At what engine speed (in rpms) do you shift on your motorcycle?

Question

When going on a casual cruise - not when you're trying to gun it. Also, what kind of bike do you have?

Me: '78 Honda CB750K, 1st to 2nd - around 5k rpms and then between 5 and 5.5k rpms for every gear after that.

Answer 1

I think I know why you are are interested in this question!
You want to know whether your engine revs abnormally high.
The answer is no! Most motorcycles will rev around the 4k to 5500 rpm mark when cruising but this is a pretty broad statement as with different engines you will ultimately have different engine speeds!
Take a Harley for example. It has massive pistons which cannot rev too high because of the weight of moving parts but due to the engine layout, large piston diameters and long stroke the Harley will have relativily low horsepower but very high torque figures.
A Japanese inline four cylinder bike like my ZX10R Kawasaki has high horsepower and low torque but due to the cubic capacity of the motor even this engine is restricted to 13000 rpm at peak revs.
But as a comparison, my bike will cruise at 120km/h (70mph) on about 4500 rpm to 5500 rpm.

All high performance machines rely on rpm to produce their horsepower, but at the end of the day they are restricted by the reciprocating weight of their moving parts!

The last comparison is the latest Moto GP Ducati race bike. 800cc, 220bhp and a redline of 18000rpm.

Amazing hey! You should watch the next race, I think it's in California at Laguna Seca!

Troy

Answer 2

It depends on how I'm riding or what the situation calls for. If I have to get onto the freeway in a hurry, I rev it to 10-12k before shifting. If it's a side street, I rarely go above 6k in any gear. I just pay more attention to what I want to do on the bike and do it instead of thinking about it.

I have an '06 ZZR600.

Answer 3

It's going to be different for each bike and each rider.
I ride V-twins ,on the big bike with a built motor under normal conditions between 2500 and 3000 RPM, but on a speed run up to 4800-4900 RPM.
On the sportster sidecar ( the dogs bike) with a basically stock motor and short gears around 3500-3750 RPMs.

Answer 4

Me: '78 Honda CB750K, <<< You own what some may call a classic. I owned a 750-4 years ago but i dont remember winding the motor to 5 grand for normal shift points.

Answer 5

On the '80 CB750K I shift at about 4500-5000 rpm. That's actually a little low, but I ride it slow and with a light load. Actually stopped riding it a little while ago. The kid wants it.

On the '06 Dyna - ????????? No tach. I shift by feel / sound.
At a guess, about 3K. Whatever it really is, I rev higher with a passenger, or when I "get on it" a bit.

Answer 6

journey it and hear it. in case you bounce off the limiter (crimson line) you're waiting to long. something under it quite is wonderful .... nicely a minimum of recover from a pair thousand RPM first. I had a 250 ninja and if I remember wisely crimson line is 11000 rpm. the final concern you opt for to do is rev the crap out of it perpetually. i might recommend retaining it at around 7000 and in basic terms use the severe band for passing.

Answer 7

On a "casual cruise" (not sure if I ever do that or not) I'll shift anywhere between 5-8k rpms. It all depends I guess....

Answer 8

I typically shift about half way through the revs in each gear, around 7k.

99 CBR 600

Answer 9

Harleys shift much lower -2500 to 3000 when typically cruising

Answer 10

i shift around 11-12k rpms, thats near redline on the track.