Most of my riding is on Phoenix freeways on my daily commute. Most of that is 75-80mph to keep up with traffic. At 76mph or so, I'm at 6k rpms, and the summer days are 100+ degrees. I'm running Mobil 1 in the bike with no oil consumption yet (6800 miles on bike so far). Is this too much for these bikes, and should I be concerned with engine longevity under these conditions?
I'm sure there's no right or wrong answer - guess mostly what I'm asking is if anyone else is subjecting their bike to conditions like that, and if any issues emerge.
i like to ride my bike in 5th when im below 75 mph, because i don't really care about mpg, and i'd rather have the torque just incase someone merges into me, so i'm always hovering around 7-7.5k. when i shift up at 80, i'm going about 6.5k. havent burned any noticeable oil in the last 5k miles
I live in phoenix, and ride the freeways frequently, 6th gear usually does it for me... I've put about 3k miles on my biike and have yet to see any issues...
I have put about 6000 miles on my 2002 since i got it last year and most of it is highway mileage.
I tend to cruise between 70 and 80, I have a digital tach/speedo so that's actual not indicated mph.
70mph = 7350rpm
75mph = 7500rpm
80mph = 6000rpm
I have ridden in 95+ degrees for 2 hours at 6000rpm and I am burning around 1/2 quart of oil every 3000 miles.
In my opinion 6000 rpm for extended periods is just fine for the GS.
if it wasnt ok to run your bike at 6k for to long they wouldnt give you a redline of 11k run it and enjoy it. as long as you dont run it low on oil youll be fine.
I am in Mesa too and ride to Chandler every day...I changed my rear sprocket to a 45 tooth or 46 I cant remember. and I constantly run 1k rpm higher than normal and at 80mph I am at 8k....it uses some oil but not much.
I agree with everyone else, but also make sure you keep your air filter and oil clean. If you do that and don't stand in traffic with the engine running for long periods, you'll be fine, even in Phoenix.