Well done at 5:08! Never assume they're going to stop. Dude blew right through a stop sign, but because you anticipated it you're able to post this video in one piece. Excellent.
At 5:08 - what a perfect example of a driver oblivious to the stop sign at that intersection. Whew! We can't take anything for granted at intersections, even with hi-viz clothing and helmet. Making eye contact is critical.
I have quickshifters on both my ducatis. I have disabled both of them. Reason? The quickshifters work great everywhere except low gears, low rpm, low power. That means I have to sometimes use a quickshifter and sometimes not. I don't like that. Besides, when I stop, I ABSOLUTELY have to use the clutch. So, no matter what, it is conditional. I like to have everything automatic, so if I use the clutch I want to always use the clutch - not sometimes this, sometimes that. Using the clutch properly is just an acquired skill. Practice it enough (and especially if you do it every single time) you get really good at it. I guess the fact I've been shifting with a clutch for 50 years probably helps.
Your observations are spot on. I did not like using the quickshifter (QS) on my Ducati Monster in low gears since it was quite jerky. I did like it for faster accelerations. On my 2023 Streetfighter V4S, they addressed the QS and it is a lot smoother in lower rpm (below 6k). The Triumph is VERY smooth, so I really enjoy using the QS in most setting, especially downshifting.
Thanks for this video. I bought a Suzuki GSX-8R this year which has a quickshifter. (I bought my first motorcycle in 1975 but this is the first one I've owned with a quickshifter.) You said that to upshift with the Triumph you need to have the throttle open at least somewhat, and to downshift it should be closed. I've put my bike to bed for the winter (I'm not riding her while there's salt and possibly black ice on the road) so I can't test it, but I think the Suzuki quickshifter will allow you to shift both up and down regardless of the throttle position. However I will definitely try this in the Spring, it might make shifts smoother. (Even without knowing this technique the quickshifter is extremely smooth, especially between gears 3 and 6, both up and down.) Thanks for the tip.
As a trackday enthusiast, I can say that another advantage of a quickshifter is that it unsettles the chassis less than conventional shifting when it's necessary to shift while going through a curve. This is more relevant on the racetrack but the same principal holds true on the street. Upshifting with a quickshifter is so quick and smooth that there is much less unweighting and re-weighting of the tires when quickshifting than occurs during letting of the throttle, pulling in clutch and re-applying the throttle using conventional shifting.
So I'm new to this, but my Tuono 660 came with a up/down QS. I didn't use it for awhile, and I still don't use it much on surface streets ~40mph. I mostly use the up when merging onto a highway. And I usually use the down for some of that sweet engine braking but generally only when braking is progressive and predictable. So, again, typically on the highway when traffic goes from open to congested or taking an off ramp. My last 3 cars all had paddles, which I used extensively. So it's fairly intuitive to me. You don't take your foot off the throttle with upshift on paddles, you do come off throttle for downshifting with paddles.
Doc, I messed up my XR and even old FZ06's clutch for so long by clutchless shifting. The only upgrade I'm looking for on new bikes nowadays is better slipper clutch. More machined clearance for smoother shifting and engine brake are all I need. Agreed on Monster (believed 950 HyperMo and Strada had this issue, too) for its weird short 1st and then smooth-ish 2nd gears. I had friends who imported and tuned a proprietary quick shifter kit from Thai or Indo, but that one - just $150 - kinda fell short after blistering the throttle. Even so, more manufacturers are developing their inhouse QS kits as cheap as possible with a slick of care since they can't tune it for every personal preference (just ask Bosch's ABS module), and I can feel that itch coming right out of Tiger 850 after hearing a weird clunk (probably my scary cat spine, but still) when down shifting. In any cases, I'm in love with clutchless shifting. One less thing without QS kit is ordering another set should you crash on the left side, so I stick with abusing my clutch pack 'till end of time.
Just bought a Tiger 900. Still getting used to the quick shifter. Keep forgetting g I don’t need to rev match. Good awareness on the stop sign runner. 👍🏻🫡
Well done at 5:08! Never assume they're going to stop. Dude blew right through a stop sign, but because you anticipated it you're able to post this video in one piece. Excellent.
At 5:08 - what a perfect example of a driver oblivious to the stop sign at that intersection. Whew! We can't take anything for granted at intersections, even with hi-viz clothing and helmet. Making eye contact is critical.
