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Hi all,

I recently purchased a new bike and am a bit confused by what I'm reading in the manual. The bike is a 05 600 Shadow VLX Deluxe. It's a 4 speed chain, and while I'm riding I change by feel of the engine.

As I was thumbing through the user manual I saw this,
"Shifting Up:
1st-2nd 12mph
2rd-3rd 19mph
3rd-4h 25mph"

I tried this and the engine didn't sound right sounded like it was struggling all through out. Where I normally shift is 15-2nd 30ish-3rd 50ish-4 and it feels normal with the engine sounds and so on.
What do you guys think?

zarakand wrote:Hi all,

I recently purchased a new bike and am a bit confused by what I'm reading in the manual. The bike is a 05 600 Shadow VLX Deluxe. It's a 4 speed chain, and while I'm riding I change by feel of the engine.

As I was thumbing through the user manual I saw this,
"Shifting Up:
1st-2nd 12mph
2rd-3rd 19mph
3rd-4h 25mph"

I tried this and the engine didn't sound right sounded like it was struggling all through out. Where I normally shift is 15-2nd 30ish-3rd 50ish-4 and it feels normal with the engine sounds and so on.
What do you guys think?

Sounds like that must be minimum speeds to shift, doesn't really sound right to me. I would just stick with shifting when it feels right.

Yeah, I think what they are referring to is the minimum recommended speeds, although it may not say that in the manual. I'd say just do like you've been doing and shift where the motor seems happiest. I sure wouldn't suggest lugging it, especially with a new motor. I don't know which is worse... that, or hitting the rev limiter every shift, but I guess lugging it is as hard on it as anything else, short of running it without oil in the crankcase.

I'd go by feel, personally. If you've driven a stick car, hell - even an driving an automatic you can usually tell when it's about to shift, you ought to know enough about how an engine should feel not to dog it out or redline it just by the sound its making.

You mean you are supposed to shift before pegging your tach? That explains some things...

Recheck your manual....sometimes they have 2 sets of shift speeds recommended....break in and after break in. If it feels better going by the sound or feel of the bike keep doing that....just be careful with a new bike not to over rev it will cause excessive wear on some parts and your valves may not seat properly and lead to furture probs.

Lonewolf

Skier wrote:You mean you are supposed to shift before pegging your tach? That explains some things...

Is this why my front wheel keeps lifting in second gear, and third?

Rechecked the manual, no other shifting speeds listed. Though they do lift downshift speeds. Ah well...I'll take it nice and slow for the first 500 miles, almost there! 200 more to go!

I think I'll also keep going by feel. 4th gear on 25mph seems like I'm lugging the bike.

My manual is the same situation. It says I should be through all 6 gears before 40mph, which results in much clunking and jolting. Go by the feel.