GP or standard shift pattern?

[dryheat]

How many of you guys use a GP or race shift pattern (1up/5down) or standard (1down/5up) and why?

I'm using standard shift pattern and thinking of switching to GP this year. But, then again, Matt Mladin won 3 championships with a standard shift. I just think it would be easier to shift  driving out of a corner with a GP pattern. I find myself having problems getting my foot under the shifter, especially under hard left handers. Those of you who switched, was it difficult? I've been riding for over 20 years (only starting my 2nd racing) and it's such a habit, I don't even think about shifting and I'm concerned that I would revert to old ways in the middle of a race when I'm concentrating on something else.

patrick
#93 SW AM

[sdiver68]

I use standard, GP is prolly better, maybe I'll switch sometime but I'm afraid 13 years of riding standard would cause me to screw it up at the wrong time.

[tzracer]

Try GP shifting. The majority of riders prefer it, seems much more natural. After the first few times it is not a problem. I commute on the street with a bike that uses a standard shift pattern, I have no problems switching between the 2 bikes. Mladin does not use GP shifting due to an ankle injury.

[Dave_Alexander]

My advice is to use the same shifting pattern on all your bikes.  I bought a race bike with a GP shift pattern.  I tried it out a couple weekends and then swapped back.  Initially I would be going into corners literally thinking to myself which way I had to move the lever.  After a while it started to get easier...until things became dicey.  On a couple occasions I was in the heat of battle when someone would make an unexpected move in front of me and I would revert back to instincts, shift the wrong way, and wind up running off the track.  25 years of shifting one way is just too much to overcome when the brain gives way to to the subconscious.

[ecumike]

Switch to GP shift!

It took me just half a track day to get used to it, w/o having to think about it.
I switched halfway through last season, and it definitely helped on those left handers, like you said... even on right handers... I found that I could lean off more comfortably, b/c I didn't need my foot/toes under the shifter.

I switched and will never go back.

[EX#996]

I find myself having problems getting my foot under the shifter, especially under hard left handers.

Patrick:

My husband changed to the GP shifting for the very same reason and prefers it over the standard pattern.  He did mess up in a race once, but never did it again.  He also made sure that he changed his street bike to the GP pattern so it becomes truely engrained into his memory.

Dawn  :)

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

On a couple occasions I was in the heat of battle when someone would make an unexpected move in front of me and I would revert back to instincts, shift the wrong way, and wind up running off the track.  25 years of shifting one way is just too much to overcome when the brain gives way to to the subconscious.

What he said.  I switched to GP this year.  The first weekend was rough.  It got easier.  Third weekend of the year, I got in a jam, switched the wrong way,  revved her to the moon, and stretched a rod.  Still, now that I'm converted, I'll never go back.  I HATE test riding street bikes at my job...

[tzracer]

I would avoid changing a street bike to GP shifting.

Not all bikes can easily be changed to GP shift.
What if you have to ride anither persons bike that cannot be easily changed to GP shift.
Never seen a dirt bike with GP shifting.

I have no problems going back and forth. I ride a street bike about 200 to 300 days per year and have no problems. I had been riding on the street for about 15 years when I made the switch. It took less than a weekend to get used to it.

[Super Dave]

I do GP shift.  I don't change any others.  I find that the other bikes I ride on the dirt, ice, street, etc...I have a different attitude when I'm riding.  I'm not in that race mode.  And race mode on the ice is different.  The only problem I have is when I'm riding a student's bike on the race track, and then I get comfortable.  That's when things get tricky....

[dryheat]

Thanks guys for all the feedback! I've got a track day this weekend and I think I'm gonna switch it over to see how it works out before I throw myself into a race situation.

:patrick
#93 SW AM

[Super Dave]

Hey, good luck.  It will take the whole day to get it into your system.  

[Gixxer124]

My race bike and street bike are exactly the same so I set them both up with the GP pattern. (easy on GSXRs) I like it much better on the race track. Since I don't have much ridding experience, it screws me up to ride a bike with regular shifting now.