I would like to know what gear can you use in different speeds. For example what is the biggest gear you can use in 80km/h (50mph), 100km/h (62mph) and 120km/h (75mph). What gears are in those speeds the most economical? Is there enough power to drive 60mph with sixth gear?
I can go 40mph in 6th gear. You won't realy get up that fast but you can do it.
Quote from: 96gsI can go 40mph in 6th gear. You won't realy get up that fast but you can do it.
Yeah, but i want to know that when it is reasonable to drive. In what gears are you usually driving yourself...
It's whatever you're comfortable with. You can do 40mph in 6th with no power if you're just cruising and want the power band smooth and weak. Or go 40mph in lower gear to accelerate or ride with power.
I don't think there's a right answer to this question.
ASLAM.
Well usually cruising around I will shift around 6k rpm, but thats just puttin around. If I'm goin maybe 50mph for about 10 miles I'll just shift up into 6th for no reason at all. Now when I'm taking off hard I'll shift around 10k rpm. Hope this helps. :cheers:
Yeah, gearing is just a matter of taste. For example, for hard accelleration, you'd shift later than on cruising. That's the beauty of driving anything with a standard transmition, you get a feel for your own driving style. I suppose, theoretically, the GS could just have 3 gears or something and you could start in 2nd or 3rd. Just feel it out, that would be my advice.
Quote from: OrawaI would like to know what gear can you use in different speeds. For example what is the biggest gear you can use in 80km/h (50mph), 100km/h (62mph) and 120km/h (75mph). What gears are in those speeds the most economical? Is there enough power to drive 60mph with sixth gear?
Try riding with the tachometer for a while instead of the speedometer. My stock 97 GS500 doesn't pull well below about 4000 rpm. So when cruising around easy, I run between 4000 and 6000 rpm. When wanting to run rapidly, I run between 7000 and 9000 rpm. A 2000 rpm range is all you need with a 6 speed tranny. With standard gearing, it was not happy below about 60 mph in 6th gear. With a 15 tooth front sprocket instead of a 16, it runs good down to about 50 in 6th.
My 02 GS500 is quite different. Much more flexible and much less cold blooded in stock form. It feels just as good at 3000 rpm as the 97 does at 4000 rpm. Pulls along nicely at 50 mph in 6th gear.
Generally a bike gives best gas milage in a higher gear, but if too high the gas milage will drop off because the engine is lugging. If you are trying to get max fuel economy, try to keep a 2000 or older GS500 cruising around 4000 rpm and for a 2001 or newer GS500 in the 3-4000 rpm range. Of course above 60 mph you will be running 5000 rpm and up.
These thoughts are for stock US spec bikes. I would guess that older Euro spec bikes being jetted less lean would be more flexible. Perhaps more like our newer 2001 and up models.
i usually match my gears, rpm and mph until 30mph... so from 0-10 1st, 10-20 2nd, 20-30 3rd, and from there on... i usually stay pretty high in rpm... 30-50mph 4th, 50-65 5th, 65- 6th... but dont listen to me... i dont know shaZam!...
Thank you all for your replies. I was just wondering how low can you go with different gears. Now i know :) The reply from gsJack was quite good. I thought that under 5000rpm the bike would not have power to drive with 6th gear. I myself dont own a gs but i intend to buy one in about 4 months. I am really looking forward to that. 8)