650 for starter / highway?

Message

jonnythan · Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:01 am

Duane wrote:I stayed in 5th gear.
I'm in 5th gear by the time I hit 40mph generally so I didn't think about dropping it down one. I'm not sure if dropping down to 4th would help or not, I'll test it out this weekend!

Wow, that really sucks. I can understand the complaints now.

I'm surprised Yamaha changed the gearing so much going from the Virago to the V-Star, especially when the engine got over 100cc larger. I'm usually shifting into *4th* as I'm accelerating through 40-45 and 5th as I accelerate past 55. I cruise in 3rd at 40mph and 4th at 50-55mph.

I'm not so sure you need a 6th gear, just a better 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th

tortus · #32 Unread post by **tortus** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:14 am

jonnythan wrote: I'm not so sure you need a 6th gear, just a better 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th

Exactly. I can't tell you how many times I'd be riding along and have this little OCD process take place

"Am I really in fifth?"
*checks*
"Yup, really in fifth."

So at freeway speeds, the v star 650 is revving really high.

gsJack · #33 Unread post by **gsJack** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:36 am

Riding styles or techniques and in particular whether you like to shift or not makes the biggest differences in whether one is satisfied with a half liter bike that gets 60 mpg or one must have a bigger liter bike or more to ride safely.

My 40 HP GS500 for example is a six speed and moves along quite nicely on interstates at 75 mph indicated in 6th gear. If more zip is needed for a steeper hill or to pass, dropping down to 5th or even 4th is automatic with experience and is even necessary to pass safely on 2 lane roads.

When I used to run with big twin friends more often than I do now, I'd generally just leave it in 5th gear on freeways to match their roll on speeds and even dropping to 4th is quick and easy for more pull. The GS redlines in 4th at over 100 mph so it's no problem to do so.

For running at a good pace with bigger bore bikes in the mountain twisties, I'd keep the tach needle between 7k and 9k rpm. Shifting up at 9k just above the HP peak and downshifting around 7k at the torque peak to keep the revs up. Can maintain a very good pace running like that on a small cc bike and it's much fun doing so. If I come home without doing at least a thousand shifts, I feel like I've been out there loafing along.

Sure wish they'd put tachs on cruisers too like they did in the 80's, might have to get one some day to still be able to get on. If you really don't like to shift, get the big cc bike.

Rule62 · #34 Unread post by **Rule62** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:00 am

Check out this site: http://login.prospero.com/dir-login/ind ... fa%2Fstart for more on the V*.

I've been riding my '05 Silverado 650 for nearly a year, much of that with a 90-mile a day round trip interstate commute. I can roll 75-80 all day long, and have at times, taking trips to Myrtle Beach or Asheville. The windshield helps with comfort and endurance, and there's more than enough juice in the bike to get where you're going--though you're not going to break any land-speed records on it.

If you're in 5th by 40mph, you're not rolling the bike through as far as you can. If I'm lugging along down a surface street, I'll probably be up there, but on the highway or trying to get acceleration, I'll roll 3rd up to 45 or so, and 4th to around 55 or 60. There's a rev limiter on the V* that will keep you from overwinding the motor. If you remember that it's not a Harley and that it's supposed to run at higher revs, you get used to it pretty easily.

I love my V*. It's taken me on US highways cruising at 60ish for hours, interstates at 75, and 45-50mph on the Tail of the Dragon didn't even get a floorboard scraped.

jonnythan · Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:08 am

Rule62 wrote:If you're in 5th by 40mph, you're not rolling the bike through as far as you can. If I'm lugging along down a surface street, I'll probably be up there, but on the highway or trying to get acceleration, I'll roll 3rd up to 45 or so, and 4th to around 55 or 60.

Hm. Maybe the gearing isn't so different after all.

I'd love to see the actual gear ratios to compare but I can't find them. We don't even have tachs to compare RPMs at similar speeds.

Fast Eddy B · Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:10 am

Nobody's mentioned the BMW F650GS.

Why not?

tortus · #37 Unread post by **tortus** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:13 am

I tend to ride at low RPMs. I confirmed this on the SV forums where in an RPM thread everyone was reporting cruising at much higher RPMs than me (on my SV I'm typically around 4000 RPMs).

I also noticed on the SV forums I tend to average better mpg than most, which might be related.

But if I need more acceleration I can always downshift, and that's what I do on my SV and did on my V Star.

thomak · #38 Unread post by **thomak** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:19 am

I know in my yamaha seca 650 I have that same problem. It either needs a 6th gear or a better 2 3 4 5. I cruises along just fine at higher RPMs but like tortus I preffer to not have my bike wound out to much.

flw · #39 Unread post by **flw** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 5:16 am

I have a Vulcan 500 LTD and it has 6 gears. The 6th gear is not what I expected, a cruising gear. It more like a 5.3 gear.

The bike also has plenty of power for any speed you would want.

The only major issue is wind and weight of the bike. I bought a windshield which helps. I should have bought a large windshield instead of a medium size. The larger the windshield the less wind will be pushing you off the bike. So get a big windshield, if you bike will take it.

The V-Star and Vulcan 500 LTD are more similar on the highway than different. What ever bike you get for the highway, be sure the seat and seating position is going to be plenty comfortable for a 4 hour ride. Mine is not comfortable after a hour or more due to the seat size/design. I'm 5'10 and 200 plus lbs.

You also will have difficultly pulling another passenger but luggage is fine. This is due to engines HP. You can take another person but you'll just really notice it and the change in center of gravity (possible wheelie).

The 750's/900's are just too heavy for a first bike but also much better in the wind for a cruiser.

flynrider · Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:28 am

thomak wrote:I know in my yamaha seca 650 I have that same problem. It either needs a 6th gear or a better 2 3 4 5. I cruises along just fine at higher RPMs but like tortus I preffer to not have my bike wound out to much.

At highway speed, a Seca 650 isn't really wound out. It just seems that way. I hear this problem a lot and I think it has to do with folks being used to car-like rpms. Motorcycle engines are designed to spin fast. They make their usable power at double the rpms you'd normally see in a car. It's just something you have to become accustomed to.

Last year I rode a friend's Ninja 250 because he thought it had a problem. He said it wouldn't perform well on the highway. Turns out he was just uncomfortable running the engine above 8.5K rpm. Well, on a bike like the little Ninja (with a 14K rpm redline) he wasn't even coming close to tapping the usable power. I rode it for an afternoon on the freeways and it would zip along nicely at 80+ mph and 11.5K rpm. Problem solved.

Let the redline be your guide. The average bike engine makes it's max power just before redline. If you're cruising down the highway at 3.5K below redline and you want to pass, downshift, accelerate, pass, then upshift. My Nighthawk has a tall top (5th) gear and I know I'd be really dissappointed if I tried passing in that gear. My fourth gear will really accelerate and is good up to 100 mph.