Motorcycle Quick Shifter Pros & Cons: Should You Buy or Not?

In a traditional/old motorcycle, while upshifting rider/motorcyclist has to press the clutch, decrease the throttle, change the gear, then release the clutch and open the throttle.

Quickshifter is a device that allows changing gears without pressing the clutch and use of the throttle in manual & automatic transmission motorcycles. It changes gear with the help of sensors which can be pressure-based ( spring ) or electronic sensors ( strain gauge).

But this piece of technology has its advantages and disadvantages, and today we are going to discuss each pro and con in detail. So you can decide whether to install a quickshifter in your motorcycle or generally get the knowledge of this mechanical part.

We will also tell you whether should you buy quickshifter or not, does it align with your riding preferences and much more so you can make proper decision.

Here’s a list of pros and cons of quick-shifter/autoblipper:

Now lets get into details of each pro and con, some people also call it advantages and disadvantages.

Quickshifter Pro No 1: Fast Gear Shifting Speed 

It is a technology invented by MotoGP engineers for faster lap times, It has an edge over traditional gear-changing mechanisms.

Since Rider doesn’t have to pull the clutch, change the gear and then release it. Lap times of quick shifters are faster, but in the real,
the world does not matter. Riding a motorcycle with a quick-shifter is a game changer on racing track and fun in everyday life.

If you like testing your motorcycle’s performance while having fun and not caring about pulling in the clutch with every gear change, you would really love the quickshifter if you have never tried it before.

Quickshifter Pro No 2: Smooth Gear Change 

Quickshifter cuts the spark or the fuel depending on its type during a gear change/shift, which unloads the transmission making the gear shifts easier, smoother, and faster.

So the mechanism of cutting the spark/fuel for a split millisecond directly contributes to smoother gear changes.

Normally you pull in the clutch and control the throttle position and power output, so it kind of puts the responsibility of perfect to near-perfect shifts in your own hands.

It requires skill and experience to do it, but with a quickshifter gear shifts/change becomes seamless.

But it does not mean slamming on the gear shift lever and performing bad quality gear changes at inappropriate RPM.

Quickshifter Pro No 3: Less Wear On Gearbox/Transmission

So as we discussed earlier, the manual gear changing process puts responsibility in the rider’s hand. Performing quality shifts/gear changes will preserve the gearbox’s life, but it all depends on the rider’s skills.

But if you have a quickshifter in your motorcycle, then factors such as pulling the clutch, throttle control/position, and shifting the gear at right time will be taken care of automatically by the quickshifter & ECU ( Engine Control Unit ).

And since, it cuts the fuel/ spark during shifting gear which essentially unloads the transmission resulting in proper clean gear change/shift.

So it does not cause any wear on the gearbox/transmission of the motorcycle if your not purposefully shifting gears at the wrong rpm.

Always buy the recommended quickshifter for your motorcycle from a trusted brand in the aftermarket.

Quickshifter Pro No 4: Upshifts Are Easy & Stress Free 

If the motorcycle is equipped with a quickshifter, the rider doesn’t have to think about pulling and releasing the clutch while upshifting.

The only thing he can focus on is changing the gears. It’s a luxury that is not available in traditional motorcycles.

Seamless upshifts while riding at high speed is really fun. And if you are touring, adventure and sport tourer motorcycles nowadays come with integrated quickshifter.

This feature comes really handy when doing cornering or zig-zags on the mountain roads without having to touch the clutch lever every few seconds.

Quickshifter Pro No 5: Downshifts With Bi-Directional Quickshifter Also Called Auto Blippers

Quickshifters are usually known for their use of clutchless upshifts, which come really handy at high speeds. But what about downshifts, you would still have to use your clutch lever and blip the throttle when shifting down the gear.

That’s where you really need bi-directional quick shifters which are also known as auto blippers/auto blip.

Basically, it rev matches the engine which will help smoother downshifts without rear wheel locking. And you can do all that without ever touching the clutch and controlling the throttle to match the correct rpm while downshifting.

So auto blippers or bi-directional quickshifters are much more advanced tech than the traditional quickshifter which only performs upshifts.

Quickshifters Pro No 6: A Fun Tech Or Addon Feature To Use

Some things in the motorcycle world can’t be expressed in just words you should experience them in person, one of those things is quick shifters. 

Imagine if you are in a 3rd gear and nearing redline, you just have to add little pressure on the gear lever, and voila you are in the next gear, that seamless and quick experience of the upshift is just mindblowing. 

Track racers use this tech for saving lap time and better performance output, for a regular rider it just cuts out the extra work and shifts gear like a piece of cake. 

We would just like to say what argyle says ” TRY BEFORE YOU DENY “.

