Do you keep a mental note of what gear you're in??

[iviyth0s]

I constantly notice how bad I am with remembering what gear I'm in, even in just regular 1-6 acceleration. I almost always go for that seventh that isn't there...I always vow to improve my habit but never do. (wish they had an indicator that told you which gear you were in...even if they made it just for me lol)

Anyway, thought I'd make a poll to see if there are any other riders that share this "bad" habit?

 

[texcollect]

I try to, but usually use math. From looking at my rev counter 4th gear is rpm x 10, 5th is rpm x 11 and 6th is rpm x 12.

So if the tach shows 5 (5,000) rpm I am doing 55 mph then I'm in 5th. If the tach says 6 and I'm doing 72 then it's 6th.

 

[FIZZER6]

I voted "Always". Even if I don't know which gear I'm in it doesn't matter. I use the Tachometer to judge whether I need to up-shift or down-shift. 18 years of driving manual transmission sport cars has given me a 6th sense about shifting. I don't usually even have to look at the tachometer, I shift by feel and the way the engine sounds. :thumbup:

 

[Nelly]

I have always tried to remember what gear I'm in its good roadcraft isn't it?
I have had a few times of trying to find 7th gear when I first got the FZ6. This changed for the better by dropping 1 tooth in the rear sprocket.
I would like a gear indicator though.

Nelly:thumbup:

 

[Nelly]

I voted "Always". Even if I don't know which gear I'm in it doesn't matter. I use the Tachometer to judge whether I need to up-shift or down-shift. 18 years of driving manual transmission sport cars has given me a 6th sense about shifting. I don't usually even have to look at the tachometer, I shift by feel and the way the engine sounds. :thumbup:

I hadn't really thought about the people who have predominantly used auto boxes.
Like you until last year all of our cars have been manual. I think this really helps, and as you say it becomes a second nature instinctive thing.

Nelly

 

[iviyth0s]

I try to, but usually use math. From looking at my rev counter 4th gear is rpm x 10, 5th is rpm x 11 and 6th is rpm x 12.

So if the tach shows 5 (5,000) rpm I am doing 55 mph then I'm in 5th. If the tach says 6 and I'm doing 72 then it's 6th.

Yeah, might be I'm still learning the FZ6 but that's how I used to do ok with the ninja. I'm trying not to get too familiar with the "speed" (in quotes because it blatantly reports too fast lol) and the tach, because I plan on going down to a 43T in the back.

I voted "Always". Even if I don't know which gear I'm in it doesn't matter. I use the Tachometer to judge whether I need to up-shift or down-shift. 18 years of driving manual transmission sport cars has given me a 6th sense about shifting. I don't usually even have to look at the tachometer, I shift by feel and the way the engine sounds. :thumbup:

Well in a car it's super easy, you can feel where the shifter is but on the bike it's either mental note, tach or knowing by sound (which is hard when the FZ6 is so quiet lol)

I have always tried to remember what gear I'm in its good roadcraft isn't it?
I have had a few times of trying to find 7th gear when I first got the FZ6. This changed for the better by dropping 1 tooth in the rear sprocket.
I would like a gear indicator though.

Nelly:thumbup:

Yeah I figured that's also true, I noticed I did it less with when I upped one tooth on the front sprocket on my ninja. Once the the 6th gear actually felt like a final gear should, I could start believing it was haha.

I hadn't really thought about the people who have predominantly used auto boxes.
Like you until last year all of our cars have been manual. I think this really helps, and as you say it becomes a second nature instinctive thing.

Nelly

Again, a car is easy, the shifter's position alone lets you know where you are. (unless you're paddle shifting, but that's rare unless you're full on racing and have that kind of setup)

 

[lawlberg]

Commuting to work I'll usually reach for 7th - but I'd say that's more a comment on my mental state at that time in the morning, rather than a lack of knowledge on which gear I'm actually in. Every once in a while I'll downshift into 1st when I thought I was only going to 2nd, but for the most part (95% of the time) I know what gear I'm in.

And what was said earlier about counting/maths - I have a few key numbers/revs that I know, like how on the highway at 7200 in 6th, I'm reading 88mph, so I can use that as a relative clue whether I'm in 4th, 5th or 6th - when my well trained 6th sense isn't working.

 

[pookamatic]

Commuting to work I'll usually reach for 7th - but I'd say that's more a comment on my mental state at that time in the morning, rather than a lack of knowledge on which gear I'm actually in. Every once in a while I'll downshift into 1st when I thought I was only going to 2nd, but for the most part (95% of the time) I know what gear I'm in.

And what was said earlier about counting/maths - I have a few key numbers/revs that I know, like how on the highway at 7200 in 6th, I'm reading 88mph, so I can use that as a relative clue whether I'm in 4th, 5th or 6th - when my well trained 6th sense isn't working.

2nd on both points

 

[Dave.TX]

Always. Funny how my brain works: When I worked for the phone company back in the 1990's I would count the times a phone would ring. So now I count what gear I'm in.

If I lose track (which is rare) I can cheat and look at the gear indicator on my dash. Normally my brain does it without hardly thinking about it. Most of the time I can keep it in 6th gear from 35mph and up. Couldn't do that on the FZ6.

 

[Water Bear]

This is something I try to devote a little memory to, although I'm bad at it.

I shift for seventh gear (sometimes just to be sure I'm actually in 6th), and sometimes I come to a stop in second (not too often, though).

I do think it's important to know since I want to know how close I am to both of the limits on my gear box -- when I'm coming to a stop I want to be in first, and when I'm on the interstate I want to be in sixth.

