Shifts corresponding to RPM's my experience/your experience

[the Ferret]

Cormanus is right I was just listing some of the things you MAY run into, but let me list a few more of the things I have personally found in the middle of the road here besides deer... Horse, cow, pig, goat, dog, chicken, turkeys, black headed vultures on a dead raccoon or possum, tobacco planters, hay bailers, bush hogs, crews trimming trees, mufflers, pickups towing horse trailers, hub caps, entire truck wheels, school busses stopped to let off kids, broken down cars with lights flashing, people backing out of driveways, people pulling out of church, local cops, county Sheriffs and State Highway Patrol sitting running radar or driving towards you, sand, gravel, transmission fluid, radiator fluid etc. I was following a guy on a local road one time, he was riding a VFR, he was following a Bandit 1250. I knew they were going too fast and I knew what was coming up (having previously made the same mistake myself only in my car) , they obviously didn't. A blind rise with a 90 degree right hand turn immediately over the rise. I started slowing but they kept their speed over the rise, missing the turn completely, thankfully missing oncoming cars and ran straight into a cornfield where they both crashed. The people that live on the farm came walking down with little plastic Walmart bags to help the guys pick up their mirrors and fairing pieces. It's how they spend their weekends, sitting on the porch, watching the motorcyclists from the city miss that turn and crash in their corn field (not just sport bikers either, lots of cruisers have ended up in that field...and yes my car did as well). There is one road down here with dozens of blind curves and rises and you just never know what is over the other side, or around the curve.

Now this has nothing to do with what the CB is capable of because like I have previously stated the bike was designed to run from 2500 to 8000 rpms in all gears ie: you can run it at 2500 rpms in 6th or you can run it to 8000 in first. This is more a case of how should you ride given the obstacles that you can not see but may encounter on the roads you normally ride on, and that can vary from location to location. At a very soon to be 66, I no longer throw caution to the wind when riding, but rather err on the side of caution. Flip a coin, it's not always going to land on heads. The trick is riding so you don't land on yours.

[Rocky_imp]

Ferret, I've been back in the saddle now for 24 summers and have encountered about 98% of the same things on the roads here too, but no vultures, possums or wild hogs
The oddest thing I ever saw was a bed mattress in the road

A question though about that particular rise and curve; is there not a road sign to warn drivers or do they just ignore it?

There is such a rise/curve here on a road that I frequent, but it has a warning sign. The first time I rode it years ago I didn't heed the sign that much and almost got into a pile of trouble - a big pile

Funny story about the locals picking up bits and pieces

[the Ferret]

Rocky there is signage now (barely adequate) for that one due to so many wrecks happening there, but wasn't for many years. I think I missed that curve in 1989 or 1990. The signs showed up about 2007-2008? Regardless of the signage motorcyclists still miss the curve, I mean the curve is just over the rise, you better start turning before you are finished with the rise. Really poor engineering on the states part.

[DJS_imp]

Ferret, I've been back in the saddle now for 24 summers and have encountered about 98% of the same things on the roads here too, but no vultures, possums or wild hogs
The oddest thing I ever saw was a bed mattress in the road

A question though about that particular rise and curve; is there not a road sign to warn drivers or do they just ignore it?

There is such a rise/curve here on a road that I frequent, but it has a warning sign. The first time I rode it years ago I didn't heed the sign that much and almost got into a pile of trouble - a big pile

Funny story about the locals picking up bits and pieces

Joan Collins must be in town

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Cormanus is right I was just listing some of the things you MAY run into, but let me list a few more of the things I have personally found in the middle of the road here besides deer... Horse, cow, pig, goat, dog, chicken, turkeys, black headed vultures on a dead raccoon or possum, tobacco planters, hay bailers, bush hogs, crews trimming trees, mufflers, pickups towing horse trailers, hub caps, entire truck wheels, school busses stopped to let off kids, broken down cars with lights flashing, people backing out of driveways, people pulling out of church, local cops, county Sheriffs and State Highway Patrol sitting running radar or driving towards you, sand, gravel, transmission fluid, radiator fluid etc. I was following a guy on a local road one time, he was riding a VFR, he was following a Bandit 1250. I knew they were going too fast and I knew what was coming up (having previously made the same mistake myself only in my car) , they obviously didn't. A blind rise with a 90 degree right hand turn immediately over the rise. I started slowing but they kept their speed over the rise, missing the turn completely, thankfully missing oncoming cars and ran straight into a cornfield where they both crashed. The people that live on the farm came walking down with little plastic Walmart bags to help the guys pick up their mirrors and fairing pieces. It's how they spend their weekends, sitting on the porch, watching the motorcyclists from the city miss that turn and crash in their corn field (not just sport bikers either, lots of cruisers have ended up in that field...and yes my car did as well). There is one road down here with dozens of blind curves and rises and you just never know what is over the other side, or around the curve.

Now this has nothing to do with what the CB is capable of because like I have previously stated the bike was designed to run from 2500 to 8000 rpms in all gears ie: you can run it at 2500 rpms in 6th or you can run it to 8000 in first. This is more a case of how should you ride given the obstacles that you can not see but may encounter on the roads you normally ride on, and that can vary from location to location. At a very soon to be 66, I no longer throw caution to the wind when riding, but rather err on the side of caution. Flip a coin, it's not always going to land on heads. The trick is riding so you don't land on yours.

I must go back and reiterate I never suggested anyone should ride recklessly, just the opposite as I hope I can explain. The OP was asking specifically when folks shifted, that was it. The incident you described was due to inattentive riding; shift points and RPM were not a factor. One can crash on a bicycle, using only gravity to accelerate.

I did pay special attention to just how I was shifting recently as to give a more precise answer to the OP. In first, I never shift into second until I'm above 4,000 RPM, usually 4500. Second gear, the same. By third gear you are at the speed limit or around the basic speed law where I'd be riding in my neighborhood, just getting out of town, jumping on the freeway with a few million or so other drivers swarming about. On the freeway or in traffic I never allow the bike to go below 4000 RPM, it stays between 4-6K and I shift to keep it there.

