Triumphrat

dude

I guess this was discussed a bunch of times already but...I feel stupid since I don't understand what people are saying:
...Triumph likes revs...I don't go to 5th until 65-70...etc.
Are you all serious? I feel the bike asking me to shift up and not even a gear per 10 miles/hr. I am in 5th by the time I hit 40. My bike is 300 miles old and I want it to broken in hard.
But..should I change my shifting habits and delay the upshifting?
My engine is making pretty weird noices when I stay low with hi revs. Does it make sense to you?
Cheers.

Motley

Do you have a tacometer? If so, then shift at about 4000rpm for "sedate" riding, if you feel like a hooligan then take 'er up to the redline.

mecscc

Since you don't have a tach [I don't either] try to not make this too complicated. First, you have to ride your own ride. Second, take our advice with a grain of salt. There are such widely differing opinions here that you will drive yourself nuts trying to go by all of them.

Here is a K.I.S.S shorthand answer for your question. Is it foolproof? NO. Will everyone agree? NO. Will it allow you to break in your bike and continue to ride it without fear of hurting something and can you continue to use this guide indefinitely? YES.

Shift pattern, in mph.

1st: start to 15-20 mph
2nd: to about 30 mph
3rd: to about 40 mph
4th: to about 50 mph
5th: above 50 mph.

Can you shift into 5th sooner? Sure. But you will leave yourself with little torque and will lug it on hills, etc.

These recommendations are "modest" but will work fine for easy riding.

Monte

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Monte

"The Old Ohio Preacher Man"

OldTownRAT

dude,

Yes sir, you need to run your gears longer. If you are hitting 5th gear before or around 40 mph, then you are lugging/under-revving the motor, which is worse than over-revving.

I thought my bike sounded weird when I first got it too. Sounded like a sewing machine with loose pebbles banging around inside. I too was hesitant to run the RPM's up a little. You'll get used to it. And as you rev the bike higher, you'll notice the sound change when it starts to hum (assuming you have stock exhaust.) For casual, around town riding, I don't think you'll want to hit 5th gear until you are around 48 - 50 mph. Even that's a little bit on the low side.
Cheers.

__________________
Have you ever stopped to think about what rats do for fun?
- Shane MacGowan

Never Forget Chickenman.

dude

Thanks guys. So....I live in New York city. Most of the time the traffic is stop and go. I also drive a manual transmission car in this city and do the "clutch slipping" routinely. This just the name of the game in this town. I realize that I will have to pay for it earlier than if I lived in Nebraska or Wyoming. Now....I think I use it in my motorcycle riding techniques too. If I start down hill in the city, I may start in the second gear, since the bike is already moving and I do not hear engine laboring at all while I am releasing the clutch lever. I can move REALLY smooth.
I also shift a lot although see people staying in one gear during very wide ranges of speed.

Geoff

yer luggin the ***** out of it. and dont start in 2nd, its not a pick-up truck
G

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I never wanted to lead, and I never wanted to follow.
I just wanted to ride

wenzel850

Dude,

Lugging your motor is REALLY BAD for it. Read the owners manual, it'll tell you where to shift.

These Bonnies like to breathe and rev. Give her the gas and wait till you see what happens. Then write back and tell us how you couldn't wipe the smile off your face.

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Quentin

dude

I dont' think so. The engine is not laboring at all. I donwshift the second I feel/hear the rpms are too low plus during breaking. Also, I do have a tachometer and use it in a way of downshfting at slightly above 1000. Upshifting is in between 2000 and 3000. And I cruise 75-80 at around 3500 in 5th. red line is too far for me.
the fastest I went was 90 at around 4500. Cheers.

Geoff

Dude, you state in your first post your in 5th at 40.
then in your last post you state you are not lugging it.
you cant have it both ways. its your bike and you should ride it as you wish. lugging it all the way across nyc
G

__________________
I never wanted to lead, and I never wanted to follow.
I just wanted to ride

Lespaul

Dude,

I had a similar question and got a ton of help.. here's the link:

http://www.triumphrat.net/modules.ph...79975&forum=51