Should I try a race shift pattern? - Page 3 - SV650.org

Red Herring · 07-06-08, 12:42 AM

It's interesting to hear the opinions on the ease of changing, because one of the other reasons I've always stuck with a road pattern is that it is much easier to change down several gears quickly on a road set-up than it is to hook the gears up on a race one. On the road you generally have far more time to change down, but in a race it all happens much faster, and you are generally trying to keep the rear wheel in order at the same time. Look at the braking for Adelaide at Magny Cours, sixth gear all the way down to first, and you do it practically as fast as you can move your foot.

Sid Squid · 07-06-08, 04:57 PM

I can't see any problem with it, but I can't see any benefit either.

We're all conditioned nowadays to thinking the shift pattern we have is 'right', and that any other is 'race', but why do we think that? It's only convention. When I started riding the gears were the other way up, and on the other side of the bike, not only that but not all bikes had the same sequence either, some had neutral at one end, not between first and second.
It really doesn't matter, whatever you're happy to use is fine.

See here for a related discussion.

07-06-08, 12:42 AM	#21
Red Herring Member Mega Poster Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 2,708	Re: Should I try a race shift pattern? It's interesting to hear the opinions on the ease of changing, because one of the other reasons I've always stuck with a road pattern is that it is much easier to change down several gears quickly on a road set-up than it is to hook the gears up on a race one. On the road you generally have far more time to change down, but in a race it all happens much faster, and you are generally trying to keep the rear wheel in order at the same time. Look at the braking for Adelaide at Magny Cours, sixth gear all the way down to first, and you do it practically as fast as you can move your foot.

07-06-08, 04:57 PM	#22
Sid Squid No, I don't lend tools. Mega Poster Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Skunk Works, Nth London Posts: 8,680	Re: Should I try a race shift pattern? I can't see any problem with it, but I can't see any benefit either. We're all conditioned nowadays to thinking the shift pattern we have is 'right', and that any other is 'race', but why do we think that? It's only convention. When I started riding the gears were the other way up, and on the other side of the bike, not only that but not all bikes had the same sequence either, some had neutral at one end, not between first and second. It really doesn't matter, whatever you're happy to use is fine. See here for a related discussion. __________________ If an SV650 has a flat tyre in the forest and no-one is there to blow it up, how long will it be 'til someone posts that the reg/rec is duff and the world will end unless a CBR unit is fitted? A little bit of knowledge = a dangerous thing. "a deathless anthem of nuclear-strength romantic angst"

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