Quickshifters - really that good on the road?

[bennyb24]

very important to respect the single magpie ! they must be saluted - then I always slow down for a couple of miles.... I reckon that has saved me from a potentially large accident (horse/tractor/gravel/w*nker round the next bend etc.) at least 10 times over the past 15 years or so.

[mike150]

Mr OCD said:

It doesn't need to be full throttle ... as long as the bike is accelerating you can use it, some are better than others.

I can use mine at 4,000rpm @ 10% throttle just as well as 12,000rpm @ WOT ... it effectively turns the bike into having a semi-automatic gearbox.

I've not been convinced it was worth the money until I did a few miles on a GSXR with one equipped. I loved it and it made me laugh like a loon... since then I wanted one for my blade.

It's now been on the bike for around 1000 miles and I love it... use it if you want, or not bother - choice is yours but you have the option.

Ubber cool factor is Mr Audi R8 driver trying to out accelerate you from standing start and you are shifting up through the gearbox one handed with hand on hip waving at him and he is trying hard...

I agree with the above.

I got mine after a good run on a BMW S1000R which I nearly bought but instead bought heated grips and a QS for my GSXR1000. I love the QS for balancing wheelies as you go up the gears and it cuts your 1/4 mile times a little for drag racing!

[rodericb]

I have been wanting to get one for a while. I was all set to get a SP Electronics as it can be optioned with a pit lane limiter! But then I found it kills the engine via the sidestand switch which wouldn't give a nice bang from exhaust in the higher gears...

Pit lane limiter! Not only do they make your bike sound mad they help you to stay within the law!

[mchoody]

What QS do you have on your GSXR Mike? I've got a Healtech one on mine and not liking it, thinking of changing over to a Translogic or HM.

[Renn Sport]

The latest generation of quick shifters and I am talking about auto-blippers in this aswell are nice bits of kit.

Along with slipper clutches are very handy and helpful when pushing on. However you dont have to be extracting every performance gain from the bike. I am by the coast at the moment and have been taking in some local A and B roads in... and I realise I am a lazy sod and would love to have a quick shifter/auto-blipper combo to flick up and down the gears with ease.

click, click, click...


However riding the Daytona as I am, there has been a lot of satisfaction from timing my gearchanges and blips correct. No surges and no heavy engine braking. Lovely.

Self admonishment is common when I mess up the change however.

[LoonR1]

Esceptico said:

But if you aren't doing full throttle upshifts you don't need the clutch so can still do the one hand thing. Not as easy though.

I can see the point about 600s needing more effort as used to ride them. But it is great having the flexibility a litre bike offers you. I'm converted to them.

You roll the throttle off to do a clutch less up shift. You keep the throttle open on a quickshifter gear change. They're not the same. Whilst I sort of agree that there's no point in the road, it's a nice option to have.

[WaferThinHam]

Cool because of the little pop they make when you change up at full throttle.

[Esceptico]

LoonR1 said:

You roll the throttle off to do a clutch less up shift. You keep the throttle open on a quickshifter gear change. They're not the same. Whilst I sort of agree that there's no point in the road, it's a nice option to have.

True but I don't find myself doing too many full throttle upshifts. Of course I have done it for a laugh! I'm happy to have it on the bike but I wouldn't not buy a bike I liked just because it didn't have a QS.

[LoonR1]

Esceptico said:

True but I don't find myself doing too many full throttle upshifts. Of course I have done it for a laugh! I'm happy to have it on the bike but I wouldn't not buy a bike I liked just because it didn't have a QS.

It doesn't need to be "full throttle".

On the clutchless the throttle is rolling off, it's the opposite on a quickshifter. That's all. You don't need to have it pinned for it to work. Full throttle is rare anywhere on the road, especially with the 3/4 turn needed to get it as well.

[Esceptico]

I know it doesn't need to be full throttle but if you haven't got the throttle pinned open then what is the advantage over a normal clutch less shift? Except you don't have to think about it.

[LoonR1]

Esceptico said:

I know it doesn't need to be full throttle but if you haven't got the throttle pinned open then what is the advantage over a normal clutch less shift? Except you don't have to think about it.

The difference is that with a clutchless up shift, you're rolling the throttle off and then back in, whereas with a quickshifter you keep rolling it on. I keep saying this and not sure why you think they're the same, they're not.

It'll save a fraction of a second, but it's not about that. It's racing technology filtering down to the masses, but also it's a part of making sure your SuperStock bike has all the kit for racing, as it's how it's sold on the road. That may or may not necessarily be the case now, but in the past it was.

I like mine. I also like my disc brakes, that when first launched may not have been much better than top end drum brakes. Or even a clutch in my car that had synchro mesh, so meant no need to double de clutch. It saved a fraction of a second, but was much better.

[Esceptico]

Apologies if I'm not being clear but I did understand what you are saying and know that clutch less is not the same because you do have to roll off briefly. I don't personally find that much of an advantage as gear changes are not slowing me down on the road (I could give you a long list of stuff that does!) It seems like I am in a minority of one that can take or leave the QS though.

[upsidedownmark]

So... you started a thread asking a question, while already utterly determined as to what the answer was

IME there is a massive difference between how well different bikes shift. My kawasaki does very sweet clutchless shifts all the time with great ease, the 848 gets a bit lurchy about coming out/in the throttle like that. It has little to do with speeding me up.. I reckon the real benefit of the QS is not upsetting the bike, rather than how long the drive is off per-se; shutting and opening the throttle causes the bike to pitch more. Is it good - yes. Necessary, absolutely not, fun - heaps, which let's face it is a large chunk of why we ride in the first place...

[gwm]

As you're talking about the R, I can see why you'd take it or leave it. There seems to be a very small window where it works well, so I find myself using the clutch quite often. But agree you can't beat nailing it and using the QS.

[Esceptico]

gwm said:

As you're talking about the R, I can see why you'd take it or leave it. There seems to be a very small window where it works well, so I find myself using the clutch quite often. But agree you can't beat nailing it and using the QS.

Yes. Of the bikes I've tried the R has the least impressive QS.

[Obiwonkeyblokey]

I've never had one before and got an up'n'downer on the 1299

for the riding I do, its fun and I could get by without it, but overall I like it and it works well. Like others have said it makes a satisfying BARP when changing and that's really why we have them....isn't it?

[Volition]

I got a quick shifter for my Street Triple R. It's a frivolous purchase, but I love it. Sometimes I use it, other times I don't. It keeps me entertained.

[MrOrange]

Obiwonkeyblokey said:

I've never had one before and got an up'n'downer on the 1299

for the riding I do, its fun and I could get by without it, but overall I like it and it works well. Like others have said it makes a satisfying BARP when changing and that's really why we have them....isn't it?

This ^^^^ - it's great to be able to shift up AND down seamlessly - it becomes a semi-auto box. The thing I really notice is how stable the bike is, no yawing as the throttle is closed/opened/closed etc... (although that maybe partly to do with the active suspension it has)

[Mr OCD]

MrOrange said:

The thing I really notice is how stable the bike is, no yawing as the throttle is closed/opened/closed etc... (although that maybe partly to do with the active suspension it has)

I've noticed this as well on the blade... completely seamless acceleration with no pausing or yawing as you shift. Just a gentle 'pop' through the exhaust as the QS kills ignition momentarily. I'm finding I'm being a bit heavy footed at high rpms as everything is a bit frantic.

Did over 350 miles this weekend and twice I experienced issues with false kills ... going to take a look tonight. Looking online it seems to be a linkage issue rather than the sensor. Oddly enough it's been fine since!

Anyone had this before?