Alman wrote: "What happens when your hard accelerate and change up. I mean there is no matching the clutch to the engine speed is there. Unless you get revs spot on, Gona chuck her off the back. Mind you that's tempting at times. Surely smoth change ups are difficult and downs come to think of it."
I guess this is best answered in this post by Twister on another FJR board. Thanks to Twister for a good description. Since it's original appearance it has been posted on other FJR boards too.
"Sequential Manual Gearbox
Ferrari introduced the notion of modern sequential manual gearboxes on production street machines when it first developed its F1 system for the '95 F355. Similar high-tech race-inspired trannies are now offered by other manufacturers, too. BMW's recently launched this technology on the M3 and has even trademarked the acronym SMG. Other terms frequently applied are "electrohydraulically controlled manual" and "clutchless manual." A mouthful at best, we can see why BMW picked SMG (sequential manual gearbox).
True to its name, the sequential manual gearbox is, from an architectural and engineering standpoint, a true manual transmission. Though there's no clutch pedal, there's definitely a clutch (and some form of flywheel, pressure plate, and throw-out bearing). Depending on the manufacturer, gear shifting is via paddles on the steering column, buttons on the steering wheel, a shifter on the floor, or some combination of the three. But these are merely switches: Computers, solenoids, hydraulics, and some pretty fancy linkage do the shifting.
When a Ferrari driver wants to upshift, he pulls the appropriate paddle. In 25-50 milliseconds (depending on how aggressive a shift is mandated by throttle position, rpm, and other factors), the system backs off the throttle, engages the clutch, makes the shift, disengages the clutch, and reapplies the gas. The best of these systems can execute this mechanical ballet faster than most humans can--without a possible missed shift. The action is much the same for a downshift; virtually all these systems can add in a "throttle blip," so the engine revs can be matched to the lower gear ratio for a smooth shift. They can make everyone look like a great "driver."
All these setups contain safety overrides to ensure the driver knows what gear he's in and won't allow an engine-damaging command. There's also Reverse, of course, and most offer some combination of Winter, Sport, and fully automatic modes. A major advantage of a sequential manual gearbox is that it suffers none of the power-robbing hydraulic losses often associated with conventional, torque converter-equipped automatics. In the case of the new Ferrari 575M Maranello, for example, the company's test numbers show that the F1-system-equipped car can accelerate quicker than one with a conventional six-speed manual gearbox. In this showdown, the computer proves quicker
Yamaha Chip Controlled shifting (YCC-S) is an industry first on a sport touring machine. The most noticeable difference is the lack of a clutch lever on the FJR1300AE. The YCC-S system uses two electronically controlled actuators … one for the clutch and one for shifting. The rider has the option of shifting with via a conveniently located handlebar switch or using the conventional foot shifter. The big difference is there is no clutching involved. Shift changes are much smoother than a conventional manual clutch system and the foot shifter effort has been greatly reduced with this new system. The benefit is improved rider comfort do to the elimination of clutch hand fatigue especially in stop and go traffic plus reduced foot shifter effort. NOTE: This system is not an automatic shift system … the rider still must shift the bike, but without worrying about the clutch"