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Shift light who uses one and where did you get yours?

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    Shift light who uses one and where did you get yours?

    I was driving to a roundabout last night. Hereabouts loonies charge into the circulation at the highest possible speed. Seeing me on a bike 5 or 6 cars ran the yield. I opted to let them do so in order to not be killed.

    Its a 2km stretch on the branch I and the cars exited onto. Down a slight grade with new ashphalt so I carefully tore past the *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$s with a terminal speed somewhere about 220 kmph.

    Its really almost impossible to safely see the tach doing something like this and as I eased onto the exit ramp on the way home I realized that oddly my tachs redline was between 12 and 14 thousand rpm. Does that strike anyone as odd?

    So I reckon a shift light would be nice. Im pretty sure I never redlined though maybe hit 9 or 10 K.




    Anyway the old speed shifter is a grand toy. It really let me show the hyundai econobox guys who was boss.
    1983 GS 550 LD
    2009 BMW K1300s

    #2
    Originally posted by Cipher View Post
    ...my tachs redline was between 12 and 14 thousand rpm.
    I'm going to venture a guess that you were not riding your Suzie.

    What strikes you as odd? That it is a red 'zone,' and not just a line? My CB350 had a red zone from 9 to 11k. The manual explained that I could briefly operate anywhere in the red, but to never go past it.

    Never used a shift light. In any gear, if I'm near redline on the 11E, the tach is not where I want my eyes to be. But my peripheral vision (and my ears) can usually detect when I'm near red line.
    1982 GS1100E V&H "SS" exhaust, APE pods, 1150 oil cooler, 140 speedo, 99.3 rear wheel HP, black engine, '83 red

    2016 XL883L sigpic Two-tone blue and white. Almost 42 hp! Status: destroyed, now owned by the insurance company. The hole in my memory starts an hour before the accident and ends 24 hours after.

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      #3
      As Rob hints, using your eyes to see a light requires focus, which will detract from your task at hand.

      On the other hand (what are they doing there?), your ears are always working. Just learn what is "too fast".

      .
      sigpic
      mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
      hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
      #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
      #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
      Family Portrait
      Siblings and Spouses
      Mom's first ride
      Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
      (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

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        #4
        You didn't hit redline if you were on your BMW...it has a rev limiter just like mine.
        No signature

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          #5
          Honestly why are you needing to look at the tach to shift? Whether riding a motorcycle or driving a automobile, shifting should be by feel and sound in my opinion
          sigpic
          Cowboy Up or Quit. - Run Free Lou and Rest in Peace

          1981 GS550T - My First
          1981 GS550L - My Eldest Daughter's
          2007 GSF1250SA Bandit - My touring bike

          Sit tall in the saddle Hold your head up high
          Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky and live like you ain't afraid to die
          and don't be scared, just enjoy your ride - Chris Ledoux, "The Ride"

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            #6
            Proform makes an inexpensive stand alone shift light that you can buy pretty cheap. I used one on a built KTM powered quad. Although it really wasn't sealed, it didn't seem to mind water. MSD makes a pricier one that's brighter and built more solid. It's nice to have them so you can see when to shift while not having to take your eyes off what's in front of you. Usually best to set them about 500-1000 rpm past peak hp rpm for best acceleration.
            1982 GS1100E "Jolene"

            Comment


              #7
              Honestly why are you needing to look at the tach to shift? Whether riding a motorcycle or driving a automobile, shifting should be by feel and sound in my opinion
              yes that's what I do but I can't hear my bike with a crowd of Harleys nearby or feel it either...I suppose it can happen with wind-noise/earplugs too on newer bikes...wFeeling is pretty slight at low rpms on Suzuki fours and the twins too. If I can't hear/feel the bike I have to look at insturments to tell what's happening.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Gorminrider View Post
                ... but I can't hear my bike with a crowd of Harleys nearby or feel it either. ...
                If you can't hear your bike with a crowd of Harleys (or any other bike, for that matter) around, you are simply TOO CLOSE and need to remove yourself from the area.

                .
                sigpic
                mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
                hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
                #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
                #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
                Family Portrait
                Siblings and Spouses
                Mom's first ride
                Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
                (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Steve View Post
                  If you can't hear your bike with a crowd of Harleys (or any other bike, for that matter) around, you are simply TOO CLOSE and need to remove yourself from the area.

