Speed for gears?

[Gavbot]

Hello,
I just bought myself a 2003 GS500E, my first motorbike. I've been out on it once so far and already enjoying it.

When changing gears, I just changed when the engine started getting noisey, I didn't really look at speed or revs. The same when down changing, change when the engine starts to stutter a tiny bit.

I was reading general advice on motorcycling and one comment was to stay in the power band, so as to have that quick response there when you need it. I saw from another thread that the powerband on the GS500e is around 6k. Is that the the type of RPMs people would drive in ?

Thanks,
Gavin

[Atesz792]

For semi-spirited riding, I shift up around 6k, no way am I cruising near that in lower gears. Of course when you need to go fast, that's a different story, for example you may see me overtaking near 10k.
Just putting around you can shift up around 4k in the lower 2-3 gears, 5k after that.
Where I generally try to shift down is around:
4k in 6th, 5th, 4th
Sometimes 3,5k in 4th
3k in 3rd
Almost stationary in 2nd.
(I hate lugging engines.)
Just my 2 cents, welcome here, ride safe and have fun!

[Gavbot]

Cheers, thanks for that!

[MeeLee]

I put a +1t on the front and a 35T on the rear.
Good for cruising.
It's kinda hard on the engine, and it can do 85MPH in 6th gear, but I need to shift to 5th gear to get it to surpass 100MPH.

4th gear is geared like a 250 this way (1MPH per 1000RPM, so at 10k rpm, I'm going 100MPH).
It's set up never to get tickets like this, unless I want to 

Everyone is different.
I try to ride the bike in the 4k range, and don't need much more acceleration, save for when overtaking someone (6k range).
At 8-8.5k RPM you're hitting the powerband, so that's a good rev range to do more spirited riding.

I hardly ever take it above 9k RPM, as with these old engines it doesn't benefit going beyond 9k RPM (HP drops, and it's better to shift up to a higher gear).

[gsJack]

...................I was reading general advice on motorcycling and one comment was to stay in the power band, so as to have that quick response there when you need it. I saw from another thread that the powerband on the GS500e is around 6k. Is that the the type of RPMs people would drive in....................

The power band of a stock GS500 is at about 7-9k rpm and while I might run for hours at those engine speeds in the mountain twisties I would be running more like 3-6k rpm running about locally day in and day out. It only takes an instant to downshift a gear or two if you need more power.

[Watcher]

Depends on your riding objectives and a little bit on your weight.  The GS500 doesn't make really good pull until over 6k, maybe 7-8k, but that being said it'll still accelerate fine at 3-4k if you give it a handful and aren't the same weight as an African elephant...

If I am riding around like an A-hole, I'll let it approach the 11k redline before shifting.  The bike is a lot quicker than a lot of people give it credit for, it'll zoom around like a rocket if you push it.
If I am minding my manners or just wanting to be more fuel efficient I'll usually shift around 5k or so.
Average I'll let it get to about 6-7k before shifting.  More spirited without going crazy on it.

My biggest issue is my commute involves interstate and at the traffic speeds on I-294 my bike is in 6th gear cruising at about 6-7k, which is a little high for my liking.  I'll probably go up a tooth on my sprocket like I did with my last GS500 to keep highway RPMs down a bit.

[MeeLee]

Depends on your riding objectives and a little bit on your weight.  The GS500 doesn't make really good pull until over 6k, maybe 7-8k, but that being said it'll still accelerate fine at 3-4k if you give it a handful and aren't the same weight as an African elephant...

If I am riding around like an A-hole, I'll let it approach the 11k redline before shifting.  The bike is a lot quicker than a lot of people give it credit for, it'll zoom around like a rocket if you push it.
If I am minding my manners or just wanting to be more fuel efficient I'll usually shift around 5k or so.
Average I'll let it get to about 6-7k before shifting.  More spirited without going crazy on it.

My biggest issue is my commute involves interstate and at the traffic speeds on I-294 my bike is in 6th gear cruising at about 6-7k, which is a little high for my liking.  I'll probably go up a tooth on my sprocket like I did with my last GS500 to keep highway RPMs down a bit.

Ever since I plugged in a +1t front, and a 35t rear, I don't get no tickets anymore, because it doesn't get to much past 80MPH.
If I duck, with a little wind in the back, it still reaches 98MPH in 6th.
Highway revs are around 5k RPM at 80MPH.
Shift to 5th, and it continues to 112MPH (and more if I don't run out of road first) on the internal speedo.

I'm just saying that I like how the bike stays within 'legal speed limits' (meaning, on the I95 and I75 the speed limit is 60MPH, but most cars do 80MPH, meaning I won't go much faster than them...).

[Janx101]

My bike stays within legal speed limits (or not) by using my throttle, brain and eyeball the Speedometer. ..

... saying sprocket size stops speeding is like saying glass size prevents drunkenness!

[twocool]

LOL.....

There's logic...then there's meeleelogic

Cookie

My bike stays within legal speed limits (or not) by using my throttle, brain and eyeball the Speedometer. ..

... saying sprocket size stops speeding is like saying glass size prevents drunkenness!

[ShowBizWolf]

My bike stays within legal speed limits (or not) by using my throttle, brain and eyeball the Speedometer. ..

... saying sprocket size stops speeding is like saying glass size prevents drunkenness!

Well said Janx, I concur! 

[gsJack]

This gal loves her 1998 GS500E
Superbike bars, 180/40 back tire, 20w fork oil, fenderectomy, '04 gixxer nose fairing and signals, custom front fender, Chuck81 fork brace, full stainless exhaust, GSF style tail lens

Pics, we need pics of your 180/40 rear tire!

[ShowBizWolf]

Edit: I am a SPED haha 

[Janx101]

I'll stand corrected if need be, but numbers in wrong order? .. photo 'looks' more 140/80 ?

[ShowBizWolf]

Thanks for catching that for me guys!  That's what I get for editing my signature late at night while enjoying some beverages 

Nothing new to see here 

[Janx101]

... teehee! ... all good young lady!

... I was going crosseyed trying to picture a 40 profile bike tyre!

Matter of interest. .. anyone know if such a thing exists? 40 profile? ... be a specialist hoop for sure!

[Atesz792]

https://reifen66.com/2104018-c-419_425_678.html

Though it might not fit on the GS so easily...

[Janx101]

On my phone and tapatalk. .. that link set off a function in my phone I didn't know about.... gave me a alert saying reifen might be trying to steal my info?!

Anyone else?

[bmf]

Seems like their site certificate is no longer valid,  might be an innocent mistake, might not!

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[Atesz792]

Oops, sorry, no warning on my laptop.

[ShowBizWolf]

Here is the pic from that link... 210/40/18 Metzeler   What a hoop!!!

Since I was the one with the typo I should be given the challenge to make it work on a GS    Haha okay right after I'm done with my car!! 

Wouldn't it be a SIGHT    I'm sure there's something done like that out there in the GS world....

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