Missing 4th and 5th gear......

[FloridaKat]

No...this isn't a mechanical issue with my bike not getting into gear, but thought I would pose this question to the forum.

I have been taught over the years that to save wear and increase fuel mileage, you should get into the highest gear quickly. I often find myself asking my wife to shift into 5th (we got a 5 speed Mazda) somewhere around 35 mph. Naturally, the lower the RPM's the less mechanical fatigue the components should be subjected to.

So can I apply this same principle to my Kat? I've been trying to get into 6th gear around 40 mph or so. I think my tach is showing about 3,000 RPM at that shift. Is this bad for the plugs? Conversely, I also on occasion will run other gears well into the 7-9,000 RPM range. My belief is that this should help prevent build-up on the plugs.

[md86]

Well , sometimes when the rpm's are too low , carbon can build up . I've heard many stories of people taking cars/bikes to be fixed because they feel off , and the mechanic does the "quick tune-up" , which is basically taking said vehicle out and flogging it to blow out the carbon . Saw it first-hand at last year's rally , actually .

[FloridaKat]

Well , sometimes when the rpm's are too low , carbon can build up . I've heard many stories of people taking cars/bikes to be fixed because they feel off , and the mechanic does the "quick tune-up" , which is basically taking said vehicle out and flogging it to blow out the carbon . Saw it first-hand at last year's rally , actually .

Thanks MD! I was hoping that the combination of every third or fourth ride "opening" her out would keep the psuedo tune-up of carbon removal. I have been using Techron so presumably I should be alright on that front.

Again, many thanks for the reply.

[WildKat]

One instance in particular where want to be careful practicing that theory..is riding intown / in the city. IMO, its optimal to keep your RPM's alittle higher so you can have the power at your disposal should you need it to avoid a potential accident, tailgater, or just a cager not paying attention to what they're doing. I usually cruise the intown areas in 3rd or 4th gear with RPM's around 4000-5000 so if I need power, its there.

[Najus]

4th and 5th gear isn't needed anyways. Ask any squid and they'll tell ya