When should I be in the 7000-10,000rpm range?

DefyInertia said:
FZ6 is a good bike for a commute like this...probably perfect actually.

I asked becuase I commute from my house in SF to my job downtown in SF...just curious where you went.

I hate the 101...
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Back when I was working in the city too downtown I was riding a 30 HP 1 cylinder Suzuki Savage 650 and it was absolutely fine for the city. When I first got the FZ6 and wasn't commuting yet I constantly said it was too much bike if you're never on the highway.
 
if you just use the bike as a commuter i would go for something all about mpg like a scooter. as for the best place to shift while riding that all depends on the road, traffic, etc. i just shift where it feels natural, i have rode bikes since i was 7 or 8 years old which was a long time ago lol so it just comes natural when I do it I do not feel the need to consciously think about where the rpms need to be every time i shift up or down. every road, every situation is different just do what feels natural and you will be fine. as for the bike vibrating, it is a non-issue on mine. if yours vibrates like crazy you need to get it serviced because something is bad wrong.
 
mrphotoman said:
if you just use the bike as a commuter i would go for something all about mpg like a scooter. as for the best place to shift while riding that all depends on the road, traffic, etc. i just shift where it feels natural, i have rode bikes since i was 7 or 8 years old which was a long time ago lol so it just comes natural when I do it I do not feel the need to consciously think about where the rpms need to be every time i shift up or down. every road, every situation is different just do what feels natural and you will be fine. as for the bike vibrating, it is a non-issue on mine. if yours vibrates like crazy you need to get it serviced because something is bad wrong.
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You can't commute on the highway in a scooter, though I've seen 3-4 them over the last year at various points in the right lane desperately trying to do 65 (I'm not talking about 650 cc "scooters" but like 50-250cc ones). It's amusing seeing them tuck on a scoot.

Yeah you clearly have way more experience than me, I'm 32 and only been riding 2-3 years and only recently pushing myself to expand my skills and actually ride the highway and twisties, I swear the first 2 years were all city riding.

As for vibrating like crazy, I may have been exaggerating due to non-supra-8k RPM experience. The bike seems to be in perfect working order.
 
There are some pretty cool scooters out there, I did not mean that as a bash.

hell i have one of the "retro" scooters, 150cc, it is blue though but here is what it looks like. It does 70mph top speed, 50 is comfortable on it.

CLI_retro_scooter_maim1.jpg


I have been in the SF area, I know how the traffic is. Just hang in there you will get to where you do not even give the rpms a second thought.
 
HappyHighwayman said:
Well, a scooter isn't highway ready, and I think an inline-4 provides a more comfortable highway experience than a 1 cylinder KLR.



As for "full capacity", that's often at odds with the law and safety, so I try and keep it fun but also safe and mostly legal :Flash:
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Thats my #1 problem.....I am a habitual line crosser.....not recommend for those of the feint of heart, individuals under tbe age of 18, those who are pregnant or may become pregnant, individuals with lung problems or people over the age of 75, side effects may include but are not limited too loss of hair, any or all money, certain freedoms, your license, and or death

Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk
 
HappyHighwayman said:
:eek:

See I've never done that...especially not in 1st or 2nd gear...your bike must vibrate/buzz horribly in 10k in 1st gear! I'd basically be in 2nd @ 30 mph on the stretch of road when entering he highway (usually rush hour), and then gradually shift/accelerate to highway speeds (we have a yield lane so I can't just thunder onto the highway).
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I see you've got a good discussion going, I like that.

The commuter ride and the weekend ride are 2 completely different entities. It doesn't surprise me one bit you ride conservatively on your commute and you should be praised for keeping a level head as you go about it.

But take away the stress of a long day and the crowded get-me-the-F-home attitude that surrounds you, you can approach the ride in a totally different way. Entering a highway becomes a legal, sensible way to really let the bike breathe with the provision you have the common sense to know when to ease off the throttle.

I cannot for the life of me imagine keeping the bike in the 10,000+ rpm range for more than maybe 10 seconds. It feels like an exciting and thrilling place, but I have tremendous respect for what this machine can do and pragmatically the fact that I like my clean license and want to keep it that way.

As others have pointed out, there's lots more giddyup to be found once you cross over that magical 8k mark. But knowing how and when to go there is a simple equation of how much risk you feel you need to take combined with other variables.

There's no shame in operating the bike within the range of what makes you comfortable. I would think if you do venture north of 8k you would find the right road and frame of mind. It's totally up to you how you do this journey. Ride your own ride and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise
 
HappyHighwayman you own the wrong bike for your riding style. Your not using the power the FZ6 has and your not riding it to max your mpg.
From what I have read you would be better suited to a bike with low down torque.You would have much moor fun with a KTM Duke or similar.
 
