ShiftFX Racing Applications
ShiftFX was originally designed for motorsport applications. Rather than providing one single advantage, its use can benefit four critical areas of motorcycle racing:
Acceleration
Faster shifts save time and drop the motorcycle into a higher point along the power curve. Application of torque limiting techniques allow transmission unloading and gear engagement under the full throttle conditions. Upshifts can happen automatically at predertermined RPM points or can be controlled by the rider. See the dynamometer charts for more information.
Braking Zone
Heavy braking combines foot operated downshifting with hand operated clutch, brake, and throttle control. This physically draining operating can be simplified by providing the the rider with a single thumb button to control both gear and clutch. The ShiftFX system also provides for rev. mathcing to eliminate rear wheel lock-up. By being able to downshirft fast riders can reduce their braking zone and increase their average speed.
Balance
Racer body position and weight transfer matters more for motorcycle racing that any other motorsport. A rider is anchored to the bike through their hands on the handle bar. The rest of the body is free to move around. Introducing foot operated controls like a gear shift peg or a rear brake lever restricts the ride.
Case in point: a rider heavily banked into a RH turn is unable to reach the gear shifter. If the rider entered the turn in the wrong gear they are forced to ride it out and sacrifice corner exit speed and lane position.
Control
ShiftFX was designed to give more control to the rider. Here are the equations:
Simpler shift operations + less physical effort = better concentration and focus
Reliability + repeatability = higher confidence
The system takes nothing away from the rider. The clutch lever is left in as a manual override when the rider needs to feather the clutch.