[maikhorma]

I'm finding it quite funny that i'm not the only one who keeps going for the 7th gear. i though it was just because i'm new (2 months). Just like gytrdunkat, i pull the "i knew that". So am i destined to keep doing it, or will i eventully (unconciously) give up on that shift?

[katman05]

I used to search for #7 but I know I'm in 6 when the tach is at 4500 rpms and I'm doing 60mph

[StevieB]

I want a shift indicator light so I can stop searching for 7th

I saw a post somewhere about building one for a Bandit- I would guess the one for the B6 would work for the Katana.

I find I am looking for the phantom top gear- 6th on my B12, 7th on the Katana- because I want to drop engine RPM when on the highway. See my post in Mechanics 101, "6 or 7 Speed Gear Box, Bandits and Katanas."

[rwcreigh]

i too cant find 7th.i shift around 5k

[macgyver]

I once thought I had found 7th but later realized it was just 6th.
I used to do that all the time because riding at 60 miles per hour taching at 65 rpms with loud exhaust just fakes me into thinking I need to shift but the shift lever tells me I can;t

[rnmdad]

If I am looking for speed I usually shift between 8-10, If I am crusing in town then I shift between 3-5 the cops are cracking down on loud bikes (not Harleys).

That has to be one of the crappiest thing about the bikes, Harleys can be as loud as the rider can handle, everyone else has to be respectful.

[sidhepro]

My tag like used to say something about 7th gear. I think it's more habit than anything. As in, I KNOW I'm in 6th... but I stilll have to check. Especially when I do hard 1-3rd gear pulls (9-10k) then short shift to 6th (to stay below astronomical speeds)... I always kick it an extra time. Then, 15 miles later, I check again.. Then I say to myself, "I KNEW THAT"... hehe

Six years into it on this bike and I STILL look for 7th. I do the same thing, give her another kick and get NOTHING. LOL I rely more on sound than on my speedo when I'm riding, and I'm glad I'm not the only one too....

My husband's Kawa ZR750 is a 5, so you can just imagine the frustration of trying to even FIND sixth on his. Worse yet is the rare times he's on mine and I find myself muttering "UPSHIFT!!! You have another gear!!!"

Kat

Edit: My bad, reviving old threads as I search for something to keep me occupied today.

[notec]

Hahaha......Im just a newbie......my last bike only had 5 gears, so 6 is like a big bonus for me

Im sure ill be reaching for 7 soon enough......

[AMorgan]

You should shift when the needle on the tach starts bouncing backwards.

The ideal shift point is difficult to find without dyno testing. My car stops making power and starts dropping off at 7000 RPMs, I can safely take it to 8500 RPMs, but i'm actually losing speed at that point. Didn't know that until I did some dyno testing. I'm sure bikes are the same way, it's just a lot harder to find out unless you know someone with a bike dyno. One, I can't believe i'm actually responding to this post. And two, if you're actually interested, go to a drag strip and experiment.

[fordfurious]

i race a little bit on the street, and the katana likes high rpm for greatest power. dont shift out of 1st till about 10k, then from there on out you are up there the whole time and just keep shifting at about 10k. if you are just going 100mph , you wont have to go past 3rd gear to get there .