All part of the fun/charm of a sportier bike (compared to the ST) although I found my VFR had enough torque that you could be lazy on the shifting if you wanted. Same with my Blackbird. You can leave the shifter alone and it will manage just fine but start playing with it and you need to start paying attention.
Rod
LOL, I would accidentally trundle through towns on the highway in fourth gear at 30 mph. My 02 didn't seem to mind one bit.