How high do you rev?

Ok, so reading another post made me curious. How high do most of you rev your bike? For me, just cruising around, normal revs and all... but I like to bury that needle sometimes too! For a 26y/o bike, she can really move! I'm not asking for the normal, everyday type of ride to work here. If/when you get on it, what do you hit?

 

Haha! Good question for a poll! Normal cruising form me is 2-4k with acceleration 'squirts' to about 6. When I'm running with my tupperware techno-rocket buddies or just feelin wrangy I've gotta keep an eye on the tach to stay outta the red.

 

My trip to work doesn't usually take me over 4.5 - 5k but if I'm out on the road just for the sheer enjoyment of it or making a longer haul I'll take it up into 5.5-6k.

 

I think that perhaps there are a few more natural breaks.

From idle to 4500 not much happens. At about 4500 is a funny place...

From 4500 to 6000 is nice cruising speed.

from 6-7.5 is a nice wide usable amount of power...

from 7.5 up to redline it's nice sporty riding.

I used all of it... don't be afraid to rev it out a bit more - these bikes have the heart of a sportbike. It won't hurt them.

 

They really do love high revs. I rode the two that I had on the high side. Good power, great sound.
I didn't really have a choice after replacing the stock Seca rear wheel with a 16" Virago rim. 0-60 runs were a Blast!

 

I have a need for speed, which is why I do not own a crotch rocket. I know me well enough to know that I am not mature enough to have one.

I have always ridden my 550 wide open, as fast as it will go, I take it. My 1100 is a different story. A mind game really. 100 is 100 whether you are on the 550 or the 1100, but for some reason I tend to back off the 1100. Doubt I have ever gone over a 100 with it.

 

as of late i have had the tendency to do leave darkies at every light when it turns green.... Needless to say i abuse my bike.

 

So, just for kicks, I took her to 5k-6k before shifting last night...

Wow! There's more power buried in there then it looks! 1st gears a trip with the shaft drive when you peak over 3.5k, if your not ready for it! It feels like the bikes trying to buck you off and just go on its own

 

I found the first gear was a bit short - I shifted alot earlier for first. Try run second or third gear out... she'll scream. Don't worry that's her happy sounds.

I found sporty ridding shifting near 8 was alright, 7 was easier... anything over 8 meant you had to be accurate and firm with your shifts. The transmission is not as rev happy as the engine it seems. Riding the CBR I have found the opposite to be true - it revs happily and shifts most easily at much higher revs... redlines at 13.5k and shifts very happily at the red zone (got to watch the nose stays down! )

 

* anyone else ride a sportbike lately? high rev shifts mean that the next gear with a bit too much exhuberance lifts the front tire... I don't mean the high stunter wheelie - I mean the low charging out of a turn wheelie... gut twisting power. It's terrible - but I like those track moments.

<-- not a squid... really...

 

I've got to wonder why the speedo on my XJ caps at 80...

I had it buried on my way home last night and she seemed to be loving it!

 

I can't do first either, not without panic. I have stretched 2nd and 3rd and Frog is good go. In fact as I write this I realize this is probably my first discussion about my bike that I have. I can't tell you the rev specific or the speed I am going when I have to shift out of 1st, but it seems waaaaaay to short. Could that be indication of a problem?

 

It caps out at that speed because you should't go faster in the states

I had my 650 north of 180km... probably 200km/h. Works out to a top speed around 120mph. Tucked in with a bullet fairing you might push a bit more. The problem is wind resistance and redline.

I doubt anything is wrong EmeraldPrincess... the short first is really nice in traffic... but I went for second as soon as possible. It revs out really quickly with relatively very little increase in speed.

 

Personal top speed... 240-250km/h. In recent years? Hardly over the limit significantly.... On an open road that I know the only reason I don't travel faster is for fear of speeding tickets. The bike was built to go supersonic... it is a completely different experience than in a car. Travelling the speedlimit in a cheaper car is significantly more dangerous in my mind...

Leaned over hard in a wide highspeed sweeper is an absolutely awesome experience... sensory input is awesome... you can actually start to feel the bike work properly... and the tires.

 

Thanks Woot, I was a little concerned.

I have just basic tires on my bike (please don't ask what 'cause I have "no eye deer", but at some point I hope to ask the groups opinion and get sporty tirs that will hug the curves so I can feel more comfortable in the twisties and get to feel what the bike can actually do. I want to "know" that I can go in hot on a curve and come out clean. I read about it, but thus far, haven't challenged it.

 

When you get a chance have a look at your tires.

If they are really old or a particularily hard variety then hard leans might not be a good idea.

Otherwise - so long as the road surface is clean and you keep your brake/throttle inputs to a minimum you should be fine at all speed limit friendly speeds

The GT501 was my maxim tire of choice. They'd warm nicely - when ridden really hard I could get them to melt. Rear tire was good to the outside edge... front you'll never get to the outside edge due to the shape of the rim - tall and narrow.

I'm not suggesting that getting to the outside of the tire is a good measure of skill - rather - that the tire fit the bike properly so that when leaned over as far as I felt comfortable I used the full ammount of rubber available - ie - biggest contact patch was afforded by the profile of the tire. If the tire had of been more round I could have leaned more if the bike could have leaned more. I don't think I could have leaned the bike much further so the profile was right IMHO.

On the sportbikes - track tires melt when you're commuting - it's not a good feature... the diablo supercorsas stick like glue but are worn out in a few thousand miles.

I found that the maxim was good on tires - the GT501 lasted me 10,000km... I think it would be possible to get 10,000 miles on the rear tire. They start with very deep tread patterns... speedo error at the wearbars could be significant. I find that for every front I used two rear tires.

 

Mine are just a few months old. Nothing fancy at all, just a mid-price ranged Dunlop.

I tend to never go over 60-65 so they've suited me well thus far.

 

Okay....I will look at the tires. Thanks for your post. I appreciate the detail. It made me feel better less aprehensive about what my bike can do in a pinch. I wish I could see someone with experience on my bike lean it over, so I know how much I have to work with. I have the desire to scrape pegs, but I don't think I have the ^#$#%^$^.

 

I didn't find the maxim 650 with the GT501 really scraped... it cleared pretty well even with me on it.

I did grind her a few times with a set of challengers... I think that was more tire profile than anything.

I wouldn't look to grid either if you do really start riding like that then it's time to upgrade suspension. The problem with grinding is that if you really grind hard and happen to catch a ripple on the road you can lever the rear tire off the ground... and then you quickly end up in a bad place.

The footpegs will bend up - the centerstand won't. I've got a few pairs of boots where the outside of the toe is worn to a 45 degree angle. Big feet and hard lean angles mean you should move your feet back... I didn't and wore them off.

Some day when we get some good tours in maybe we can do a mid/east America rally. I've made it to PA a few times... give me another day or two and I'd be in the area.

 

I was actually thinking about the Pelee butterfly run they are doing. I can't because I would need more than a month to prepare for a trip of that nature, but it did cross my mind. The countryside in your neck of the woods is breathtaking. I suppose Texas is breathtaking too to people who haven't seen it, but YUCK! Dry, brown and uneventful.

I want to take long trips on my bike, but I need to wait at least three more years til the last one is out of the house. Then......oh my goodness, watch out world....here I come.