Shifting for Fuel Economy

[Nefilim]

I'm not used to having a revvy engine so I always tend to shift about 4k to 5k once I hear the engine starting to whine.

When do you guys normally shift under normal driving and what's the optimal shift range for fuel economy?

 

[McLovin]

i only shift when the rev limiter tells me to.

 

[Relayer1974]

I've found better fuel economy from shifting around 4-5k but the power is pretty low down there. Thus far it's been sufficient for normal traffic but I usually need to rev higher to get away from cagers when they aren't playing nice. I also miss the sound of the engine at 10k.

 

[SovietRobot]

i only shift when the rev limiter tells me to.

+1 :thumbup:

 

[regder]

from my experience, as long as you're shifting under 7-8k rpm, you're fine

shifting under 5k rpm will lug the motor in the higher gears

 

[thirty_too]

i shift for optimum speed and power... screw fuel economy :rockon:

 

[adavi491]

i shift for optimum speed and power... screw fuel economy :rockon:

I do the same thing, since fuel economy doesn't really hurt my wallet yet. Although i don't go around riding it in the double digits (RPM) all the time. I tend to shift from 5-9000 RPM depends on which gear i'm in as well. For instance i will tend to shift sooner if i'm in a small town with close quarters to pedestrians. The LEO's make some noise and i respect people and probably most of them don't want to hear the noise.

Anyways keep it save

 

[huxy]

Shifting lower down seemed to be better for economy and I was getting a repeatable 60 mpg (english gallons) when I first got my FZ6, but it was my first big bike so I took it easy and methodically changed up when I could (around 4-5k) rather than spanking it. Now I spank it a bit more and get less miles but more smiles per gallon :rockon:

In traffic keep it a gear (or two) lower though as you won't have the acceleration if you need it to get out of the way of some numpty in a car.

 

[dankatz]

Fuel economy is not only related to rpm at shifting but also to how much you need to open the throttle. If you lug the engine but in return need to twist the throttle more you will end up not saving on gas. In the city I also shift around 4-5k rpm, depending on if I am accelerating or cruising. If I cruise I keep the rpm around 4k if I am accelerating around 5k. I do wish there would be more down low end torque, but it is sufficient.

 

[Red Wazp]

What? 40+ mpg isn't good enough for you? Run that puppy up to 7 or 8k before shifting. What the hell, run her up to 13K and learn what the bike is all about. Even when I ride hard I get over 40 mpg. Better than most cars for sure- way more fun!

 

[chunkygoat]

It depends on the circumstances. When I'm riding hard, 12,000rpms.

If I'm riding in the city or there's a cop behind me, anywhere between 5 - 8,000rpms.

I tend to use 2nd and 3rd gear to the max. I'll shift just under redline when I'm feeling ballsy.