When one is riding in heavy traffic, the power can get you out of trouble. Occasionally some drivers change lanes without looking. Brakes are rarely an option on the freeway. Grabbing brakes will just get one run down or out of control. Twisting the throttle with plenty of get-up and go will get one right out of harm's way and no harm done.

The idea that "high RPM riding" equals "reckless and dangerous riding" was introduced into the thread later. It translates into safer riding if one knows how to do it.

Well, I don't get an elephant stamp for that 'cause I've put the CB down once. Trying not to do it again though.

Cheers

Yes, well, they say there are two kinds of riders, no? I've thrown it down the road three times, all three in the first few years of riding (three crashes in seven years). All were solo accidents, absolutely my own fault. Last one was in 1990. I would not like to add to that total. We hopefully learn a few things along the way.

You paid for those RPM and HP why not use them lol

Cannot imagine shifting below 3500/4000 RPM, prefer to be over 5K

Many bikes are underutilized. CB may have "only" 86 HP but it can all be used. Power can get one out of trouble as well as into. My unflashed ZX-10R is running about 170 HP at the rear wheel. I try to use that when I can but truth be told the CB is just as fun in its own way. Very exciting and responsive 6-8K and even a bit into the red once in a while...tach overreads anyway.

Here again I have seen many say the CB1100 is a good beginner bike but I very much disagree. Brakes are very powerful, quite heavy, and very capable. CB300, or maybe CB500 is a good beginner bike, with ABS lol

I would have thought we do use that paid for HP at low revs. It surely allows the high torque that's available and thus the pull at lower speeds in higher gears. Could never short shift on the less powerful machines I had when a teenager, they'd have just died !!
But of course, even though in the low rev camp, we all let it rip when we feel the need. As has been said, that's one of the virtues of the CB

I would have thought we do use that paid for HP at low revs. It surely allows the high torque that's available and thus the pull at lower speeds in higher gears. Could never short shift on the less powerful machines I had when a teenager, they'd have just died !!
But of course, even though in the low rev camp, we all let it rip when we feel the need. As has been said, that's one of the virtues of the CB LOL that's just kind of a joke but food for thought, the bike does have a lot to offer. Let's see what the CB1100 is great at:

Profiling - yep, it's a very photogenic bike and a conversation starter for sure. "How long did it take you to restore it?" "What year is that?" We have all heard those questions, lol. So that's for your low-revving guys, tooling about town and cruising the local strip.

Touring - heck yeah, great engine, amenable to saddles and fairings and luggage. Not too heavy, not too light. Air-cooled, real simple and from what I've experienced so far, very reliable and durable. Chugs along all day and decent mileage, too.

Sporty - affirmative. Chip Beck's handlebar mod, Conti Road Attack 2 CR's, decent shocks, and some time spent with setup, and a good rider can really scratch on this bike. Big old tractable engine and great brakes. Yes, it likes the redline.

I did see one guy at a track day with a 2013 CB1100, it rained so I put my sporty bike in the trailer but this guy rode the whole day out there. Looked like he was just tickled pink over the experience.

I have ridden in plenty of darn rain over the years so was content to sit back and watch. Quite a few riders fell down but better to learn on the track where there's an ambulance.

I know the ferret was joking when he was saying those of us who run redline are about to crash into a combine, a deer, or an old farmer's pickup lol, but there is something to be said for getting to know the bike a little on an open, empty stretch of familar road. Not top speed runs but just explore the braking and acceleration with care and due diligence in the first couple of gears.

BTW I grew up in the Midwest slopping hogs, hauling hay, driving old farmer's pick 'em-up trucks, tractors and such. So I resemble that remark.

The Ferret can defend himself of course, but I don't think he said that at all. Rather he said:

Quote:Out here in the country, come around a blind curve at high rpms in any gear and you just might nail a farmers combine, the back end of his pickup truck or a deer very hard, and any evasive action would most likely put you in a ditch, a corn field or the trunk of a 4' wide 75 foot tall oak tree.
My bolding. He was referring to the area where he rides; not to riders who run at the redline who may well do so in environments where there are no such hazards.

The Ferret can defend himself of course, but I don't think he said that at all. Rather he said:

Quote:Out here in the country, come around a blind curve at high rpms in any gear and you just might nail a farmers combine, the back end of his pickup truck or a deer very hard, and any evasive action would most likely put you in a ditch, a corn field or the trunk of a 4' wide 75 foot tall oak tree.
My bolding. He was referring to the area where he rides; not to riders who run at the redline who may well do so in environments where there are no such hazards. I just responded the ferret's more recent post about what can lurk ahead and so to reiterate, high RPM riding does not equate to dangerous riding. Any motorcyclist or motorist or cyclist or pedestrian or equestrian should be mindful of any kind of hazard at any time and take appropriate measures to get home safely.

There are all kinds of roads in this world and the ones that aren't well-engineered or dotted with signage have ever been my favorites. Logging roads, dirt roads, narrow, pot-holed, tortuous roads rarely traveled, few of these have warning signs put there by the civil authorities to keep us safe. They do have signs if we pay attention and learn to "read" them. For example if one is riding on an unfamiliar road and is coming upon a blind rise, how about slowing way down until cresting the rise to see what is on the other side?

A question of riding technique has turned into a debate about who is the safest and most conservative rider. Just want to make certain no one thinks I have in any way condoned unsafe riding because I shift above 4000 RPM, lol!

[Cormanus]

Cormanus is right I was just listing some of the things you MAY run into, but let me list a few more of the things I have personally found in the middle of the road here besides deer... Horse, cow, pig, goat, dog, chicken, turkeys, black headed vultures on a dead raccoon or possum, tobacco planters, hay bailers, bush hogs, crews trimming trees, mufflers, pickups towing horse trailers, hub caps, entire truck wheels, school busses stopped to let off kids, broken down cars with lights flashing, people backing out of driveways, people pulling out of church, local cops, county Sheriffs and State Highway Patrol sitting running radar or driving towards you, sand, gravel, transmission fluid, radiator fluid etc. I was following a guy on a local road one time, he was riding a VFR, he was following a Bandit 1250. I knew they were going too fast and I knew what was coming up (having previously made the same mistake myself only in my car) , they obviously didn't. A blind rise with a 90 degree right hand turn immediately over the rise. I started slowing but they kept their speed over the rise, missing the turn completely, thankfully missing oncoming cars and ran straight into a cornfield where they both crashed. The people that live on the farm came walking down with little plastic Walmart bags to help the guys pick up their mirrors and fairing pieces. It's how they spend their weekends, sitting on the porch, watching the motorcyclists from the city miss that turn and crash in their corn field (not just sport bikers either, lots of cruisers have ended up in that field...and yes my car did as well). There is one road down here with dozens of blind curves and rises and you just never know what is over the other side, or around the curve.

Now this has nothing to do with what the CB is capable of because like I have previously stated the bike was designed to run from 2500 to 8000 rpms in all gears ie: you can run it at 2500 rpms in 6th or you can run it to 8000 in first. This is more a case of how should you ride given the obstacles that you can not see but may encounter on the roads you normally ride on, and that can vary from location to location. At a very soon to be 66, I no longer throw caution to the wind when riding, but rather err on the side of caution. Flip a coin, it's not always going to land on heads. The trick is riding so you don't land on yours.

I must go back and reiterate I never suggested anyone should ride recklessly, just the opposite as I hope I can explain. The OP was asking specifically when folks shifted, that was it. The incident you described was due to inattentive riding; shift points and RPM were not a factor. One can crash on a bicycle, using only gravity to accelerate.

I did pay special attention to just how I was shifting recently as to give a more precise answer to the OP. In first, I never shift into second until I'm above 4,000 RPM, usually 4500. Second gear, the same. By third gear you are at the speed limit or around the basic speed law where I'd be riding in my neighborhood, just getting out of town, jumping on the freeway with a few million or so other drivers swarming about. On the freeway or in traffic I never allow the bike to go below 4000 RPM, it stays between 4-6K and I shift to keep it there.

When one is riding in heavy traffic, the power can get you out of trouble. Occasionally some drivers change lanes without looking. Brakes are rarely an option on the freeway. Grabbing brakes will just get one run down or out of control. Twisting the throttle with plenty of get-up and go will get one right out of harm's way and no harm done.

The idea that "high RPM riding" equals "reckless and dangerous riding" was introduced into the thread later. It translates into safer riding if one knows how to do it.

Well, I don't get an elephant stamp for that 'cause I've put the CB down once. Trying not to do it again though.

Cheers

Yes, well, they say there are two kinds of riders, no? I've thrown it down the road three times, all three in the first few years of riding (three crashes in seven years). All were solo accidents, absolutely my own fault. Last one was in 1990. I would not like to add to that total. We hopefully learn a few things along the way.

You paid for those RPM and HP why not use them lol

Cannot imagine shifting below 3500/4000 RPM, prefer to be over 5K

Many bikes are underutilized. CB may have "only" 86 HP but it can all be used. Power can get one out of trouble as well as into. My unflashed ZX-10R is running about 170 HP at the rear wheel. I try to use that when I can but truth be told the CB is just as fun in its own way. Very exciting and responsive 6-8K and even a bit into the red once in a while...tach overreads anyway.

Here again I have seen many say the CB1100 is a good beginner bike but I very much disagree. Brakes are very powerful, quite heavy, and very capable. CB300, or maybe CB500 is a good beginner bike, with ABS lol

I would have thought we do use that paid for HP at low revs. It surely allows the high torque that's available and thus the pull at lower speeds in higher gears. Could never short shift on the less powerful machines I had when a teenager, they'd have just died !!
But of course, even though in the low rev camp, we all let it rip when we feel the need. As has been said, that's one of the virtues of the CB

I would have thought we do use that paid for HP at low revs. It surely allows the high torque that's available and thus the pull at lower speeds in higher gears. Could never short shift on the less powerful machines I had when a teenager, they'd have just died !!
But of course, even though in the low rev camp, we all let it rip when we feel the need. As has been said, that's one of the virtues of the CB LOL that's just kind of a joke but food for thought, the bike does have a lot to offer. Let's see what the CB1100 is great at:

Profiling - yep, it's a very photogenic bike and a conversation starter for sure. "How long did it take you to restore it?" "What year is that?" We have all heard those questions, lol. So that's for your low-revving guys, tooling about town and cruising the local strip.

Touring - heck yeah, great engine, amenable to saddles and fairings and luggage. Not too heavy, not too light. Air-cooled, real simple and from what I've experienced so far, very reliable and durable. Chugs along all day and decent mileage, too.

Sporty - affirmative. Chip Beck's handlebar mod, Conti Road Attack 2 CR's, decent shocks, and some time spent with setup, and a good rider can really scratch on this bike. Big old tractable engine and great brakes. Yes, it likes the redline.

I did see one guy at a track day with a 2013 CB1100, it rained so I put my sporty bike in the trailer but this guy rode the whole day out there. Looked like he was just tickled pink over the experience.

I have ridden in plenty of darn rain over the years so was content to sit back and watch. Quite a few riders fell down but better to learn on the track where there's an ambulance.

I know the ferret was joking when he was saying those of us who run redline are about to crash into a combine, a deer, or an old farmer's pickup lol, but there is something to be said for getting to know the bike a little on an open, empty stretch of familar road. Not top speed runs but just explore the braking and acceleration with care and due diligence in the first couple of gears.

BTW I grew up in the Midwest slopping hogs, hauling hay, driving old farmer's pick 'em-up trucks, tractors and such. So I resemble that remark.

The Ferret can defend himself of course, but I don't think he said that at all. Rather he said:

Quote:Out here in the country, come around a blind curve at high rpms in any gear and you just might nail a farmers combine, the back end of his pickup truck or a deer very hard, and any evasive action would most likely put you in a ditch, a corn field or the trunk of a 4' wide 75 foot tall oak tree.
My bolding. He was referring to the area where he rides; not to riders who run at the redline who may well do so in environments where there are no such hazards.

The Ferret can defend himself of course, but I don't think he said that at all. Rather he said:

Quote:Out here in the country, come around a blind curve at high rpms in any gear and you just might nail a farmers combine, the back end of his pickup truck or a deer very hard, and any evasive action would most likely put you in a ditch, a corn field or the trunk of a 4' wide 75 foot tall oak tree.
My bolding. He was referring to the area where he rides; not to riders who run at the redline who may well do so in environments where there are no such hazards. I just responded the ferret's more recent post about what can lurk ahead and so to reiterate, high RPM riding does not equate to dangerous riding. Any motorcyclist or motorist or cyclist or pedestrian or equestrian should be mindful of any kind of hazard at any time and take appropriate measures to get home safely.

There are all kinds of roads in this world and the ones that aren't well-engineered or dotted with signage have ever been my favorites. Logging roads, dirt roads, narrow, pot-holed, tortuous roads rarely traveled, few of these have warning signs put there by the civil authorities to keep us safe. They do have signs if we pay attention and learn to "read" them. For example if one is riding on an unfamiliar road and is coming upon a blind rise, how about slowing way down until cresting the rise to see what is on the other side?

A question of riding technique has turned into a debate about who is the safest and most conservative rider. Just want to make certain no one thinks I have in any way condoned unsafe riding because I shift above 4000 RPM, lol!

Ulvetanna, I was certainly not trying to suggest you were an unsafe rider or were advocating careless riding. You've been very clear about the reasons you like to ride your bike at higher RPM. Others here share your preference—Pterodactyl, for example—with whom I ride when I can—keeps his bike at a higher RPM than I would.

This has been an interesting discussion and has made me wonder whether I should approach the business of riding in traffic differently—i.e. keeping the RPM up a bit.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Cormanus is right I was just listing some of the things you MAY run into, but let me list a few more of the things I have personally found in the middle of the road here besides deer... Horse, cow, pig, goat, dog, chicken, turkeys, black headed vultures on a dead raccoon or possum, tobacco planters, hay bailers, bush hogs, crews trimming trees, mufflers, pickups towing horse trailers, hub caps, entire truck wheels, school busses stopped to let off kids, broken down cars with lights flashing, people backing out of driveways, people pulling out of church, local cops, county Sheriffs and State Highway Patrol sitting running radar or driving towards you, sand, gravel, transmission fluid, radiator fluid etc. I was following a guy on a local road one time, he was riding a VFR, he was following a Bandit 1250. I knew they were going too fast and I knew what was coming up (having previously made the same mistake myself only in my car) , they obviously didn't. A blind rise with a 90 degree right hand turn immediately over the rise. I started slowing but they kept their speed over the rise, missing the turn completely, thankfully missing oncoming cars and ran straight into a cornfield where they both crashed. The people that live on the farm came walking down with little plastic Walmart bags to help the guys pick up their mirrors and fairing pieces. It's how they spend their weekends, sitting on the porch, watching the motorcyclists from the city miss that turn and crash in their corn field (not just sport bikers either, lots of cruisers have ended up in that field...and yes my car did as well). There is one road down here with dozens of blind curves and rises and you just never know what is over the other side, or around the curve.

Now this has nothing to do with what the CB is capable of because like I have previously stated the bike was designed to run from 2500 to 8000 rpms in all gears ie: you can run it at 2500 rpms in 6th or you can run it to 8000 in first. This is more a case of how should you ride given the obstacles that you can not see but may encounter on the roads you normally ride on, and that can vary from location to location. At a very soon to be 66, I no longer throw caution to the wind when riding, but rather err on the side of caution. Flip a coin, it's not always going to land on heads. The trick is riding so you don't land on yours.

I must go back and reiterate I never suggested anyone should ride recklessly, just the opposite as I hope I can explain. The OP was asking specifically when folks shifted, that was it. The incident you described was due to inattentive riding; shift points and RPM were not a factor. One can crash on a bicycle, using only gravity to accelerate.

I did pay special attention to just how I was shifting recently as to give a more precise answer to the OP. In first, I never shift into second until I'm above 4,000 RPM, usually 4500. Second gear, the same. By third gear you are at the speed limit or around the basic speed law where I'd be riding in my neighborhood, just getting out of town, jumping on the freeway with a few million or so other drivers swarming about. On the freeway or in traffic I never allow the bike to go below 4000 RPM, it stays between 4-6K and I shift to keep it there.

When one is riding in heavy traffic, the power can get you out of trouble. Occasionally some drivers change lanes without looking. Brakes are rarely an option on the freeway. Grabbing brakes will just get one run down or out of control. Twisting the throttle with plenty of get-up and go will get one right out of harm's way and no harm done.

The idea that "high RPM riding" equals "reckless and dangerous riding" was introduced into the thread later. It translates into safer riding if one knows how to do it.

Well, I don't get an elephant stamp for that 'cause I've put the CB down once. Trying not to do it again though.

Cheers

Yes, well, they say there are two kinds of riders, no? I've thrown it down the road three times, all three in the first few years of riding (three crashes in seven years). All were solo accidents, absolutely my own fault. Last one was in 1990. I would not like to add to that total. We hopefully learn a few things along the way.

You paid for those RPM and HP why not use them lol

Cannot imagine shifting below 3500/4000 RPM, prefer to be over 5K

Many bikes are underutilized. CB may have "only" 86 HP but it can all be used. Power can get one out of trouble as well as into. My unflashed ZX-10R is running about 170 HP at the rear wheel. I try to use that when I can but truth be told the CB is just as fun in its own way. Very exciting and responsive 6-8K and even a bit into the red once in a while...tach overreads anyway.

Here again I have seen many say the CB1100 is a good beginner bike but I very much disagree. Brakes are very powerful, quite heavy, and very capable. CB300, or maybe CB500 is a good beginner bike, with ABS lol

I would have thought we do use that paid for HP at low revs. It surely allows the high torque that's available and thus the pull at lower speeds in higher gears. Could never short shift on the less powerful machines I had when a teenager, they'd have just died !!
But of course, even though in the low rev camp, we all let it rip when we feel the need. As has been said, that's one of the virtues of the CB

I would have thought we do use that paid for HP at low revs. It surely allows the high torque that's available and thus the pull at lower speeds in higher gears. Could never short shift on the less powerful machines I had when a teenager, they'd have just died !!
But of course, even though in the low rev camp, we all let it rip when we feel the need. As has been said, that's one of the virtues of the CB LOL that's just kind of a joke but food for thought, the bike does have a lot to offer. Let's see what the CB1100 is great at:

Profiling - yep, it's a very photogenic bike and a conversation starter for sure. "How long did it take you to restore it?" "What year is that?" We have all heard those questions, lol. So that's for your low-revving guys, tooling about town and cruising the local strip.

Touring - heck yeah, great engine, amenable to saddles and fairings and luggage. Not too heavy, not too light. Air-cooled, real simple and from what I've experienced so far, very reliable and durable. Chugs along all day and decent mileage, too.

Sporty - affirmative. Chip Beck's handlebar mod, Conti Road Attack 2 CR's, decent shocks, and some time spent with setup, and a good rider can really scratch on this bike. Big old tractable engine and great brakes. Yes, it likes the redline.

I did see one guy at a track day with a 2013 CB1100, it rained so I put my sporty bike in the trailer but this guy rode the whole day out there. Looked like he was just tickled pink over the experience.

I have ridden in plenty of darn rain over the years so was content to sit back and watch. Quite a few riders fell down but better to learn on the track where there's an ambulance.

I know the ferret was joking when he was saying those of us who run redline are about to crash into a combine, a deer, or an old farmer's pickup lol, but there is something to be said for getting to know the bike a little on an open, empty stretch of familar road. Not top speed runs but just explore the braking and acceleration with care and due diligence in the first couple of gears.

BTW I grew up in the Midwest slopping hogs, hauling hay, driving old farmer's pick 'em-up trucks, tractors and such. So I resemble that remark.

The Ferret can defend himself of course, but I don't think he said that at all. Rather he said:

Quote:Out here in the country, come around a blind curve at high rpms in any gear and you just might nail a farmers combine, the back end of his pickup truck or a deer very hard, and any evasive action would most likely put you in a ditch, a corn field or the trunk of a 4' wide 75 foot tall oak tree.
My bolding. He was referring to the area where he rides; not to riders who run at the redline who may well do so in environments where there are no such hazards.

The Ferret can defend himself of course, but I don't think he said that at all. Rather he said:

Quote:Out here in the country, come around a blind curve at high rpms in any gear and you just might nail a farmers combine, the back end of his pickup truck or a deer very hard, and any evasive action would most likely put you in a ditch, a corn field or the trunk of a 4' wide 75 foot tall oak tree.
My bolding. He was referring to the area where he rides; not to riders who run at the redline who may well do so in environments where there are no such hazards. I just responded the ferret's more recent post about what can lurk ahead and so to reiterate, high RPM riding does not equate to dangerous riding. Any motorcyclist or motorist or cyclist or pedestrian or equestrian should be mindful of any kind of hazard at any time and take appropriate measures to get home safely.

There are all kinds of roads in this world and the ones that aren't well-engineered or dotted with signage have ever been my favorites. Logging roads, dirt roads, narrow, pot-holed, tortuous roads rarely traveled, few of these have warning signs put there by the civil authorities to keep us safe. They do have signs if we pay attention and learn to "read" them. For example if one is riding on an unfamiliar road and is coming upon a blind rise, how about slowing way down until cresting the rise to see what is on the other side?

A question of riding technique has turned into a debate about who is the safest and most conservative rider. Just want to make certain no one thinks I have in any way condoned unsafe riding because I shift above 4000 RPM, lol!

Ulvetanna, I was certainly not trying to suggest you were an unsafe rider or were advocating careless riding. You've been very clear about the reasons you like to ride your bike at higher RPM. Others here share your preference—Pterodactyl, for example—with whom I ride when I can—keeps his bike at a higher RPM than I would.

This has been an interesting discussion and has made me wonder whether I should approach the business of riding in traffic differently—i.e. keeping the RPM up a bit.

Ulvetanna, I was certainly not trying to suggest you were an unsafe rider or were advocating careless riding. You've been very clear about the reasons you like to ride your bike at higher RPM. Others here share your preference—Pterodactyl, for example—with whom I ride when I can—keeps his bike at a higher RPM than I would.

This has been an interesting discussion and has made me wonder whether I should approach the business of riding in traffic differently—i.e. keeping the RPM up a bit. A gentleman through and through. Listen to your friend, he is not such a dinosaur as one might think.

[Cormanus]

Cormanus is right I was just listing some of the things you MAY run into, but let me list a few more of the things I have personally found in the middle of the road here besides deer... Horse, cow, pig, goat, dog, chicken, turkeys, black headed vultures on a dead raccoon or possum, tobacco planters, hay bailers, bush hogs, crews trimming trees, mufflers, pickups towing horse trailers, hub caps, entire truck wheels, school busses stopped to let off kids, broken down cars with lights flashing, people backing out of driveways, people pulling out of church, local cops, county Sheriffs and State Highway Patrol sitting running radar or driving towards you, sand, gravel, transmission fluid, radiator fluid etc. I was following a guy on a local road one time, he was riding a VFR, he was following a Bandit 1250. I knew they were going too fast and I knew what was coming up (having previously made the same mistake myself only in my car) , they obviously didn't. A blind rise with a 90 degree right hand turn immediately over the rise. I started slowing but they kept their speed over the rise, missing the turn completely, thankfully missing oncoming cars and ran straight into a cornfield where they both crashed. The people that live on the farm came walking down with little plastic Walmart bags to help the guys pick up their mirrors and fairing pieces. It's how they spend their weekends, sitting on the porch, watching the motorcyclists from the city miss that turn and crash in their corn field (not just sport bikers either, lots of cruisers have ended up in that field...and yes my car did as well). There is one road down here with dozens of blind curves and rises and you just never know what is over the other side, or around the curve.

Now this has nothing to do with what the CB is capable of because like I have previously stated the bike was designed to run from 2500 to 8000 rpms in all gears ie: you can run it at 2500 rpms in 6th or you can run it to 8000 in first. This is more a case of how should you ride given the obstacles that you can not see but may encounter on the roads you normally ride on, and that can vary from location to location. At a very soon to be 66, I no longer throw caution to the wind when riding, but rather err on the side of caution. Flip a coin, it's not always going to land on heads. The trick is riding so you don't land on yours.

I must go back and reiterate I never suggested anyone should ride recklessly, just the opposite as I hope I can explain. The OP was asking specifically when folks shifted, that was it. The incident you described was due to inattentive riding; shift points and RPM were not a factor. One can crash on a bicycle, using only gravity to accelerate.

I did pay special attention to just how I was shifting recently as to give a more precise answer to the OP. In first, I never shift into second until I'm above 4,000 RPM, usually 4500. Second gear, the same. By third gear you are at the speed limit or around the basic speed law where I'd be riding in my neighborhood, just getting out of town, jumping on the freeway with a few million or so other drivers swarming about. On the freeway or in traffic I never allow the bike to go below 4000 RPM, it stays between 4-6K and I shift to keep it there.

When one is riding in heavy traffic, the power can get you out of trouble. Occasionally some drivers change lanes without looking. Brakes are rarely an option on the freeway. Grabbing brakes will just get one run down or out of control. Twisting the throttle with plenty of get-up and go will get one right out of harm's way and no harm done.

The idea that "high RPM riding" equals "reckless and dangerous riding" was introduced into the thread later. It translates into safer riding if one knows how to do it.

Well, I don't get an elephant stamp for that 'cause I've put the CB down once. Trying not to do it again though.

Cheers

Yes, well, they say there are two kinds of riders, no? I've thrown it down the road three times, all three in the first few years of riding (three crashes in seven years). All were solo accidents, absolutely my own fault. Last one was in 1990. I would not like to add to that total. We hopefully learn a few things along the way.

You paid for those RPM and HP why not use them lol

Cannot imagine shifting below 3500/4000 RPM, prefer to be over 5K

Many bikes are underutilized. CB may have "only" 86 HP but it can all be used. Power can get one out of trouble as well as into. My unflashed ZX-10R is running about 170 HP at the rear wheel. I try to use that when I can but truth be told the CB is just as fun in its own way. Very exciting and responsive 6-8K and even a bit into the red once in a while...tach overreads anyway.

Here again I have seen many say the CB1100 is a good beginner bike but I very much disagree. Brakes are very powerful, quite heavy, and very capable. CB300, or maybe CB500 is a good beginner bike, with ABS lol

I would have thought we do use that paid for HP at low revs. It surely allows the high torque that's available and thus the pull at lower speeds in higher gears. Could never short shift on the less powerful machines I had when a teenager, they'd have just died !!
But of course, even though in the low rev camp, we all let it rip when we feel the need. As has been said, that's one of the virtues of the CB

I would have thought we do use that paid for HP at low revs. It surely allows the high torque that's available and thus the pull at lower speeds in higher gears. Could never short shift on the less powerful machines I had when a teenager, they'd have just died !!
But of course, even though in the low rev camp, we all let it rip when we feel the need. As has been said, that's one of the virtues of the CB LOL that's just kind of a joke but food for thought, the bike does have a lot to offer. Let's see what the CB1100 is great at:

Profiling - yep, it's a very photogenic bike and a conversation starter for sure. "How long did it take you to restore it?" "What year is that?" We have all heard those questions, lol. So that's for your low-revving guys, tooling about town and cruising the local strip.

Touring - heck yeah, great engine, amenable to saddles and fairings and luggage. Not too heavy, not too light. Air-cooled, real simple and from what I've experienced so far, very reliable and durable. Chugs along all day and decent mileage, too.

Sporty - affirmative. Chip Beck's handlebar mod, Conti Road Attack 2 CR's, decent shocks, and some time spent with setup, and a good rider can really scratch on this bike. Big old tractable engine and great brakes. Yes, it likes the redline.

I did see one guy at a track day with a 2013 CB1100, it rained so I put my sporty bike in the trailer but this guy rode the whole day out there. Looked like he was just tickled pink over the experience.

I have ridden in plenty of darn rain over the years so was content to sit back and watch. Quite a few riders fell down but better to learn on the track where there's an ambulance.

I know the ferret was joking when he was saying those of us who run redline are about to crash into a combine, a deer, or an old farmer's pickup lol, but there is something to be said for getting to know the bike a little on an open, empty stretch of familar road. Not top speed runs but just explore the braking and acceleration with care and due diligence in the first couple of gears.

BTW I grew up in the Midwest slopping hogs, hauling hay, driving old farmer's pick 'em-up trucks, tractors and such. So I resemble that remark.

The Ferret can defend himself of course, but I don't think he said that at all. Rather he said:

Quote:Out here in the country, come around a blind curve at high rpms in any gear and you just might nail a farmers combine, the back end of his pickup truck or a deer very hard, and any evasive action would most likely put you in a ditch, a corn field or the trunk of a 4' wide 75 foot tall oak tree.
My bolding. He was referring to the area where he rides; not to riders who run at the redline who may well do so in environments where there are no such hazards.

