Tech feature: Triumph Quickshifter

Do you know how long it takes to decide if you like a website or not? Well, according to research published in the Behaviour and Information Technology journal, it takes just 50 milliseconds.

It would probably take Usain Bolt just 40 milliseconds, but that man is a freak.

The research concluded that these quickly formed first impressions last because of what is known to psychologists as the "halo effect".

If people believe a website looks good, then this positive quality will spread to other areas, such as the website's content. Obviously that's why you're now trawling through the Bikesales Network…

There's no other reason for the preamble other than the fact that 50 milliseconds is the cut-off time for the quickshifter I have been using the last few weeks on Triumph's Daytona 675.

I haven't been this excited since my first born child came onto the scene in 2000. It really is an awesome accessory which I believe will be standard fare on all cutting-edge sportsbikes within five years.

BMW has already kicked things off, announcing a quickshifter will be standard on its all-new S 1000 RR.

So how does a quickshifter, which allows full and partial throttle up-shifts without the use of the clutch, actually work?

On the Triumph, the quickshifter simply replaces the gearchange rod and bolts on in minutes. It then plugs directly into the main harness, with the bike's ECI already pre-programmed to recognise the new hardware.

Sensors accurately detect the force applied by the rider to change gear. When they receive the appropriate amount of pressure, a signal is sent to the ECU, which then momentarily interrupts the ignition system, allowing a clutchless gear change.

Triumph claims the quickshifter produce less 'snatch' on the gearbox than conventional shifting, and there is no detriment to engine durability - and by extension, warranty.

For downshifting, you must both stick with tradition: using the clutch lever and blipping the throttle.

When the Triumph quickshifter is mated with a standard ECU and wire harness, the default setting for the ignition cut-off times is 50 milliseconds. That figure cannot be adjusted.

However, when the bike is fitted with a race ECU and TRACS (Triumph Race Calibration Software), the quickshifter cut-off times can be adjusted for:

That is, there are increments available either side of 50 milliseconds, but I reckon that's really only a must have for the racing set. After all, 50 milliseconds is not a very long time to be ignition-less.

And Triumph even warns in its literature that if very short quickshifter cut-off times are set, it may cause damage to the transmission.

Across the board, the quickshifter doesn't work below 2500rpm, so best not to use it for urban tip-toeing.

Instead, it's the real deal on the open road and through the twisties, adding just a little more cream to the already potent Daytona 675.

The one big thing I did discover is that the quickshifter doesn't work 'reward' laziness: riders still had to be purposeful with gear changes.

And you can't really 'lean' on the gear lever, as it produces the sensation of a gear change without actually happening. Instead, make the gear change and abscond until you're ready to move up through the cogs again.

That took me about a week to get used to, but in the last few days I haven't blotted my copybook once and it simply becomes routine.

A quickshifter is now also available for the Street Triple and Street Triple R nakedbikes, and they all retail for $549.

Contact your local Triumph dealer for more information.