Karting?

scottIN

The deal with a shifter is that you're busy all the time. I think at my track a stock moto does about 40 shifts a lap - and a good lap is 1:02. So that averages out to almost a shift a second. Like I said...you're busy. Here's a good comparison: take the fastest guy in a TaG (single speed, 26 hp) and thrown him in a shifter class (6 speed, 43 hp) and he'll finish mid pack. A shifter will blow by me like I'm sitting still on a straight, but I'll be all over them in a turn.

Also what happens is that you don't learn to drive smooth in a shifter becasue you have enough power to save your butt. It's even true in a TaG. The top guys start out in the slower classes, learn to drive, and then move to faster classes.

Here's a video from NCMP on board a shifter. You get an idea of how much is going on.

Joe Ruch Tag Worlds Final Stock Moto - YouTube

Now...all that said. If you just want something to mess around on, a lot of guys buy shifters starting out and have a lot of fun, but I think every shifter pilot I know that races started out in a lower class. (And you do get the advantage of being called a 'pilot' instead of a 'driver')