I think just today someone posted about dropping their bike due to being in second gear by accident at a stop.

 

[greg]

the more i ride the more i find myself keeping track of it, especially with down shifts.

i still try and hit 7th, but i usually know i'm in 6th, i'm just checking

my track bike has a digital gear indicator which is very useful

 

[iviyth0s]

Commuting to work I'll usually reach for 7th - but I'd say that's more a comment on my mental state at that time in the morning, rather than a lack of knowledge on which gear I'm actually in. Every once in a while I'll downshift into 1st when I thought I was only going to 2nd, but for the most part (95% of the time) I know what gear I'm in.

And what was said earlier about counting/maths - I have a few key numbers/revs that I know, like how on the highway at 7200 in 6th, I'm reading 88mph, so I can use that as a relative clue whether I'm in 4th, 5th or 6th - when my well trained 6th sense isn't working.

Yeah this about sums my habits up to a T, getting better with finding neutral as I learn the bike. (Ninja wouldn't let you jump to second when you were stopped which was nice)

Always. Funny how my brain works: When I worked for the phone company back in the 1990's I would count the times a phone would ring. So now I count what gear I'm in.

If I lose track (which is rare) I can cheat and look at the gear indicator on my dash. Normally my brain does it without hardly thinking about it. Most of the time I can keep it in 6th gear from 35mph and up. Couldn't do that on the FZ6.

I usually hop into 6th no matter what (I'll go as low as the low 1000s cruising around town if it comes to that), the fz has enough torque to handle it. The Ninja couldn't go under 3K though, it'd just buzz and not accelerate lol.

Btw give me your gear indicator kplzthx

This is something I try to devote a little memory to, although I'm bad at it.

I shift for seventh gear (sometimes just to be sure I'm actually in 6th), and sometimes I come to a stop in second (not too often, though).

I do think it's important to know since I want to know how close I am to both of the limits on my gear box -- when I'm coming to a stop I want to be in first, and when I'm on the interstate I want to be in sixth.

I think just today someone posted about dropping their bike due to being in second gear by accident at a stop.

Really?? They dropped it from stalling/not enough power?? That's strange

the more i ride the more i find myself keeping track of it, especially with down shifts.

i still try and hit 7th, but i usually know i'm in 6th, i'm just checking

my track bike has a digital gear indicator which is very useful

Downshifts I'm pretty good with but I nearly always check for that 7th gear haha.

 

[FZ09Bandit]

Heck yeah I constantly kick it up even though I know I'm in top gear lol. Just a habit, I chose never because #1 slow and scared ain't my style, and #2 it's always fun to see what happeneds when you kick down 2-3 gears and gas it, LOL (unless I hear that #1 gear. It always sounds different than the rest)

Actually as a newbie I would hit it down, throttle, hit it down, and throttle until I got used to the rpms on different gears.

 

[agf]

I installed the healtech gear indicator as the 1st major mod after rim tape and tank protector. I love it for knowing exactly what gear, for commuting its excellent. once on the open road, getting into higher gears for longer its easier to "justknow" which gear youre in( imo anyway)

 

[CavDoc]

I used to always forget that I had a sixth gear (driving 5 speed manuals all my life) so I got in the habit on the highway of going "Oh yeah..." and clicking it up into sixth. So now I keep forgetting that I learned I have six gears and trying to click it up into sixth when I'm already there.

Having a gear indicator wouldn't help me, I'll probably do the same thing every 15 miles on a stretch of highway just because it's habit - I don't look down at the dash first.

Other than that, I may not be able to tell you what number gear I'm in, but does it really matter if I'm in 3rd or 4th? Never. Very rarely do I hit 1st unexpectedly, but if I do it's after a lonnnnggg day

 

[FB400]

A gear indicator would be a luxury.

Gears 1, 2, 5, 6 no problem knowing when in.
Gears 3,4 I usually guess.

It's all about the revs and the power band. There's no real point counting gears.

It's funny this topic shows up right now. I was just thinking about this on the ride into work this morning

 

[Water Bear]

Really?? They dropped it from stalling/not enough power?? That's strange

Yep, that's exactly how the story goes. I think the dude started to turn from a stop and stalled in second. I've stalled my own bike at a stop sign before by virtue of being in second.

As for the subject of third / fourth. They are hard to keep track of. I might know which is which when on mountain roads, where staying in fourth is feasible for the whole ride, but I can remember wondering which one I was actually in, even there.

 

[lawlberg]

My smarta55 response for the day -


I always know what gear I'm in, because I put it on before I got on the bike. :BLAA:

Most of the time it's my Joe Rocket helmet, an AGV leather jacket, a pair of gauntlets, a pair of jeans and not-so-sturdy shoes.

 

[FinalImpact]

My smarta55 response for the day -


I always know what gear I'm in, because I put it on before I got on the bike. :BLAA:

Most of the time it's my Joe Rocket helmet, an AGV leather jacket, a pair of gauntlets, a pair of jeans and not-so-sturdy shoes.

I'll see your SAR for the day and raise you one;
I just bang it up and down until we're both happy! :thumbup: :BLAA:

However, 7th remains elusive and 2nd gear starts only happen when the bike needs stalled and taught a lesson! :Flip:

 

[FIZZER6]

Well in a car it's super easy, you can feel where the shifter is but on the bike it's either mental note, tach or knowing by sound (which is hard when the FZ6 is so quiet lol)

So quiet eh? That's cute.

I have not had stock pipes since 2007.
My Scorpion exhaust is so loud on the FZ6 I have to roll the bike to the end of my driveway before starting it in the mornings or I'll wake my wife and the neighbors 100 yards away! :BLAA: