12-13-2015, 07:44 AM
(12-13-2015, 07:16 AM)LongRanger_imp Wrote:That's fine, the difference is of little consequence to me. I was responding to the absurdity of the statement "6th/overdrive is REQUIRED! for highway travel in the US." I'm pretty sure it's not.(12-13-2015, 06:49 AM)rbike_imp Wrote:That's fine, the difference is of little consequence to me. I was responding to the absurdity of the statement "6th/overdrive is REQUIRED! for highway travel in the US." I'm pretty sure it's not.(12-13-2015, 06:28 AM)LongRanger_imp Wrote: I don't agree 6th gear is required for highway travel. I occasionally keep mine in 5th and it does just fine.
There is no 6th on a 13 CB, I'm always in 5th - lol. The gearing is completely different on the 14+. It is not just add a 6th. You can search previous posts to get gearing.
I wont go in circles here. It is just that when I am doing 70mph, I will use the top gear - whatever it is. On a CB with 5 gears, the rpm is 4000. The 6 gear TX turns 3300 rpm at 70mph. I wonder why they made the change - simple, It is the right thing for the general US Hwy system. When I am upshifting as I accelerate onto the interstate, more than occasionally, I try to shift again before I realize I am already in 5th. I don't count. (BTW, the 13 model does not have gear indictor on the "dash", but the green Neutral is in the right spot!) I used to be able to tell from the sound of the engine on previous bikes. That's because just from the engine sound, I feel there is another gear when there isn't. That is why a "6th/overdrive is REQUIRED! for highway travel in the US." I guess I could have added, "FOR ME ONLY" to not be absurd. I am sure there are others that agree - some have already done the sprocket mod. The option to change the TX is done by getting a 14 CB, unfortunately not any TX modification - 100% possible, but not realistic financially.
Maybe if I lived where the roads go up and down and had snow and ice, I would be likely to stay in 5th at times if I had 6 gears, but it is really flat and warm here. Excitement comes with hills of 50', occasionally turns, and always tourists trying to get free hood ornaments - usually inadvertently.
Some have gone the other direction with sprocket mods - to increase acceleration vs highway performance. For them that is the correct way. I can certainly appreciate that as a good solution for them. For all of us, whatever we do is the correct way. In no way is any one opinion the correct way. That is what is good about this forum, we all benefit from other's ideas. We can take it or let it fall - each has a choice. I have modified my understood correct way based on others inputs. My thanks goes out to them always.


