GP shift?

[Awesome]

Does anyone run it at the track? The rearsets I picked up can be swapped either way. What are the advantages of running it? Will it just be more room for confusion or lost attention since I'll be riding regular shift on the street?

Oh, and what's a good way to drill through/out a bit that breaks off while drilling for wire?

[legalspeed]

Run GP. Yes, it's going to be a bitch at first, prolly toast a clutch pack.

MY experience has been while braking heavy, I'm in a straight line, bike upright; I can stick my toes under without fear. When under heavy acceleration, the bike is leaving a corner and thus still leaned over a bit. I'm not sticking my tootsies under there while leaned over.

Some pros use standard shift pattern, but not many.

Switch both your street and track bike at the same time.

Throw the bolt away, start over. I use titainium bits, a little motor oil for lube, and don't over rev the drill. There is an optimum cutting speed, usually not the max rpm on your drill.

If it's the oil drain plug, you may want to buy a pre-drilled one from LP. I think these (oil drain) are hardened.

[Degsy]

Originally posted by hessogood
Does anyone run it at the track? The rearsets I picked up can be swapped either way. What are the advantages of running it? Will it just be more room for confusion or lost attention since I'll be riding regular shift on the street?

Oh, and what's a good way to drill through/out a bit that breaks off while drilling for wire?

Picture this:
Coming out of a left hander at Loudon (turn 2 for example) and trying to shift up. With your foot scraping the deck you cannot get your foot under the shifter which is why most racers shift using GP style.

On a right-hander, you should have your body moved so far over to the right that you cannot physically reach under the gear shifter to shift up, so a push down is much simpler.

Having said that, Mat Mladin uses standard shifting and he holds the lap record at Loudon.

Food for thought.

FWIW I use GP shifting on the track and standard on the street. i don't have a problem switching back and forth.

derek

[oreo_n2]

i was using gp shifting for drag racing... didn't miss as many 1st to 2nd shifts.

problem was that at one point there were 4 or 5 bikes in my garage and only 1/2 were gp shifting. i found myself at too many stop lights in 6th gear and confused as to why that damn thing would stall so easily. so i gave up on fighting the DOT and only use the regular shift right now. if i could switch all my bikes easily, i would... i am more comfy with the gp pattern.

oh yea, drilling out broken bits is a PAIN!!! Bits are very hard steel... drills real slow and dulls the bit your are trying to drill with REAL QUICK!

If you can deal with a larger diamerter hole, drill the tiniest hole possible right along side the broken bit and then pry it out the new hole. probably not real feasible though on a bolt... so...
Like Dan said... replace if possible.

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by hessogood
I'll be riding regular shift on the street?

Couldn't you ride GP on the street too? I hear on the 929 it's just a matter of swapping out the shift lever for one from a VFR.

[GMAN226]

Switching is not that bad as soon as you get the up shift and down shift thing out of your head.. Think of it as Back shifting and shifting and you will not get up and down thing confused.. I don't remember who told me that but it works.

G-man

[Awesome]

Originally posted by Honclfibr
Couldn't you ride GP on the street too? I hear on the 929 it's just a matter of swapping out the shift lever for one from a VFR.

Yup, that's gonna be my new plan. I'll have to take a look when I have a chance and see what I have to grab to make it happen.

[snaggle]

I switched my RR to GP as soon as I got it home from the dealer. Not sure what your rearsets are like but stock the shifter is not part of the rearset assy. All you need to do is flip the linkage that attaches to the tranny 180. You may need to pull some hoses out of the way, but it is easy to do.
Steve

[Paul_E_D]

I race GP, and street ride normal. No problem as there's very little in common between those two pursuits. Haha! I can just imagine trying to slam 3 downshifts going into the first curve on rt. 116!


It takes a half a day to adjust to the GP the first time and then you'r e golden.

[gixxer6]

dude, Dan tried to tell me to run GP on both street and track, but I didn't listen at first. The first fokin time I shifted from 2nd to 1st off the line, and looked like a complete fool, yah, I switched the ol Gixxer6 to GP, and it never happened again. My advice, take it how you want bro, Swap the streeter to GP the minute you take to the street in the spring, get used to it, and prepare yourself for race day.

Heath-

[bentbryan]

IMHO, as a new racer why burden yourself with one more thing to learn right off the bat? As far as my own experience this past season, I felt with all that was going on around me I needed to pick up a new skill immediately like I needed an extra hole in my head. I kept my shift pattern stock and I plan to do so until I run into a problem shifting while tilted. Do whatever you're most comfortable with, because in the end that is the only thing that matters.

[Paul_E_D]

Well, you're not exactly gonna be winning meaningful races as a novice, so why NOT learn it right away? It's not too tough to learn anyway.

It may be just a fad. It's a subtle difference, but it makes a little more sense to me on the track. Resting your foot on the shifter and blipping the throttle to upshift is a lot easier and a little quicker than pulling up on the lever.

