upshifting..

[Major Voltron]

Just curious.. I was wondering around about what Rpm range is good to shift at ? My mechanic told me if i gears at too low of an rpm I can flood the motor. So I am just wondering where do i need to shift or shall i say where should I shift .. thanks for the help guys and girls of Katriders.


Christopher aka Major Voltron

[muffinman]

I think this comes down to personal choice and driving style. Normal driving I tend to shift between 4-6k cause my D&D gets a little loud so I keep the rpms down for sound. Then there's the occasional redline shifts.

[Apok]

You can shift any time you want really.

Hell on my shadow the manual says to shift at 7,13,20, and in overdrive by 35mph.

When I get on the freeway 38mph first gear, 62mph second gear, 80 third and double shift to 5th to drop RPM lol.

[scottynoface]

I take it you've never driven anything with a manual transmission before?

http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.php?t=61328&highlight=Newbie+Thread

http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.php?t=53792

[Major Voltron]

Honestly scotty , no I haven't ...my mechanic told me I would flood it if I shifted below 5k so that's what I have been doing .... But if that's not true then I need to back off alittle ...

[scottynoface]

Honestly scotty , no I haven't ...my mechanic told me I would flood it if I shifted below 5k so that's what I have been doing .... But if that's not true then I need to back off alittle ...

I think you need to find a new mechanic first.

[Wild-Bill]

Your "mechanic" is a fool. Shifting too soon can result in the engine "lugging" but not flooding. By lugging, I mean that the rpms are too low for the engine to produce much in the way of power. When you're asking the engine to accelerate the bike at too low of an rpm you cause a lot of strain on the internals. Anything below about 1,000 rpms on a Kat and you're there.

The big disconnect for anyone used to driving a car is that the car's engine is comfortable at much lower rpms than a bike and would come apart if you tried to run the rpms up as high as a bike's engine is comfortable with.

[Major Voltron]

Ahhhh ok .......so I can shift at lower rpms then ... Just not to low ...

[Wild-Bill]

Exactly. Just pay attention to what the bike's telling you. If it has trouble accelerating after a shift then that's too low. Drop a gear and you're good. You're not going to immediately kill the bike and you won't hurt it at all if you don't make a habit of it.

[muffinman]

I think you need to find a new mechanic first.

+1

[numus]

Hell i have been running 50 mph in 6th gear lately... Trying to see what is the maximum mpg the bike can get I shift at about 4-5k... remember the bike wont even idle properly below 1k (mine is set to idle at about 1.3k)

[Slofuze]

? My mechanic told me if i gears at too low of an rpm I can flood the motor.
Christopher aka Major Voltron

Wow....now there's a first. Once you get comfy with your bike, it'll all be by ear. Bikes like to rev up and Kats seem to like the 4-5k range under "normal" circumstances...... if you're "getting on it"..... 7-10k is quite normal. Listen to your bike. I'm rarely out of second around town.