Shifting

[Anonymous]

My 1980 GS1000G is my first motorcycle.I've had it for 3 months now and am not sure if I'm shifting right.I've beenshifting from all gears at 2500 rpm's.I talked to a mechanic at alocal shop and he says that I should be up shifting at around 5000 to 7000 rpms(on flat land). Can anyone help me?

 

[Anonymous]

shifting

shifting

IN MY OPINION, he is nuts 8O OR HE JUST DID A LOUSY JOB OF TUNING UP YOUR BIKE AND IS TRYING TO COVER FOR HIMSELF --use the sound and feel of the engine--on flat ground i shift at 2 to 3 000 rpm with no trouble and i weigh 250 pounds-if you want to accelerate quickly then use higher rpms but 5 to 7 k it out of line especially with a 1000cc it has enough torque to allow lower rpm shifts- I think that usually a g model is geared lower to start with and that should make it even easier to shift a t lower rpm-OTHER OPINIONS OR FACTS PLEASE???

 

[Anonymous]

Shifting

Thanks Slowpoke. It didn't sound to good when I was shifting so high on flat land. Where I was shifting sounded and felt better,but I just wanted another opinion. Thanks again,
Dale

 

[Anonymous]

shifting

shifting

What engine RPM you shift at on the street has to do with many things, namely how fast you want to accelerate...... On my bike, it is not unusual at all to shift at 9000 rpm, in fact, I do it quite often, because I like to accelerate fast. That's the reason I've spent more on mods than I did on the bike. On the other hand, when I'm taking it easy, I might shift at 4000 rpm. It really all comes down to you needing to be used to your bike and where its power is at. I don't think it is applicable to give a standard 'shift point' though..... I've been driving manual transmission vehicles in bikes, cars, dump trucks, etc. for years, and there are just too many factors to take into consideration. My suggestion is just ride a lot and it'll all seem natural in time.

 

[Anonymous]

Shifting

I agree, shift when it feels like you should. I normally shift at 4000, but thats riding for pleasure (99.9% of the time). Don't have to look at the tach, I just "know" when its time to shift. Now, when I'm in the mood to get going I can pull my bike up to 7500 before shifting. Talk about a wallop in the butt. And thats with a 850 shaftie. I can only imagine what it would be like to ride a larger GS with a chain. My 2nd bike, a fixer upper then sell it off, is a 83 KAW GPz750. Now.........that is one hell of a crotch rocket in a straight line. Ohter than that its the worst handling bike I've ever sat on.

 

[Anonymous]

shifting

shifting

Isn't there a point where you can do damage to the gears?When I take off from a stop in 1st gear and I reach 5000rpms it doesn't sound to good.And isn't there a point when you just don't go any faster in that gear, and you have to shift if you want to go any faster.But can't you do damage if you keep pushing that envelope.The bike is 22 years old and I don't know how it was taken care of before hand.Will I do any damage if I stick to shifting at 2500 rpms, or is that to low for this bike?

 

[Anonymous]

shifting

shifting

Its always possible to damage the tranny. Shifts forks can wear or break, gears can strip. When I want to accelerate quickly I'll run my bike to 7000 to 7500 before shifting and it also sounds like alot of "straining" is going on. I think that is just the nature of 1st gear. Its a very low gear designed to move a large mass of metal/human from a standing start. You could try shifting out of 1st around 4000 and then running 2nd on up. Of all the time I've been here on GS Resources I can't remember anyone complaining of breaking a tranny (but then again, I'm a old fart with a memory span of about .000000001 seconds). Mostly its been talk about clutches going and what is the best replacement. But you are right, your bike and mine are 22 years old. All mechanical things break and/or wear down eventually. Shifting at 2500 RPMs and keeping the revs low, in my opinion, is just lugging the engine. Hard lugging causes lots of carbon buildup in the clylinders. I like to keep my bike at or around 4000 to 4500, which in 5th gear is 70 to 75 MPH.