Autoshifting...
In any form of racing, consistency is what makes winners. A key ingredient
in being consistent and gaining an advantage over the competition
is making gear shifts at the exact same time every time. One of the
most effective ways to accomplish this is with the use of an auto
shifting setup. The term autoshifter refers to an air shifter setup
where a rpm activated switch is used to trigger the shifter automatically.
A shift light is sometimes adapted to perform this function. There
are also tachometers as well as ignition systems and stand-alone rpm
activated switches that will do the job.
The Dangers...
We've heard stories about racers, in their pit, blipping the throttle
while tuning and having the bike "autoshift" into gear and
take off without a rider. Autoshifters have a potential to be very
dangerous if not configured properly. Even manually operated air shifter
configurations can be unsafe. With a manual setup there is a chance
for someone to accidentally bump the button with the motor running.
This is another potentially dangerous situation.Convention...
Unfortunately, conventional thinking that would give us a safe operating
air shifter/autoshifter would also give us a shifter that is not rider
friendly. The first thought would be to install an on/off switch.
That would be fine, except, if you forget to turn it on, you launch,
you push the shifter button and nothing happens. And if you do remember
to turn it on, you launch, the bike leaves good, but then if you get
a little tire spin the rpm's shoot up for an instant and the autoshifter
does what is suppose to do and shifts, the rpm's drop, the motor bogs
and you lose again.
Then if you forget to turn it off after the run your back where you
started with an unsafe condition. The bottom line is the autoshifter
has a mind of it's own and you are not in complete control.
The Solution...
The way we configure our system shifting can be done either manually
or automatically and most importantly IT IS SAFE.
Here's how it works. The handlebar button and the rpm activated switch
are connected in series so the button must be pushed AND the rpm activated
switch, which we use to also turn on a shift light, must be "on"
at the same time for the shift to occur. That's where the safety part
is. Here's the rider friendly part. When you launch, wait for the
bike to settle out then push the button and hold it. From that point
on every time the rpm activated switch "fires", the bike
will shift. Count the shifts then let go of the button after the last
gear change. This way if you get some tire spin on the launch the
bike will not shift automatically. If you have to peddle it don’t
grab the button until your ready to shift. If you want to shift manually,
wait for the rpm switch or shift light to turn on and push the button
for each shift. If you plan on shifting manually set the rpm switch
at a lower value. This will allow you to shift by the "seat of
the pants" feel while maintaining the safety aspects of this
configuration.
We
hope this helps you go a little quicker and a little faster
a little safer.
