Preferred shift pattern - road or race?

[LilSel]

I havent tried the other shift pattern... all the bikes I've rode have had one down 5 up... (or one down 4 up)...

[Gremlin]

I can see the lean advantage that race pattern holds, and it makes sense... but I couldn't get to grips with lifting the lever under hard braking. Hard acceleration pressing down on the lever is easier yes... but lifting the lever is horrible for braking.

A few have tried to make me go to race pattern permanently, but I much prefer road.

[HDTboy]

The way I see it, you lose less time on a racetrack by missing a gear slowing down than accelerating.

[Drew]

I cant say for sure when it comes to my race bike, with the rear sets on it's quite tight, and reverse pattern would be good, but the linkage rod is the wrong length and the spare one would be worse.

So threre is no option for me to vote.

[sugilite:Me]

An easy way to adapt to race shift is to have the following rule of thumb, head up change up, head down change down. Great for racers, not so good for road riders - "Officer, I'm learning a new gear shift technique and had my head down, sorry I did not notice she had drifted over 220"

[motorbyclist]

well for motorcross and commuting, 1down 5up is perfect for those surprise trees/trucks, but i do find on the vfr my boots become lighter and lighter every weekend.....

so for now i'll stick to what i know, but won't vote obviously as i've never actually ridden 5down 1up

i've heard of 70's dirt bikes with circular shift patterns.... whoever thought that going from 5th to 1st wasn't going to be a painful accident deserved to be fired

[skidMark]

I havent tried the other shift pattern... all the bikes I've rode have had one down 5 up... (or one down 4 up)...

can take my zxr for a spin if u want it's set up as race shift,

[skidMark]

well for motorcross and commuting, 1down 5up is perfect for those surprise trees/trucks, but i do find on the vfr my boots become lighter and lighter every weekend.....

so for now i'll stick to what i know, but won't vote obviously as i've never actually ridden 5down 1up

i've heard of 70's dirt bikes with circular shift patterns.... whoever thought that going from 5th to 1st wasn't going to be a painful accident deserved to be fired

some of the new chinese mini choppers did that...i saw the remains of some riders of them i new they got mangled up...going along at 50 kph t shirt shorts...open face...straght line....yer yer i know no gear own fault blah blah....

anmdyways though he had one more gear...clunk past neutral...1st gear...locked up the rear (no clutch) came off...got owned.