Hi Everyone.
Newbie to the forum, but am loving the info.
Im just wondering what rev range everyone rides in?
I have an 02 GS500 E and am getting conflicting advice as to what rev range to ride in?
I have been told 4K by one and 6-8K by another.
Any advice?
Also, bike is stock.
Any suggestions on what mods are a must do?
Thank you.

Jutto

If you do a search you'll probably come across a few threads on this. I know I put one up when i started a ways back.
after you've ridden a bit you'll be able to feel the 'happy cruizing zone' for the bike. where its not working hard but you can twist the throttle and it will still pull. for me thats around 4 1/2 to 5 for my general city roads. the bike doesn't mind anywhere between about 4 to 8 though. at 4 it will feel a bit unresponsive, and up at 8 it doesn't feel like its still got the pull i'd want with a sudden need to get a out of a situation.
keep her where you feel most happy and comfortable. 

Cheers
HH

Great question, simple answer is stay in the most responsive gear, generally thats about 4 - 6 thousand rpm's. Now having said this it very much depends on the riding situation. Riding in the tight twisty stuff this is definetly the case as you need to accelerate out of the corner most of the time this calls for 3rd gear. Now if your out on the open highway crusing along minding your own business keeping an eye out for everyone else trying to kill you 6th gear will do, but ride with your toe next to the gear lever ready to change down. Just spend time in the seat ride around explore the area that you live in, go on group ride with bikes around the same performance level as your GS that way you will likely have less show offy people doing wheelies etc and acting like a total wanker. Find a group of riders who know there stuff and dont attract attention to themselves. Hope this helps. 

If it's in good tune, (ie, valves have been properly adjusted, oil has been changed and it is at proper level, etc....)

Anywhere between 2K & 10K is good. If you want it to do something it's not happy doing where it's at, shift. ie, you can putter along at 2K, but if you need to accelerate, you had better drop a couple of gears first. And it can zoom along at 10K, but if you're going to pass through a residential area at 3 am, you had better shift up a few gears unless you want to have an unfriendly encounter of the worst kind with officer obie.

IMHO, fork springs are the only really critical mod. The stockers suck rocks (though I think someone posted evidence that they suck fewer rocks after about '04.) May be fine -if- you weigh 97 lbs soaking wet fully geared up.

That is a great question.  Ive found 3rd gear to be perfect for 80% of the in city riding i do. Usually one lane roads, speed limit about 35 mph. Your standard stuff.
Its a good gear for staying relatively quiet, but still has punch if you need it.


And seriously, the stock springs are AWEFUL. Im 5'10" and 185 lbs. and it bottoms out pulling out of my driveway.

I generally keep my RPM's between 3500 and 5000 while riding. If I'm going through a canyon with twisties, I'll be fine with staying at 5500 the whole time but I never just "ride" with them above 6000. That's pointless. The only time I leave the engine at that high of an RPM is when I'm going down the freeway and have no choice

My GS doesn't like anything below 3000, or the ride starts feeling choppy. So, like I said, between 3500 and 5000 is the sweet spot for me. Still tons of pulling power if I have to gas it, and it's a great balance between that, gas mileage, and noise.

I have a question on this topic. My GS tends to feel a bit rough in the 4-5K range. Nothing serious just seems smoother either side of that rev range. Does anybody else experience this? Thanks.

Jutto,

In 4th gear the bike will ride comfortably at 60kph and you'll be roughly 4,000rpm. To get onto a highway you can leave it in 4th if you wish. As that same gear will take you all the way to 140 at 9,000rpm. Or do like I do and change to 5th around 100kph (when merging).

For general riding around town I change gears around 5,500rpm. I'll often leave it in 4th in a 70 zone, but change to 5th if riding at 80. And won't bother with 6th unless I am doing 90 and above. This keeps everything above 4,000rpm - 6th does not really like it near 4,000 but the other gears can handle it fine - my bike has 53,000km on it and I've put all of them on the bike.

Michael