Plus, accidental extra downshifts are less likely. The first time you blow up a motor going into the bowl, you'll be kicking yourself for not going to GP shift. (been there, done that)

[Stoneman]

I've been running 'GP' shifting on the street for years. Just feels more natural, and ya don't miss shifts...

'Course, what the racers are tellin' ya makes damn good sense too!

[bentbryan]

Originally posted by Paul_E_D
Well, you're not exactly gonna be winning meaningful races as a novice, so why NOT learn it right away? It's not too tough to learn anyway.

Very true. So why task-load yourself early on? I felt that with the whole process you have to go thru (reg, tech, practice, actually racing for the first time and dealing with that) was enough of a mental load. I felt more comfortable to wait until I became more familiar with the track under race conditions. Just tryin' to spend my 10 dollars wisely.

[Awesome]

Originally posted by bentbryan
Just tryin' to spend my 10 dollars wisely.

Quoting the bible now are we? I've got 1 & 2 on audio CD if anyone's interested in a copy. We'll just keep it hush hush.

[davegsxrold929r]

Originally posted by hessogood
Quoting the bible now are we? I've got 1 & 2 on audio CD if anyone's interested in a copy. We'll just keep it hush hush.

oh me me me. .. please., i hate reading.,


what do you need ??? hmm hmm

[skiierx]

Switch to GP! I did it last year and it only took a couple of rides to really get used to it. It now seems more natural as well as being more comfortable.

my .02

Jamie

[ben10281]

I am about a year away from racing, would it make sense to switch my streetbike over to GP now, so that I have more than enough time for it to become a 'natural' feeling so that when i do start to race, it is not something i am thinking about?? Also, has anyone done the switch to a SRAD(96-99, for those who like to yell that technically all gsxr utilize suzuki ram air direct) style bike with the stock pegs and shift linkage??

[OreoGaborio]

when i rode TLRMans's bike last year and Degsy's bike down at VIR i had to learn how to use GP shift pretty quick... what i did to help myself remember is click the shifter in the direction i want the RPM's to go... revs go up when you downshift, so click up... revs go down when you upshift, so click down...

Now I knew i'd mis-shift evenutally so i was keeping the revs down in case i downshifted when i needed to upshift... that way i wouldn't over-rev it. and w/ the way of thinking i was using i think i only mis-shifted degsy's bike about 3 or 4 times in the hour i was on it.

as long as you come up w/ something to help you remember which way you need to click the shifter you'll be fine switching back & forth. it just takes a few minutes to adjust at first.

[Paul_E_D]

"Up is down, up is down, up is down, up is down"

"Me tarzan, tarzan like gp shift"

[Stoneman]

Originally posted by ben10281
I am about a year away from racing, would it make sense to switch my streetbike over to GP now, so that I have more than enough time for it to become a 'natural' feeling so that when i do start to race, it is not something i am thinking about?? Also, has anyone done the switch to a SRAD(96-99, for those who like to yell that technically all gsxr utilize suzuki ram air direct) style bike with the stock pegs and shift linkage??

Those years 'Zooks simply requires flopping the linkage arm 'over' for the switch. Ya loosen it at the shift rod, slide it off and flip it up (or down, can't remember). Takes all of 5 minutes, including adjusting the lever so that it's where you want it...

Whether or not you do it on your streetbike is really up to you. I know people that can switch back & forth with no problem. Me, I can't. I've been running GP shift on my bikes for years now...

PS-If you need a hand setting your Gix up for the track, I may be of assistance. I converted a '99 for track use not too long ago...

[gsxrjack]

everyone that changed over to gp pattern loved it, even when i was racing, but i was just always afraid to make that change, i just knew id kick it down a gear exiting a corner....

[GMS1000]

I used the standard shift pattern at Loudon for the whole season without a problem. I tried Gp before the season while riding on the street, for about a week before the season started, but as soon as i banged a downshift at redline in 4th gear I switched back! I would never switch again. Mladin & Kevin Shwantz seem do have done alright with the so-called street pattern.

peace
Gary

[Awesome]

I just picked up the parts to change my street bike to GP shift. I figure after riding the gap for a week GP and going straight back to the races I should be used to it without even thinking. I also think I'm gonna have a great feel for the ride when i get to loudon.

[Degsy]

Originally posted by GMS1000
I used the standard shift pattern at Loudon for the whole season without a problem. I tried Gp before the season while riding on the street, for about a week before the season started, but as soon as i banged a downshift at redline in 4th gear I switched back! I would never switch again. Mladin & Kevin Shwantz seem do have done alright with the so-called street pattern.

peace
Gary

Yep, there you have it, folks. For most it's better, but some of the most skillful racers (and Gary is one of them) the 'street' pattern is best. The solution? Try it and see if you like it.

Personally, I use GP shift for everything, street and track, and I don't have any problems switching back and forth.

degs