automatic shifting

[Servatis]

firts off: I know automatic shifting is not "simulator" and shouldn't be highest priority.

I have found in the past that automatic shifting get a little awkward when you have a different gear ratio set up for example at 2,-2 it's almost like the automatic shifting can't keep up with the acceleration. this is not such a big problem for me though since i don't ride with a gearing like that.
but whenever I get onto a sand track it gets really strange. I often find myself going 10 km/h in 5th or 4th gear. i have to manually shift down until i get to 2nd gear and it drags itself out of the 5k rpms.
I believe this may be because i enter the turn with quite some speed slam into whatever berm is available and apply the throttle. The problem that occurs at that point is that the shifting somehow cant keep up and the points where you would normally shift down once or twice it just stays in the same gear and tries to get out of the turn, losing all momentum and trying to drag itself through the sand, full throttle with 5k rpms. this is easy to correct by just shifting down manually, but I myself arent really used to using the manual shifting that often and mostly when you realize it's happening you already have lost all momentum out of the turn.
It also seems that this is random. one lap it shifts down while other laps it refuses to do so which makes it even more frustrating.

I was just wondering what might cause this to happen and if there is any way to fix the problem?

[jlv]

It only shifts when the back wheel is on the ground and not sliding. So try not to lock up the back wheel.

I'd just shift manually. Much more fun that way.

[JETZcorp]

Speaking of shifting, I can't help but notice the game lets you shift the bike even when under full power, without need to slip the clutch or let off the throttle or anything. Is there a reason it was made that way? Of course the reason for using the clutch or letting off the throttle (in spite of what your mother may have told you, they both work fine) is to take torque off the gear dogs, because if they're being pressed together by the motor's power, the shifting forks can't pry them apart because of friction. Although it would be a royal pain in the rear to deal with on my setup (which isn't very good for fast throttle changes) I can't help but think it's a chunk of realism that's missing.

[jlv]

That might be a vintage bike thing. I know my RM would take full power clutchless shifts and that bike is almost 20 years old now.

[JETZcorp]

I think it's mostly a matter of how much power is being put on it. It is possible to shift at full power if the bike simply doesn't have enough power to overcome the shifting action. The primary concern, though, is that the shifting forks responsible for moving the gears around will get bent by the force of trying to overcome the friction. It's certainly possible to do it, but should require a lot more force on the shift lever than if you let off the throttle for a fraction of a second, or gave the clutch lever a tiny slap to take away some of that friction. One way to shift that I've found rather effective is to keep your foot applying constant pressure to the shifter and then literally shift with the throttle. Of course, I'm sure there are is a wide range of different transmission designs that have different tolerances, so I don't think it's such a big deal at this point, but once we get some bikes that have the power to really lay down some stress on the transmissions, we might want a little transmission overhaul, so to speak.

For what it's worth, my experience is that my '82 250 will not shift without letting out the power (or at least, I'm not willing to pull up hard enough to try), and the '67 120 is willing to shift in all situations, but I wouldn't give that bike credit for much more than 15 horsepower.