[jobirobi]

Knowing full well that this could very easily become a contentious conversation, and asking everyone to keep it civil, I'm curious what folks' rules of thumb are for the speeds they shift gears at. I'll go first.

I'm just your garden-variety nerd (but with a motorcycle, so I'm cool... to some people); I like to set rules up mathematically:
When accelerating and shifting between gear (n - 1) and n, I shift when my speed (in mph) is between 8n and 9n, eg. shift up 4th -> 5th between 40 and 45 mph.
When decelerating, I shift between 7n and 8n, eg. shift down 5th -> 4th between 35 and 40 mph.

I so wish I had a tach... Yet another indulgence on the wishlist...

Of course there are a dozen other variables, like the grade of the road, direction/magnitude of wind forces, and whether I have a passenger on board, but those are my rules of thumb for most flat road conditions.

The manual says (paraphrasing) shift up at 7n, and shift down at 25mph (regardless of gear, which ... what?). I think that's a recipe for lugging your engine and looking like a fool. What do y'all think?

 

[fastersons]

Take most things the owner manual says with a grain of salt because their guidelines are there to protect themselves from potential lawsuits.

I personally shift by feel. I don’t rely on speed and/or rpms

After a while you know what gear you’re in even without a gear position indicator

 

[Schu]

After a while you know what gear you’re in even without a gear position indicator

I agree for the most part. But I must confess that I continually check to see if a 6th gear just somehow added itself to my gearbox. Maybe it's a Vtwin thing because I always did the same on my previous XV1100.

 

[SCRBen]

Knowing full well that this could very easily become a contentious conversation, and asking everyone to keep it civil.......

@Burke - must be referring to you!! :grin2:

God, where do you start with this one, so many variables, differences in riding styles, environments, body-mass indexes, as you point out.....

Obviously, revs is out for those without a tach (or yet to fit theirs, like me). What’s the general, catch all rule? “Don’t lug the engine, and don’t race it either”? That’s generally what I try to abide by.

Not sure I strictly tie shifting to speeds, but on most bikes I’ve had, I’m shifting to second pretty soon after my left foot is on the peg after setting off. I think with the SCR being geared pretty low (IMO), yet also plenty torquey down low, that’s even more of the case here - 1st is really only any good for setting off.

I can say that, post-reflash, above first, the bike is happier to stay in gear longer, as in: happier to chug along at 30 in 2nd, 40 in 3rd etc, whereas before, I’d probably always have been in 4th by 40. Others may say that would be shifting early and labouring the engine, but to me it really didn’t seem to be. The Koso is really going to help with this (when I eventually fit it) - I might be changing up when thinking I’m revving the **** off it, and really I’m not. We’ll see.

Similar discussions are being held on the Bolt forum (as in, how hard is the bike working, or not, at motorway speeds), especially in relation to a topic I’m interested in at the moment, which is getting hold of a Stryker front sprocket (1 tooth bigger) in order to drop the revs at motorway speeds. I’ve no doubt the engine could handle it no problem, even though it sounds like it doesn’t drop the revs by much. I put a 1-tooth larger front sprocket on my Triumph Scrambler, and there was a noticeable difference (but then a front sprocket for a chain driven bike is usually considerably smaller in the 1st place)! Anyway, sorry for the (partial) thread hijack.
Ben

 

[Nooberdoo]

Hands down my favorite mod to the SCR is that Koso meter. Getting accurate shifts when you need to get up and go is amazing. The gear indicator is nifty during commutes in the rain since I can go thru down shifts without going too low and locking the rear wheel.

 

[fastersons]

Hands down my favorite mod to the SCR is that Koso meter. Getting accurate shifts when you need to get up and go is amazing. The gear indicator is nifty during commutes in the rain since I can go thru down shifts without going too low and locking the rear wheel.

Do you rev match?

 

[SCRBen]

Hands down my favorite mod to the SCR is that Koso meter. Getting accurate shifts when you need to get up and go is amazing. The gear indicator is nifty during commutes in the rain since I can go thru down shifts without going too low and locking the rear wheel.

I’ve not got round to setting it up yet, but was it bind?

Been out twice with the Danmoto on now too - that thing sounds beastly! (full report to follow).
Ben

 

[SCRBen]

I’ve not got round to setting it up yet, but was it bind?

Been out twice with the Danmoto on now too - that thing sounds beastly! (full report to follow).
Ben

*a* bind, that should be.....

 

[yoitsemo]

I mostly shift by feel, but I try to keep to 1st (1-10mph), 2nd (10-20mph), 3rd (20-30mph), 4th (30-35mph), 5th (35 and up).

 

[Nooberdoo]

Do you rev match?

Its not a rev match thing but yes I do when I can. Having a MFD with a tach suits me better on temp oil reminder and gear so Im not going for that phantom 6th when Im on the freeway. I speak for the rear wheel when its bumper to bumper traffic and your doing uturns in a downpour or exiting a freeway you have an idea of rpm and gear indication.