08-28-2015, 05:12 PM
(08-28-2015, 03:42 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote: I find myself using 6th as low as 45 mph lol. Bike pulls it just fine. Having said that on my 5 speed CB I was running the same roads/ same speeds in 5 th and other than a few less rpms on the tach on the 6 speed, I can't tell the difference between them.
5 speed does fine on the freeway as well, just about 500 rpms higher than on the 6 speed, but still nowhere near straining the motor. I think 80 on the 5 speed was just over 4000 rpms and just under 4000 on the 6 speed.
I did finally run my bike up to 5000 rpms in second and third gears the other day just for grins.
That's about how I ride, also. However...my regular track has me coming out at a stoplight from a side street, into a five-lane limited-access highway with a 70-mph speed limit. The light on the side street is traffic-actuated, so side-street traffic only gets enough time to clear the traffic.
In other words, once you pull out onto the highway, it goes green again, and that Conoco double-trailer tanker that was bearing down...he got his green, and he has a 70mph speed limit. Time to ROLL!
That's where winding it up in second, really helps. Do the 1-2 shift in the turn...and then just roll that power on. Up to 70 in about four seconds; pause to ratchet up to 6 in one dip of the clutch. And I'm cruising.
The engine actually smooths out above 5500 rpm.