You sound like your riding "Your own ride, and doing it safely" Kudos to you.
It really depends on the road / traffic conditions where you are.
I am able to run at 8/9000 rpm for much of my commute ( this is stretching the legal limit slightly:spank:),
But this is in top gear. I rarely get the safe opportunity to really nail it in the first few gears because much of the country road surface I ride on is:
a) Poorly maintained.
b) Covered in cow ****e.
c) Most often raining.
Hard acceleration increases the loss of traction significantly in my circumstances. Nothing wrong with short shifting.
Here is a Vid of the FZ6 pulling it through the revs at a drag strip:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDma1CtPiIA&feature=player_detailpage"]FZ6 S2 0-207 km/h acceleration , near perfect launch - YouTube[/ame]

I think Chunky has hit the nail on the head here:
chunkygoat said:
You haven't lost the powerband at 7,000 - you've only cracked the surface of it. The powerband begins at around 6,500rpms and takes you to around 11 - 12. The reason you aren't shifting past 7,000 is probably because you aren't speeding around like a madman.

Other than first gear, shifting at the rpms you're talking about, means going around 90mph or faster. If you're red lining 2nd gear, you're breaking every speed limit in America.

So, with that said, if you want to see how far your powerband goes, and really open it up - I would suggest a track.

To answer your question from my perspective, the only time I am in the 7,000 - 10,000 range, is when I'm riding aggressively and accelerating hard.
When I am mellow and cruise, I short shift at 6 or 7,000 and cruise at 5k on the streets and 7k on the highway.
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Good luck
Nelly
 
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Grouse said:
HappyHighwayman you own the wrong bike for your riding style. Your not using the power the FZ6 has and your not riding it to max your mpg.
From what I have read you would be better suited to a bike with low down torque.You would have much moor fun with a KTM Duke or similar.
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See mate you and I live in the lands where there are proper motorway speeds.
It's a different ball game for our mates across the pond with there 55-65 mph roads.
I think we have more opportunity to use the power. Policing is also very different.
I have been stopped in the UK twice for riding a bit enthusiastically. Good manners and humble pie eating has got me off on both accounts.
I get the feeling that if you had the KTM it would also be ran at the higher end of it's rev range.
Thanks for adding to the discussion.
Nelly

Nelly
 
ChevyFazer said:
Ya take it on up slow to 9k then rip it all the way back and you will fall in love again, and also you havent even got to experience half of the bikes power at those rpms

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Sh!t, you'd pull the front wheel up if you did this in first :)

I bought mine because I love the feel and looks of the bike and for a commuter that's fun on the weekends. I normally shift between 5 and 6 during normal acceleration, and about 9000 when I'm accelerating hard. On surface streets I run about 4000-5000 RPM, and about 7000 in the express way - all in high gear. I very seldom twist the throttle to the WOT lock, and can probably count how many times I've seen the bike redline on one hand. I have no desire to pull the front wheel off the ground, and at 10,000 RPM in first gear it feels real light.

The cool thing about riding like this is just when you think you've gotten used to the bikes power, you twist the throttle a bit more and WOW, there's a lot more! I don't see myself ever getting tired of my faster blue FZ6 :rockon:
 
ChevyFazer said:
Thats my #1 problem.....I am a habitual line crosser.....not recommend for those of the feint of heart, individuals under tbe age of 18, those who are pregnant or may become pregnant, individuals with lung problems or people over the age of 75, side effects may include but are not limited too loss of hair, any or all money, certain freedoms, your license, and or death

Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk
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That explains my hairloss thanks. You should have also mentioned makes lighting cigarettes very problematic.
Nelly
 
I don't think you "should" be in the 7k-10k range at any time, any more than I think you "should" put bags on the bike and go touring, fit it for a track day, commute on it bone-stock, turn it into a show bike...or anything, really. Unless you're lugging the engine (which it doesn't sound like is the case) it's all about enjoying the ride and getting better with each one. That's what riders like about the bike: it's a truly do-anything machine.

The only "wrong" way to ride it is in a way you don't like. If you want to feel the surge from 7-10k when passing or merging, great. If not, don't worry about it.

She's happy to just be out there, either way :thumbup:
 
Well you need to be in the real power band if your doing tight corners, otherwise you'll be taking them slower than the cars. Or dead.
I never cross the line cornering though, just asking to die, and probably means you are going too fast. Its not just your own life you are risking, its the welfare of other road users whose lives you can ruin.

Twisties normally mean being past 7k.
Also depends on your gearing, I dropped a tooth on the front which means at highway cruising speeds top gear isn't quite that 'overdrive' feel of standard if your going legal speeds.

The nice thing about the FZ6 is its split personality, you can ride it and have great fun below 6.5/7, or much more aggressively past this point.
 
I tried revving it higher yesterday and today and experienced no issues. The bike was still performing fine, though it was a little weird pushing it to 50 mph in 1st gear when I normally change up at 20.

I'm learning more how to ride this bike every day and it's just getting more fun.
 
As long as your happy with it thats all that matters....

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