Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Responding to Comments In Favor Of Supersport/Superstock Quick-shifters Made By Chuck Graves and Tom Houseworth

First Person/Opinion by Michael Hannas

It seems that there is some disagreement among players involved about AMA Pro Racing’s electric-shifter proposal for Supersport and Superstock.

Chuck Graves stated his approval of the shifters, saying that they were cheaper than a set of tires. Yes, there are shifters available for a little bit less than one would pay for a set of tires at full-pop, but the KLS system like Graves uses on his Formula Xtreme bikes is around $800. Last time I checked, $800 would get a guy with a decent tire deal three sets of Pirellis, and any Joe Schmoe can get two sets of any brand of tires for that much.

As for Tom Houseworth’s statement about shifters being the shit, I agree. They are really cool to use and yes, once set up and maintained properly they can be trouble-free. The problem is that not everyone has five test dates before the season starts, along with a data-acquisition guy and three mechanics per bike to set the things up. It creates an extra thing for privateers to worry about having to get and set-up.

Yes, they may be worth half-a-second per lap (which I’m wondering how Houseworth and Graves would know, considering Yoshimura Suzuki or Yamaha would have no reason to test the currently-illegal shifters on Supersport bikes unless they already have them, or if they are using data from Superbikes which would be completely irrelevant since Superbikes have half-again as much horsepower and close-ratio trannies), but that half-second will be less for privateers without a perfect set-up, creating an even bigger gap between the factories and everyone else.

In reality, all the factory teams have been running electric shifters for years, so in a certain perverted way it would make sense to allow everyone to use them, since the factories already are. AMA Pro Racing hasn’t been able to–or hasn’t wanted to–catch the factory teams using illegal electric shifters, so they might as well make shifters legal since they can’t enforce the rule, right? And the fact that they are cool, easy to set-up and make lap times faster is a reason to have them?

Excuse me? Slicks are pretty cool, not expensive, and easy to set-up. Should we have those, too? What about aftermarket subframes? They are cheaper than stock, lighter than stock , and stronger than stock. Should we have those? Taking your countershaft sprocket cover off shaves weight and makes it much easier to change the chain or gearing. Should we allow that? A double-bubble windscreen looks cool and makes it easier to tuck in. How about that? Should I continue?

The class is for, as you hear on TV, “bikes just like the ones you can buy off the showroom with suspension mods and a pipe and jet kit.” I guess now Dave Sadowski will have to add electric shifter to the list.

Even if being cool and faster isn’t really a good reason for introducing a new rule that defeats the whole idea and purpose of the class in my opinion, if AMA Pro Racing said that was why the shifters were being proposed I would understand. But AMA’s stated reason for the rule allowing quick-shifters was that the shifters were readily available at reasonable prices and would help prevent missed shifts. Nothing in the proposal defined what “reasonable” prices are or stated how cool and easy to set up the shifters are. If they said that, then maybe I would see their reasoning at least, even if I didn’t agree with it.

My point is that there are many, many more important things they could be worrying about, and this is what they give us? A f–king shifter?

AMA Pro Racing never ceases to amaze me.