Around town, what speeds do you guys shift at?

[LizardQueen]

I'm a total newbie with just the MSF and about 3 hours in a parking lot under my belt, so I was wondering what speeds you guys upshift and downshift at when riding around town (up to 50 MPH).  
I've had my '93 GS up to 3rd in the parking lot at about 25 mph but it wasn't happy (made that annoyed tractor-like "chuff chuff chuff" noise) - I knew it wouldn't like it but I wanted to get it out of 2nd for once :lol: .

Now that I'm going to be out on the back roads soon I was looking for guidelines on  what speed/shift combos made the GS the happiest.

Thanks
Liz

[chinox22x]

usually around town where the speed limit is 45mph,  my top gear is 4th gear.  That's running around 45 - 55mph.  I don't speed as i've gotten too many of those on my suv, not to mention a bike is a "hotter" target for cops.

but around the neighborhood, i'm on 2nd gear at 25mph, usually it stays at about 4k rpm.

when i'm feeling funky, if i'm on a 45mph zone, i stay at 3rd gear, the rpm is about 6.5k at 45mph which gives a nice sounding lawnmower.  :mrgreen:

[SuZuki10]

I shift at around 4.5-5.5 RPM's  My speeds and gears are pretty much like the previous post. Around town, I'm in 3rd gear more than 4th, but I tend to go slow around here (lots of kids).  When I first started I had the same question about shifting, you will quickly learn when to shift by the sound of your bike and the way it feels.  I didn't think I'd get it at first, but it came naturally and really quickly.  
I'd say find a long quiet road (if possible) where you can go at different speeds without the fear of getting pulled over, to practice looking at your tachometer and hearing the sound of the bike to learn when to shift.  

Hope that's helpful.

[coll0412]

Also when riding you can feel when the rpms you are riding are too high for crusin simply letting go of the throttle. THe biek decalerates quickly you are have a lot of internal friction. I have notice around 3500-4500 rpms is good for cruising with some good power if you open the throttle. I would avoid high rpm cruising because you get more engine wear over the smae distince as opposed to upshifting. But be aware of not "lugging" the bike as it hard on the internal components as well as the chain. As well as not enough lubrication at low rpms and a high load. Just try out different rpms and shifting styles. You will find one you like.

[coll0412]

Proof reading helps people understand what you are trying to say. Sorry for the horrible grammer. Jeez I look retarded.

[Kerry]

Proof reading helps people understand what you are trying to say.

The Preview button is your friend!  

Seriously ... I try to read over my posts both ways (in the editor window and in "Preview mode") because I catch different mistakes by reviewing what I've written in two different ways.

Oh, and the Preview mode helps you make sure that all image and page links will work after you Submit....  

[chinox22x]

Proof reading helps people understand what you are trying to say. Sorry for the horrible grammer. Jeez I look retarded.

in addition, double spacing and using the "enter" key doesn't hurt  

[scratch]

I've noticed that the GS loses about a 1000 rpm each shift. So, if I cruise at about 4100rpm I usually shift around 5100+rpm. I ride by tach, or feel, which is what you learn on dirtbikes; dirtbikes usually don't have any instrumentation, so you have to learn by feel. That's why earplugs have been such a good learning tool for me, as I am used to riding by how much engine noise I hear. But with earplugs, I have to 'feel' the rpm's. I have to 'feel' where I am in the powerband, and it makes me a smoother rider.

[mp183]

I always look at the rpms not speed when shifting.  In city traffic where you need to react quickly stay between 5K & 6K.  Anything lower will be bad news when you have to react quickly.  The higher the rpms the easier it is to brake and accelerate.  If I'm in the middle of a pack of yellow cabs I stay between 6 & 7K.

[EazyAsOne23]

i do like the rest of the crew 4-6 k on the tach dependin on the situation

[LizardQueen]

Thanks, guys, this is very helpful.

My car  is a stick, but doesn't rev as high or sound the same as the bike. The few times I've got the GS going fast enough to upshift  I've shifted too soon, I think I'm basing it on how the car sounds/feels.  Having tach/speedo guidelines will  help, and I'll eventually get used to it.

Liz

[Mountaineer]

Just keeping the rpms above 3000 when accelerating is a useful approach. You can even dip down into the 2500-3000 range if you're just moving slowly through neigborhoods. I tend to keep the bike in a low rpm range when cruising 30-55mph. The harder you accelerate, probably the more you want to use higher revs. Once you hit highway speeds, leave it in 6th and if you end up getting below about 40, drop into 5th. I'm in 4th a lot when I hit twisty, curvy moutain roads.

Like the folks say, you'll develop a feel for this after a while.

BTW, I'm getting 75mpg on a stock 2001 with 6000 miles.

Since you're still very new to this, you should find some nice, quiet roads with little traffic. In fact, after 30+ years I STILL stick to quiet country roads with little traffic unless I need to actually go somewhere.