No offense taken. I'm just curious as to who assumed that? The manufacturer? Since the "absolute zero" throttle is not a requirement for any other vehicle on the road (2- or 4-wheeled), why would they assume that a brand new Spyder rider would just know? For those of us who are.....shall we say, "active"....drivers/riders, maintaining a little throttle while downshifting is as much a safety measure as it is a performance measure. On any other vehicle, aside from possibly being a little less fuel efficient, there is no downside to having a few extra revs at your disposal should you find yourself in an emergency situation and suddenly have the need to accelerate.