soo i bought a bike 3 days ago, after  my second day of riding, and 150 miles later, im  wondering what do the GS500 veterans think is the minimum rpm to shift at.  Thanks!

5k

hahahahahahahah 5k?

Shift where ever...if it's not bogging down, you're not too low.  If you're trying to scream along, though, tach it out.

This talk of shifting makes me love my TL...I can idle along in 6th and an idle-to-100mph 6th gear pull is less than 7 seconds.

Welcome to GSTwin, serbianstunna! 

Here are a few threads that discuss various aspects of shifting:

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=25729.0

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=25342.0

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=26798.0

I hope this helps! 

Personally, I never let the RPM drop below 4K unless I'm engine breaking.

In town:
I tend to cruise aroud between 4.5K and 6K.
Accelerating I upshift around 8K

On Highways:
I tend to cruise around between 5.5K and 7.5K
Accelerating I upshift around 9.5K

I believe peak Torque is around 7200 RPM and peak power is at around 9000 RPM.

BRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW


11k. And you should have your knee down in every corner.

YUP If I was revving my engine at 11k
I'd want to get as far away from it as I could.   
I don't fancy meeting a valve that's leaving the engine at speed.

I've accidentally reved my bike above 10.5K once.
The valves floated at about 10.75 K RPM.

That's where the redline is. Shift at the edge for best performance (I have no valve float <-- lucky I guess.)

I catch V-max, muwhahahaha... I feel omnipotent.

I would suggest 4.5k. I usually shift between 4-5.5k.

Naw 8k. 4.5 k never gets at enough power to move faster than traffic.

I Like to get out in front of the cagers so they're not cutting me off.

Yeah that is true. I guess that is for city driving, which is about half of my driving. Then again, I love to hear the sound and feel the rush 6-9k every new moon.

Quote from: makenzie71 on June 07, 2006, 10:30:08 PM
hahahahahahahah 5k?

ok my bad  ....5k is the cruising rpm..... shift in 9k on public streets....i let her scream at the track....

I upshift at about 6K normally.  If I need a quicker boost, I wait until about 7.5K.

I take the it depends approch to shifting.  If i am around town I like to keep the RPMs at around 4.5 - 5k shifting around 6.5 - 7k.  In twisties i like to keep my revs a little higher as I feel I can control the speed of the bike better. 

Hiway riding is way different though, I will wind my GS to 10-10.5k and shift cause cruising with traffice around here in 6th I am pulling at least 6k on the tach.  and my valve float right at 10.75k ish rpms so i don't go over 10.5k ever.

Quote from: Admiral Crunch on June 09, 2006, 07:12:14 AM
I upshift at about 6K normally.  If I need a quicker boost, I wait until about 7.5K.

+1.  And if im feeling it, ill wind out to 9k-10k. Which is usually every on ramp, or lonely road lately.

i shift alway close to 5k or depending on how i feel

I shift anywhere between about 5 and 8......