The Ferret can defend himself of course, but I don't think he said that at all. Rather he said:

Quote:Out here in the country, come around a blind curve at high rpms in any gear and you just might nail a farmers combine, the back end of his pickup truck or a deer very hard, and any evasive action would most likely put you in a ditch, a corn field or the trunk of a 4' wide 75 foot tall oak tree.
My bolding. He was referring to the area where he rides; not to riders who run at the redline who may well do so in environments where there are no such hazards. I just responded the ferret's more recent post about what can lurk ahead and so to reiterate, high RPM riding does not equate to dangerous riding. Any motorcyclist or motorist or cyclist or pedestrian or equestrian should be mindful of any kind of hazard at any time and take appropriate measures to get home safely.

There are all kinds of roads in this world and the ones that aren't well-engineered or dotted with signage have ever been my favorites. Logging roads, dirt roads, narrow, pot-holed, tortuous roads rarely traveled, few of these have warning signs put there by the civil authorities to keep us safe. They do have signs if we pay attention and learn to "read" them. For example if one is riding on an unfamiliar road and is coming upon a blind rise, how about slowing way down until cresting the rise to see what is on the other side?

A question of riding technique has turned into a debate about who is the safest and most conservative rider. Just want to make certain no one thinks I have in any way condoned unsafe riding because I shift above 4000 RPM, lol!

Ulvetanna, I was certainly not trying to suggest you were an unsafe rider or were advocating careless riding. You've been very clear about the reasons you like to ride your bike at higher RPM. Others here share your preference—Pterodactyl, for example—with whom I ride when I can—keeps his bike at a higher RPM than I would.

This has been an interesting discussion and has made me wonder whether I should approach the business of riding in traffic differently—i.e. keeping the RPM up a bit.

Ulvetanna, I was certainly not trying to suggest you were an unsafe rider or were advocating careless riding. You've been very clear about the reasons you like to ride your bike at higher RPM. Others here share your preference—Pterodactyl, for example—with whom I ride when I can—keeps his bike at a higher RPM than I would.

This has been an interesting discussion and has made me wonder whether I should approach the business of riding in traffic differently—i.e. keeping the RPM up a bit. A gentleman through and through. Listen to your friend, he is not such a dinosaur as one might think.

Maybe he should put that in his signature.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Cormanus is right I was just listing some of the things you MAY run into, but let me list a few more of the things I have personally found in the middle of the road here besides deer... Horse, cow, pig, goat, dog, chicken, turkeys, black headed vultures on a dead raccoon or possum, tobacco planters, hay bailers, bush hogs, crews trimming trees, mufflers, pickups towing horse trailers, hub caps, entire truck wheels, school busses stopped to let off kids, broken down cars with lights flashing, people backing out of driveways, people pulling out of church, local cops, county Sheriffs and State Highway Patrol sitting running radar or driving towards you, sand, gravel, transmission fluid, radiator fluid etc. I was following a guy on a local road one time, he was riding a VFR, he was following a Bandit 1250. I knew they were going too fast and I knew what was coming up (having previously made the same mistake myself only in my car) , they obviously didn't. A blind rise with a 90 degree right hand turn immediately over the rise. I started slowing but they kept their speed over the rise, missing the turn completely, thankfully missing oncoming cars and ran straight into a cornfield where they both crashed. The people that live on the farm came walking down with little plastic Walmart bags to help the guys pick up their mirrors and fairing pieces. It's how they spend their weekends, sitting on the porch, watching the motorcyclists from the city miss that turn and crash in their corn field (not just sport bikers either, lots of cruisers have ended up in that field...and yes my car did as well). There is one road down here with dozens of blind curves and rises and you just never know what is over the other side, or around the curve.

Now this has nothing to do with what the CB is capable of because like I have previously stated the bike was designed to run from 2500 to 8000 rpms in all gears ie: you can run it at 2500 rpms in 6th or you can run it to 8000 in first. This is more a case of how should you ride given the obstacles that you can not see but may encounter on the roads you normally ride on, and that can vary from location to location. At a very soon to be 66, I no longer throw caution to the wind when riding, but rather err on the side of caution. Flip a coin, it's not always going to land on heads. The trick is riding so you don't land on yours.

I must go back and reiterate I never suggested anyone should ride recklessly, just the opposite as I hope I can explain. The OP was asking specifically when folks shifted, that was it. The incident you described was due to inattentive riding; shift points and RPM were not a factor. One can crash on a bicycle, using only gravity to accelerate.

I did pay special attention to just how I was shifting recently as to give a more precise answer to the OP. In first, I never shift into second until I'm above 4,000 RPM, usually 4500. Second gear, the same. By third gear you are at the speed limit or around the basic speed law where I'd be riding in my neighborhood, just getting out of town, jumping on the freeway with a few million or so other drivers swarming about. On the freeway or in traffic I never allow the bike to go below 4000 RPM, it stays between 4-6K and I shift to keep it there.

When one is riding in heavy traffic, the power can get you out of trouble. Occasionally some drivers change lanes without looking. Brakes are rarely an option on the freeway. Grabbing brakes will just get one run down or out of control. Twisting the throttle with plenty of get-up and go will get one right out of harm's way and no harm done.

The idea that "high RPM riding" equals "reckless and dangerous riding" was introduced into the thread later. It translates into safer riding if one knows how to do it.

Well, I don't get an elephant stamp for that 'cause I've put the CB down once. Trying not to do it again though.

Cheers

Yes, well, they say there are two kinds of riders, no? I've thrown it down the road three times, all three in the first few years of riding (three crashes in seven years). All were solo accidents, absolutely my own fault. Last one was in 1990. I would not like to add to that total. We hopefully learn a few things along the way.

