Safe sustained RPM range?

[Kijona]

I am sure this question has been asked before but I can't find it so forgive me if it's an old question.

I want to know what would be a "safe" (i.e., no excessive wear on the motor) sustained RPM range? On the highway if I want to do 75 (indicated), the tach is just over 6k RPM. I mean...is this gonna wear it out faster? It's an 07 GS500"F" model. 17k on the clock.

I've heard of people doing sustained 90mph rides for hours and no immediate detriment. *shrug* I just want some opinions here. Also, I'm about 185lbs, maybe 200 with gear on.

[Dr.McNinja]

If you don't want to wear the motor don't ride it. Pretty simple.

Other than that the bike is made for sustained higher RPMs. Most people coming from cars don't understand that bikes run their best higher up in the RPM range. If you're at 75 mph and you're at 6k you're probably sitting in 5th gear. I can break 90 in 6th gear with it at ~6500-7000 RPM. Once the bike is warm sustained RPMs at 7k probably won't do any damage to your bike. Check your oil every so often and adjust your change intervals based on how hard you ride your bike.

If you're not red lining your bike you aren't riding it hard enough. My bike runs fine and I've ran it up to 8k+ on the highway for miles forgetting I was in 5th gear.

[Kijona]

Okay, I understand the bit about the car, however, this is my 4th motorcycle. I'm not "coming from a car".

For instance, my KLR shouldn't be run over 5k RPM because it has a detriment to the motor (burns oil, wears out the rings a LOT faster), and I was wondering if there's a magical RPM where stuff starts falling apart on the GS.

Also, no, I'm in 6th doing that speed. I believe it has the original gearing but I'd have to count the teeth.

[BaltimoreGS]

The GS horsepower and torque curves drop off around 9,000 RPM's (well below redline), running at 6,000 RPM's is fine.

-Jessie

[Tombstones81]

heh this is actually one thing that I always wondered about while riding but forgot about when I wasnt.

So I simply played it safe and stuck around 5 to 6K while puttin around town.

[Watevaman]

 I don't know, but 5k is pretty loud with my V&H pipe and I wouldn't want to ride around with it that high.

Personally I keep it anywhere from 3.5-4k while cruising. Shifting usually around 4.5k or 5k.

[Shaddow]

As I do whenever I go out for weekend rides my bike spent most of Sunday morning in 3rd gear moving between 6000rpm and 10000rpm for 200 kms (ride was 270kms long). Its had this sort of riding since I bought it two years and 30,000kms ago. No weird noises / rattles, still plenty of power, no excessive wear, etc

Also just remember just because power stops increasing at 9000rpm that doesn't instantly make it a change point.

[Shaddow]

Forgot to add. Economy seems best around 4000rpm (in my experience) but haven't looked at dyno charts to see if that is a reasonable or if there is a better spot.

[comradeiggy]

Probably because of speed, to be honest. Your most efficient rpm will be at the point of max torque. Accounting for aerodynamic drag though, slower is better.

[burning1]

It should be fine to run the GS500 at 6K, although that does sound a little higher than necessary. Are you using modified gearing?

[ghostrider_23]

My average around town RPM is 5K to 5500K and when I get on it I shift around 7500K No problems so far

[Oracle]

I've made a acouple 260mile trips to the river on my suki and on the freeway in the boonies I'm usually don 90 at 7k rpms. No noticeable wear. And that's with the cracked cam end cap. It hasn't gotten worse but I've been avoiding redlining or pushing her to hard til I do something about the end cap. I did notice that if u push it beyond 7k for long period she starts burn oil at a noticeable rate. Below that and she doesn't really burn any.

[sledge]

The rpm x time figure is not really significant , its load x time that has more importance in this issue. For instance....consider an 18st rider slogging uphill against a headwind at 3k rpm for 30mins ......and......an 12 stone rider heading downhill at 6k rpm with a tailwind for 30mins....which scenario is going to cause cause more engine wear?

When an engine is subject to a widely varying load cycle its wear rates become impossible to predict with any accuracy. If it was chugging away at 3k rpm seeing a constant load of 40hp for 12 hours a day 5 days a week wear rates could be determined and forecast but with a bike engine this just doesnt happen.

Just keep changing the oil and filter on a regular basis and accept that wear is inevitable regardless of your riding style.

