Originally Posted by 02SE
Ok, I'm curious. What makes shifting a bike unsafe?
It's not about what IS unsafe, but about what CAN BE unsafe. Simply being on 2 wheels can be unsafe, which becomes more unsafe with slippery roads, potholes and other hazards, and especially cagers riding beside us that cannot see or hear us, etc.
When someone downshifts too low, their back tire might skid. When someone doesn't downshift all the way to a stop, they might not be prepared to move when someone's about to rear-end them, or, even worse, they might stall out if they're holding the clutch in while in a higher gear. Shifting can take concentration away from the turn signals, horn, and brakes.... And vice versa. I mean... trail braking requires you to brake and throttle at the same time... that's bad enough without having to downshift as soon as coming out of a curve. Point blank, tho... shifting is not always seamless, because we are humans and make mistakes.
Originally Posted by 02SE
I've been shifting bikes since I was 6. Never had an issue shifting.
This is the definition of being subjective. Step into the shoes of the thousands of ignorant n00bies out there every day who all want to pop wheelies like the guys on YouTube. This is the ONLY reason I could see for someone wanting to shift a bike. I also see that others believe riding motorcycles should be more challenging, because then "everybody would do it", which would mean they would lose their coolness.... Which is, I believe, why scooters have such a bad rap in America.
Some people only ride for fun, and I can see the desire to shift there, as I like to shift my bike on the weekends. But if you're really commuting on your bike, riding every day of the week in all traffic and weather conditions.... And you're a law-abiding citizen that only travels with the flow of traffic... Why on Earth would you want to shift when there are other options that provide far more peace of mind?
With a scooter, I can swerve in and out of traffic without even thinking about what I'm doing. With a motorcycle, OTOH, I have to pay attention to speed/RPMs, as being in the wrong gear or even missing a shift could mean the end of the metaphorical road. But to each his own, of course....
I'm sure there's someone out there who has never missed a shift, only ride on dry pavement during daylight, with 100 ft of space cushionomg them from all other drivers.... But there are so many statistics that show motorcyclists ride like jackasses and/or cannot be seen/heard by other drivers... So they die or get seriously injured at minimum. You might be in the better side of the statistics today, but one day... ya never know!!