I just expect them to run it at this point and proceed through the intersection very very slowly.
I have quickshifters on both my ducatis. I have disabled both of them. Reason? The quickshifters work great everywhere except low gears, low rpm, low power. That means I have to sometimes use a quickshifter and sometimes not. I don't like that. Besides, when I stop, I ABSOLUTELY have to use the clutch. So, no matter what, it is conditional. I like to have everything automatic, so if I use the clutch I want to always use the clutch - not sometimes this, sometimes that.
Using the clutch properly is just an acquired skill. Practice it enough (and especially if you do it every single time) you get really good at it. I guess the fact I've been shifting with a clutch for 50 years probably helps.
Your observations are spot on. I did not like using the quickshifter (QS) on my Ducati Monster in low gears since it was quite jerky. I did like it for faster accelerations.
On my 2023 Streetfighter V4S, they addressed the QS and it is a lot smoother in lower rpm (below 6k). The Triumph is VERY smooth, so I really enjoy using the QS in most setting, especially downshifting.
Thanks for this video. I bought a Suzuki GSX-8R this year which has a quickshifter. (I bought my first motorcycle in 1975 but this is the first one I've owned with a quickshifter.) You said that to upshift with the Triumph you need to have the throttle open at least somewhat, and to downshift it should be closed. I've put my bike to bed for the winter (I'm not riding her while there's salt and possibly black ice on the road) so I can't test it, but I think the Suzuki quickshifter will allow you to shift both up and down regardless of the throttle position. However I will definitely try this in the Spring, it might make shifts smoother. (Even without knowing this technique the quickshifter is extremely smooth, especially between gears 3 and 6, both up and down.) Thanks for the tip.
As a trackday enthusiast, I can say that another advantage of a quickshifter is that it unsettles the chassis less than conventional shifting when it's necessary to shift while going through a curve. This is more relevant on the racetrack but the same principal holds true on the street. Upshifting with a quickshifter is so quick and smooth that there is much less unweighting and re-weighting of the tires when quickshifting than occurs during letting of the throttle, pulling in clutch and re-applying the throttle using conventional shifting.
So I'm new to this, but my Tuono 660 came with a up/down QS. I didn't use it for awhile, and I still don't use it much on surface streets ~40mph.
I mostly use the up when merging onto a highway. And I usually use the down for some of that sweet engine braking but generally only when braking is progressive and predictable. So, again, typically on the highway when traffic goes from open to congested or taking an off ramp.
My last 3 cars all had paddles, which I used extensively. So it's fairly intuitive to me. You don't take your foot off the throttle with upshift on paddles, you do come off throttle for downshifting with paddles.
Got the 2024 Yamaha mt09 and the quickshifter is so smooth even 1 to 2 gear on low rpm’s you almost get lazy haha
Doc, I messed up my XR and even old FZ06's clutch for so long by clutchless shifting. The only upgrade I'm looking for on new bikes nowadays is better slipper clutch. More machined clearance for smoother shifting and engine brake are all I need.
Agreed on Monster (believed 950 HyperMo and Strada had this issue, too) for its weird short 1st and then smooth-ish 2nd gears. I had friends who imported and tuned a proprietary quick shifter kit from Thai or Indo, but that one - just $150 - kinda fell short after blistering the throttle.
Even so, more manufacturers are developing their inhouse QS kits as cheap as possible with a slick of care since they can't tune it for every personal preference (just ask Bosch's ABS module), and I can feel that itch coming right out of Tiger 850 after hearing a weird clunk (probably my scary cat spine, but still) when down shifting.
In any cases, I'm in love with clutchless shifting. One less thing without QS kit is ordering another set should you crash on the left side, so I stick with abusing my clutch pack 'till end of time.
I was told by dealer no need to close throttle when downshifting? This is for a honda cb750 hornet. Why??
Hm, not sure, I haven't ridden that bike before. My bikes wont shift down when the throttle is open.
@Dr.MichaelsMotorcycles ok thanks anyhow. 😊
Just bought a Tiger 900. Still getting used to the quick shifter. Keep forgetting g I don’t need to rev match.
Good awareness on the stop sign runner. 👍🏻🫡
Thank you! You'll get used to it quickly and then feel weird on motorcycle without it 😂