I was one of the posters about the notchy 1-2 shift. 1500 miles later, I rarely even think about it. You have to train yourself not to get carried away by the awesome sound of high RPMs in 1st, keep 1st Real Short. It becomes unconscious like anything else. To the extent it doesn't -- well, higher driver involvement is one of the reasons you get a manual, ain't it?

I don't know if any stats are kept but I feel that altho it takes more coordination, a manual is safer because you are always conscious of momentum, the weight of your machine, the engine and road speed, and you have to anticipate conditions ahead more in order to avoid burning fuel and brakes like crazy.

I probably start from 2nd about half the time, with absolutely no problem, but you have to respect the greater torque on the engine, not push it.