Quickshifter Pro No 7: Good For Beginners For Transitioning From Automatic To Manual Gear Shifts

Beginners should focus on little things like changing the gear at right time,
smooth acceleration and deceleration and braking.

It is very convenient to have quick shifters because they don’t have to pull in the clutch, decelerate, release the clutch and then accelerate.

They can slowly learn how to handle the motorcycle’s weight and other handling techniques and slowly transition from automatic to manual gear shifting.

The quickshifter feature can take the pressure off the new riders and let them slowly get familiar with the motorcycle and then learn all the gear shift fundamentals without losing confidence from the get-go.

Quickshifter Pro No 8: Ideal For Track Racing

In semi-professional to professional racing, fast lap times are crucial. Every turn/corner, and apex matters, and one of the most fundamental parts of having faster lap time is to have quicker gear shifts.

Quickshifters changes gear in less than 50 milliseconds, which is absolutely crazy fast.

Compared to a fully manual transmission, which takes up to 600 milliseconds to shift gears in the hands of an average regular motorcyclist.

So professional track racers or track motorcycles have this tech/ feature in the motorcycle.

Now we have covered all the essential pros/advantages of quickshifters, and how it affects your riding quality and your motorcycle.

So let’s get into the cons/disadvantages of the quickshifter in detail.

Quickshifter Con 1: Works Efficiently At High RPM But Not At Low

Most quick shifters are not designed to shift gears at lower RPM/ low speed ( some third-party kits allow you to program the ignition 

cut timing and sensitivity of the shift sensor, so the rider can design the ride according to his riding style). 

The only thing is that the rider has to keep in mind that they can only use a quick-shifter at higher RPM and use traditional upshifting methods at lower RPM. 

The quickshifters are designed to shift gears at higher speeds in the shortest amount of time. And also their use and functional purpose in professional racing, where the fastest lap time is the goal so they use a bi-directional quickshifter known as auto blipper.

Just switch to the manual process of shifting gear at low speed, if you don’t want to feel that little jerk or lag when changing gear which can be a little annoying.

Quickshifter Con 2: Skills Might Get Rusty

Once the rider gets used to it, then the reflexes of the left hand
definitely get affected as the muscle memory gets used to
clutchless upshifts.

The gear shifting time on a motorcycle without quickshifters might get a little off.

But it won’t be a big deal because once a skill is learned you never forget it, you will pick it back in no time.

Quickshifter Con 3: Installing Quickshifter Can be Expensive 

Installing a quickshifter on the motorcycle will be expensive because it’s an advanced piece of tech, which was and is still used in professional racing for the sole purpose of faster lap times.

The price range ranges from 100$-500$. It depends on the company providing the quickshifter and your motorcycle specs.

Quickshifters equipped with racing specs will cost you thousands of dollars. Also, these types of kits can only be installed on specific motorcycles to work efficiently.

Quickshifter Con 4: Fine Tuning Quickshifters Can Be Tedious.

Once you install a quickshifter on the motorcycle, you might have to tune it according to your needs.

The gear shift timing, sensitivity, and other metrics such as engine cut-off timing, etc.

This can get tedious, and few you are a motorcyclist who is really particular about the tuning then you will do it happily.

Quickshifter Con 5: Electronic Malfunction Might Happen Overtime

Keep in mind that it’s an electronic piece of equipment designed for a specific purpose, which can malfunction due to any reason over time.

Though the chances are low of that happing and trusted brands provide a warranty but shifting gear manually is a crucial skill that will help you in unfortunate situations.

Should You Buy Quickshifter Or Not?

Lets get into whether you should buy quick shifter or not. It depends on rider’s preferences but here a quick and easy way to know if its right for you.

Buy Quickshifter If?

Keep in mind that if you have spare money of 100$-500$ saved up and usually go on rides where you ride fast ( 50-120+ MPH / 80-190+ KPH ), that’s where the quickshifter shine and works an optimal way.

If you have never tried quickshifter on a motorcycle, and you have been longing for that feeling of fast clutchless shifting during high speed rides, then sure buy it.

Don’t Buy Quickshifter If?

If you ride most of the time casually at low to moderate speed ( 0-30MPH / 0-50KPH ), and your ride is typically based around commute purposes then don’t buy it. You want your money spend well.

Quickshifters are designed to shift gears smoothly and fast at high speeds. You will feel a little lag or jerk while shifting gear at low speed and might have to tune it according to your needs.

And you will not get the most use and proper experience out of this addon to the motorcycle. 

Conclusion

Quick shifters/auto blippers are one of the best pieces of tech which you can add to your motorcycle and change your riding experience.

But it all comes down to your riding style and preferences and how much are you willing to spend.