You paid for those RPM and HP why not use them lol

Cannot imagine shifting below 3500/4000 RPM, prefer to be over 5K

Many bikes are underutilized. CB may have "only" 86 HP but it can all be used. Power can get one out of trouble as well as into. My unflashed ZX-10R is running about 170 HP at the rear wheel. I try to use that when I can but truth be told the CB is just as fun in its own way. Very exciting and responsive 6-8K and even a bit into the red once in a while...tach overreads anyway.

Here again I have seen many say the CB1100 is a good beginner bike but I very much disagree. Brakes are very powerful, quite heavy, and very capable. CB300, or maybe CB500 is a good beginner bike, with ABS lol

I would have thought we do use that paid for HP at low revs. It surely allows the high torque that's available and thus the pull at lower speeds in higher gears. Could never short shift on the less powerful machines I had when a teenager, they'd have just died !!
But of course, even though in the low rev camp, we all let it rip when we feel the need. As has been said, that's one of the virtues of the CB

I would have thought we do use that paid for HP at low revs. It surely allows the high torque that's available and thus the pull at lower speeds in higher gears. Could never short shift on the less powerful machines I had when a teenager, they'd have just died !!
But of course, even though in the low rev camp, we all let it rip when we feel the need. As has been said, that's one of the virtues of the CB LOL that's just kind of a joke but food for thought, the bike does have a lot to offer. Let's see what the CB1100 is great at:

Profiling - yep, it's a very photogenic bike and a conversation starter for sure. "How long did it take you to restore it?" "What year is that?" We have all heard those questions, lol. So that's for your low-revving guys, tooling about town and cruising the local strip.

Touring - heck yeah, great engine, amenable to saddles and fairings and luggage. Not too heavy, not too light. Air-cooled, real simple and from what I've experienced so far, very reliable and durable. Chugs along all day and decent mileage, too.

Sporty - affirmative. Chip Beck's handlebar mod, Conti Road Attack 2 CR's, decent shocks, and some time spent with setup, and a good rider can really scratch on this bike. Big old tractable engine and great brakes. Yes, it likes the redline.

I did see one guy at a track day with a 2013 CB1100, it rained so I put my sporty bike in the trailer but this guy rode the whole day out there. Looked like he was just tickled pink over the experience.

I have ridden in plenty of darn rain over the years so was content to sit back and watch. Quite a few riders fell down but better to learn on the track where there's an ambulance.

I know the ferret was joking when he was saying those of us who run redline are about to crash into a combine, a deer, or an old farmer's pickup lol, but there is something to be said for getting to know the bike a little on an open, empty stretch of familar road. Not top speed runs but just explore the braking and acceleration with care and due diligence in the first couple of gears.

BTW I grew up in the Midwest slopping hogs, hauling hay, driving old farmer's pick 'em-up trucks, tractors and such. So I resemble that remark.

The Ferret can defend himself of course, but I don't think he said that at all. Rather he said:

Quote:Out here in the country, come around a blind curve at high rpms in any gear and you just might nail a farmers combine, the back end of his pickup truck or a deer very hard, and any evasive action would most likely put you in a ditch, a corn field or the trunk of a 4' wide 75 foot tall oak tree.
My bolding. He was referring to the area where he rides; not to riders who run at the redline who may well do so in environments where there are no such hazards.

The Ferret can defend himself of course, but I don't think he said that at all. Rather he said:

Quote:Out here in the country, come around a blind curve at high rpms in any gear and you just might nail a farmers combine, the back end of his pickup truck or a deer very hard, and any evasive action would most likely put you in a ditch, a corn field or the trunk of a 4' wide 75 foot tall oak tree.
My bolding. He was referring to the area where he rides; not to riders who run at the redline who may well do so in environments where there are no such hazards. I just responded the ferret's more recent post about what can lurk ahead and so to reiterate, high RPM riding does not equate to dangerous riding. Any motorcyclist or motorist or cyclist or pedestrian or equestrian should be mindful of any kind of hazard at any time and take appropriate measures to get home safely.

There are all kinds of roads in this world and the ones that aren't well-engineered or dotted with signage have ever been my favorites. Logging roads, dirt roads, narrow, pot-holed, tortuous roads rarely traveled, few of these have warning signs put there by the civil authorities to keep us safe. They do have signs if we pay attention and learn to "read" them. For example if one is riding on an unfamiliar road and is coming upon a blind rise, how about slowing way down until cresting the rise to see what is on the other side?

A question of riding technique has turned into a debate about who is the safest and most conservative rider. Just want to make certain no one thinks I have in any way condoned unsafe riding because I shift above 4000 RPM, lol!

Ulvetanna, I was certainly not trying to suggest you were an unsafe rider or were advocating careless riding. You've been very clear about the reasons you like to ride your bike at higher RPM. Others here share your preference—Pterodactyl, for example—with whom I ride when I can—keeps his bike at a higher RPM than I would.

This has been an interesting discussion and has made me wonder whether I should approach the business of riding in traffic differently—i.e. keeping the RPM up a bit.

Ulvetanna, I was certainly not trying to suggest you were an unsafe rider or were advocating careless riding. You've been very clear about the reasons you like to ride your bike at higher RPM. Others here share your preference—Pterodactyl, for example—with whom I ride when I can—keeps his bike at a higher RPM than I would.

This has been an interesting discussion and has made me wonder whether I should approach the business of riding in traffic differently—i.e. keeping the RPM up a bit. A gentleman through and through. Listen to your friend, he is not such a dinosaur as one might think.

Maybe he should put that in his signature.

Maybe he should put that in his signature.
Am thinking of changing my signature to, "The older I get the better I was".

Cheers

[uscgmac_imp]

My suggestion is to not look at the tach at all. You shift when you feel it's right. Do this several times through the gears then look at your tach where your at. Shift to the sound and feel of the bike, not what you think it should be at on the tach.you will now know where you like it. Obviously don't lugg the motor and on the other spectrum you will know if your too high. Shifting is all about the feel, you should be able to determine this, nobody can tell you what's exactly right or wrong.

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