                  .
                  Preferably by dropping a gear and raising the rpms
                  sigpic
                  Cowboy Up or Quit. - Run Free Lou and Rest in Peace

                  1981 GS550T - My First
                  1981 GS550L - My Eldest Daughter's
                  2007 GSF1250SA Bandit - My touring bike

                  Sit tall in the saddle Hold your head up high
                  Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky and live like you ain't afraid to die
                  and don't be scared, just enjoy your ride - Chris Ledoux, "The Ride"

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Yeah, while riding on lonely roads it helps to have a tach and try different shift points, remember how the bike felt and sounded like at those shifts.
                    For drag racing a shift light is useful, but that is a singular way of racing.
                    In your situation, which is road racing, you did well.
                    Track riding:
                    Looking down at the tach or speedo on the race track is discouraged by track day coaches, you need to watch the road and other bikes.
                    I do flick my eyes down at the tach at shift points, but I mark those shift points with passing landmarks, so I won't have to look down anymore. Same as is recommended for breaking and turn in points.
                    I do look down at the tach and speedo at maximum speed points on the straights, to know if I did the last corner well and for satisfaction.
                    The sprockets should be chosen so the engine is redlined at that point of the straight.
                    "Only fe' collected the old way, has any value." from His Majesty O'Keefe (1954 film)
                    1982 GS1100G- road bike, body, seat and suspension modded
                    1990 GSX750F-(1127cc '92 GSXR engine) track bike, much re-engineered
                    1987 Honda CBR600F Hurricane; hooligan bike, restored

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Steve View Post
                      If you can't hear your bike with a crowd of Harleys (or any other bike, for that matter) around, you are simply TOO CLOSE and need to remove yourself from the area.

                      .
                      That can be hard to do at a stoplight. Or even passing /being passed by a harley-horde.

                      Preferably by dropping a gear and raising the rpms [/QUOTE] that helps! My hearing still handles high frequencies ok
                      Last edited by Gorminrider; 08-22-2020, 11:10 AM.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Steve View Post
                        If you can't hear your bike with a crowd of Harleys (or any other bike, for that matter) around, you are simply TOO CLOSE and need to remove yourself from the area.
                        Originally posted by Gorminrider View Post
                        That can be hard to do at a stoplight. Or even passing /being passed by a harley-horde.
                        If you are at a stoplight, a shift light won't do much good.
                        It might help when the light turns green, though.

                        Passing a harley-horde is usually pretty easy, probably does not even involve a downshift.
                        When being passed by a harley-horde, you have a couple of choices. You can wake up to the realization that you have been riding WAY too slow, then wick it up to show them who's REALLY the boss, or you can turn onto a more-interesting road or even simply stop to take a break.

                        .
                        sigpic
                        mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
                        hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
                        #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
                        #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
                        Family Portrait
                        Siblings and Spouses
                        Mom's first ride
                        Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
                        (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Steve View Post
                          As Rob hints, using your eyes to see a light requires focus, which will detract from your task at hand.

                          On the other hand (what are they doing there?), your ears are always working. Just learn what is "too fast".

                          .
                          I haven't tried a shift light yet, but I'm thinking the correct configuration should be to have the light visible in your peripheral vision and not need to use focused vision. Just like we should train ourselves to use peripheral vision to monitor obstacles and lane position in the near field so focus can stay down the road where it belongs. The whole point is to not look at the tach, right?

                          For street riding, I would tend to agree that shifting by sound should normally be fine, but there are times when I want to know how many revs I have left, and I don't want to take my eyes off the road. I think it would be a welcome addition for those times you want it, just like the tachometer itself. I have a project in the works to convert to an electronic tach, and the one I have came with a shift light. I'm looking forward to trying it out.
                          Dogma
                          --
                          O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you! - David

                          Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep insights can be winnowed from deep nonsense. - Carl Sagan

                          --
                          '80 GS850 GLT
                          '80 GS1000 GT
                          '01 ZRX1200R

                          How to get a "What's New" feed without the Vortex, and without permanently quitting the Vortex

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Dogma View Post
                            I haven't tried a shift light yet, but I'm thinking the correct configuration should be to have the light visible in your peripheral vision and not need to use focused vision. Just like we should train ourselves to use peripheral vision to monitor obstacles and lane position in the near field so focus can stay down the road where it belongs. The whole point is to not look at the tach, right?

                            For street riding, I would tend to agree that shifting by sound should normally be fine, but there are times when I want to know how many revs I have left, and I don't want to take my eyes off the road. I think it would be a welcome addition for those times you want it, just like the tachometer itself. I have a project in the works to convert to an electronic tach, and the one I have came with a shift light. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

                            Wow yeah yah dont need to focus to see a light. Im now leaning towards a probe with an electric shock. Would certainly make the shift points and engine noise\vibration stick in ones mind.

                            If I was rich and crazy i would get the BMW HP dash it has a sweeping light for a tach iirc. Ever increasing in size then changing green to red.
                            1983 GS 550 LD
                            2009 BMW K1300s

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