GP Shift :)

there are many + or - of either way of shifting... I know so many very fast people on both sides of the fence of shifting. It truly comes down to your own personal preference. Transition time is really up to you and how easily it would come, some take to it instantaneously others never get used to it. That being said if you want to make the switch do it! give it a shot. and YES technically you could get " acclimated " to it by just riding in a small parking lot?! I hesitate to say the pits as there are far to many people/ kids/ pets walking around constantly.

Personally it only took me a few sessions to get used to it..

my wife rode standard on track for 6ish years and made the switch early this year it took her only a day.

 

I found the transition not to difficult but others have struggle with it. It's easier than my sons 72' Triumph that is right foot shift lol.

Good example, if you have rode Barbar before going up the hill from turn 3 into 4 and trying to get your foot under the shifter is difficult for sure.

 

First it's GP shift.... no Moto..... Second just try it... Much easier on shifting down and up..... Just remember head up shift up... Head down shift down....

 

Heading out of the pit at TGPR with my new GP shift setup. I shifted UP from 2nd to 3rd, which meant I really shifted down to 1st.
You only do this once.
After several years of GP shift on the track, my brain is in GP mode on the track and standard mode on the street. Don't even think about it anymore.

 

The first couple sessions after the transition for me were a bit tricky but then its just second nature. Funny difference with me is that I never rode on the street in my life (I started on the track) so the amount of history I had to overcome was minor. The bigger challenge was when I bought a Hypermotard for the street a couple years ago and needed to move to Standard Shift. I decided there was no way I could deal with being cross brain smart so I ended up waiting for woodcraft to release a set of rear sets for the year Ducati I bought so I could flip the pattern. Now its GP shift everywhere

 

You want a real headtrip? I learned to ride on a Bultaco.
Shift on the right, brake on the left.

 

I used to do the same... I was GP shift, the Wifes bike wasn't every now and again i'd jump on hers for a session just because.... it wasn't hard to make the switch... of course I won't say that every once in a while I may have shifted incorrectly. But most of the time you knew it before you even got back into the power, 2 things happen when swapping to GP and you shift the wrong way.... your on the brakes and you shift from 3 to 2nd.... OH NO YOUR GP AND YOU REALLY WENT 3RD TO 4TH so you loose some engine braking if you use it at all so that's ok no issue.. not going to wreck... other scenario , on the gas after a corner.... 3rd to 4th! OH NO WRONG WAY! NOW IT'S 3RD TO 2ND! still ok though you will be in a for a quick wake up call the only real thing that would most likely happen on a dry track is a quick trip to the rev limiter and you pushing forward on the bike... grab the right shift and off you go!

that said shifting is second nature... you should after a few sessions/ half a day after switching feel natural at it... after a full day or 2 you shouldn't ever need to think about it again. maybe the occasional N to 1st what way lol.... but it should just come! truly as you get faster shifting the right way needs to not be on your mind. it needs to just "come" as there are far more things going on that need your concentration !

have fun!

 

best to make the switch over the winter start the season going gp.

Remember head down (Tuck on the front straight push down) up shift
Pop up for turn one pull up (Down shift)

Added benefit you have a lot more force pushing down and makes quick shifter switches much happier

 

I had brain farts/oops, damn moments for a long time. Of course I was almost 35 years old before I made the switch, so I had a lot of sub-conscious stuff to replace. When I changed my street bikes over to GP shift, things got much better. Just wish I could figure out how to make my dirt bike GP Shift and I'd probably eliminate all my oops moments related to reverting to shifting like I did at 14 years old!

It's worth it though. I used to race at Oak Hill a lot and coming out of turn three (leaned over to the left) and having to upshift was a bugger about grabbing your boot unless you had GP shift. That was the main reason I made the change as my foot got caught pretty bad once and almost crashed me out. Plus it's just a lot easier to pull you foot up while braking and to just step on the lever when accelerating. Just feels a lot more natural and easy to me.

The way I thought about it when learning was like riding a horse. You lean back and pull back on the reins (which pivots your foot backwards in the strrup) to slow down and stand up in the stirrups and lean forward (pivot foot down) to gallop.

Another benefit...anyone that tries to steal my street bike will ever get of 1st gear!

 

No, the chain was on the left, but when you are learning to ride, nothing is really "WRONG". Including dragging a knee with knobby tires.
This was back in the early '70s when I thought I was Kenny Roberts.

 

It is not a big deal. I ride dirtbikes (standard shift, standing, leaning forward, using mainly the rear brake, yanking and twisting the throttle) one weekend, and I have to transition back to the road race world. (GP Shift, throttle control, front brakes, staying tucked) Bla Bla Bla. I have to spend a few minutes while setting up pit and remind myself. GP shift, throttle control, look through the turns, it all works out - usually!