[Dr.McNinja]

I don't know, but 5k is pretty loud with my V&H pipe and I wouldn't want to ride around with it that high.

Personally I keep it anywhere from 3.5-4k while cruising. Shifting usually around 4.5k or 5k.

It feels like I'm not going anywhere if I don't have my RPMs > 4k. Don't know how you do it.


That being said I regularly ride well over 6k with my yoshi TRS sans baffle - if anything it lets the retarded cagers know I'm somewhere around them. It's sickeningly loud without the baffle, but I LOVE loud so it's all good.

[mister]

DrMc... if you're doing 75mph in 5th gear and it's only 6k rpm, then you do NOT have a stock set up.

Stock, at 75mph (120kph) the bike will be around 6,000 rpm and be in 6th gear.

Kijona, as you have seen, you can ride at 75 in 6th at 6,000rpm all day long and the bike will be fine - as long as you have oil and fuel.

For some added info.... if you change up around 5k to 5.5k you'll find that is fine for around town. Note, you can puddle around in 4th gear at 4,000 rpm and you'll be doing around 37mph (60kph). Without changing gears and only twisting the throttle, 4th gear will take you up to 87mph (140kph) and will be doing 9,000rpm.

Michael

[twocool]

I am sure this question has been asked before but I can't find it so forgive me if it's an old question.

I want to know what would be a "safe" (i.e., no excessive wear on the motor) sustained RPM range? On the highway if I want to do 75 (indicated), the tach is just over 6k RPM. I mean...is this gonna wear it out faster? It's an 07 GS500"F" model. 17k on the clock.

I've heard of people doing sustained 90mph rides for hours and no immediate detriment. *shrug* I just want some opinions here. Also, I'm about 185lbs, maybe 200 with gear on.

It is far better to run the GS (and just about any gas engine) at higher rpm and lower throttlethan the other way around ( wide open throttle and low rpm)..

Wide open throttle makes high manifold pressure.....high manifold pressure with low rpm = strain on engine...often called "lugging"

In other words don't go chuggin around in a high gear at low rpm..like 2000 rpm and wide open throttle...

6000 rpm is about mid range fo rthe GS so it's fine.......actually the gs has a wide mid range so anything form say 4000, to 8000 is probably fine.......

Fuel economy is probably better at the lower ranges...but acceleration is better at higher ranges...
(probably the fuel economy is more a factor of how wide you open the throttle, than the actual rpm)  "jack rabbit" starts if you will....

sustained running at very low rpm or very high rpm will cause wear and other problems....but over the long term....

Cookie

[ghostrider_23]

At 5500 RPM's the bike sounds so good with my Scorpion can and yes it does seem to let the cages know you are next/near them. Also I agree that > 5K the bike does move and if you too need to move you have the power left without down shifting to do so

[joker88]

i found for cruising speeds ie 100km-120km i sitting about 5-6k best power i found is more between 7-10k. you can take it further but the power drops off slightly and unless your drag racing trying to top out your better off changeing and not over stressing the engine. upon saying that however if i want max speed out of my gs i have to wind the revs out to about 11.5 k which loads it up but i change my oil quite regularly and i keep it from bouncing but then i also need to change my timing chain, this could be a side effect of the high revs ??   

[twinrat]

i ride my bike in town at about 3000 to 3300 rpm in town as its only a air cooled engine and will be creating excessive heat that the low road speed will not be able to get rid of .on the highway between 5300 to 5500 rpm .only because i need to keep my license as i commute 21miles to work .

[DoD#i]

It feels like I'm not going anywhere if I don't have my RPMs > 4k. Don't know how you do it.
...
It's sickeningly loud without the baffle, but I LOVE loud so it's all good.

You have no low-end power (gutless below 4K rpm) because you've mucked up the exhaust. You think you've improved it, of course - but in making it obnoxious, you've also removed your own ability to ride with power in all RPM ranges.

As to the original question - ride wherever you are comfortable, change the sprockets if you are not comfortable, and replace as needed. Changing the oil and filter regularly makes a lot more difference than avoiding any part of the tach that's not in red.

...Perhaps I should mention that mine has ~121,000 miles...not all put on by me. GS Jack has more input on lots of miles mostly put on by him, which boils down to "leave the exhaust valves set a bit loose" as the Prime Directive for GS engine life (though not checking the oil level will bite you, of course.)