg or the shifter (it just kinda dangles there in space). I couldn't reach under the shifter while in right turns. Shifting to GP style made it a lot easier for me and generally felt better/easier all around. Doug... good thing your video bikes are GP too, or I might have done more to the 600 than just over-heat it. :wink: Actually I've found switching back to standard on other people's bikes isn't too hard. I wouldn't want to chase people around the track on a standard shift, but I can do it just to test ride a bike. I guess you can always learn something new and never really forget what you first learned.
I went GP last year, too. It really helped me out at Turn 8 on Summit Main. (Left-hander) It was hard to get my size 13 boots under the lever to upshift. (Of course, later I re-geared the bike and don't have to shift there now anyway! :wink: ) I also changed my street bike to GP so I don't get confused. As Mary said, it isn't THAT hard to switch, but sometimes in the heat of battle I shift the wrong way.
I switched to the GP shift pattern a couple of years ago, reluctantly. I was used to a regular shift pattern and I own a shop, so I occasionally take a Gold Wing etc for a test ride and didn't want to be in the habit of mashing transmissions as I got used to switching back and forth. I switched because I was riding on an endurance team and the bike was going to be run with the GP pattern. I have never had a problem with the switch. I put it in my head when I get on the bike and then I am good to go. I find that since I race a 1000 that the GP pattern is easier for shifting through gears while wheelieing down a straightaway. Not that I do that intentionally...
it's just personal preference. i've ridden std shift for 18yrs...raced for 2 yrs with std shift. i think it's a bunch-o-malarkey when people say its an advantage or disadvantage. it's just a preference, and when asked, i encourage people to stay std....it's another example of minimizing change. one less thing to think/worry about.
I use the GP pattern and have ever since half way through my second track day. There are a couple tracks where I?m leaned over on the left mid corner and run out of gear and need the next higher gear (a cassette trans could fix this); I don?t feel like hurting my foot while trying to get it under the shifter and then have the ground catch it and smash it between the ground and bike. What I learned after doing it was that the top of my left foot was no longer sore at the end of a long track day (or days). With std shift the top of my foot would get sore from so many up shifts. I up shift clutchless and down shift with the clutch so there are no big stresses while down shifting. Its still personal preference. When I ride someone else?s bike and its std shift I just keep reminding myself, ?up is up.?
I like the GP on my SV for the easy upshift in or out of right hand turns......I like the standart on my supermoto bike 'cause you never miss a down shift pushing down on the lever.....it comes down to personal preference.