are you a "lugger"?

[D-Mac]

I keep it above 4K in the city, so I guess I'm not really lugging per se.

While it's true that lugging is bad for an engine, it's pretty hard to kill a modern in-line 4 engine. I'm sure it can be done, but most people won't have a bike long enough for the mileage to get that high and do that much damage.

I bet the bigger risk from lugging is a crash due to not having enough power in a tight situation rather than harming the engine enough to kill the bike.

 

[Red Wazp]

OK I admit I bought my FZ just so I could ride like I stole it. Isn't that the point of a 600?
Gas mileage? What! I can ride it hard and still get over 41mpg or ride like gramps and get close to 50mpg. A whole 7 mile per galon at best? Big woop, if I was looking for killer mileage I could ride my xt350 and get over 60 or buy a scooter and then you wouldn't wave at me.
No sir, no lugging for me. My FZ prefers to be ridden how it was design to, twist throttle and hang on!

 

[SovietRobot]

I keep the RPM's up, because if I'm im second and around 3-4k, grabbing a handful does nothing. It takes a good 5 seconds for the engine to respond unless you downshift.
When sitting at 5-6k in second, throttle response is great.

 

[RyanK]

thanks for all the responses guys! Wasnt' expecting so much.

Yeah, I know accelerating from lugging is hard, so if I'm lugging I usually downshift If I'm gonig to try accelerating quickly. My usual is probably in the 3-5k range around town.

 

[kellybt1052]

4000-6500 around town (I commute on it) is comfortable and good for MPG and generally fine with power. Weekends and country twisties is more like 8-12K the whole trip. The power responsivness for those conditions requires those revs and the rev happy yam plant is more than willing!! This is one of the things I like about the FZ6 multiple personalites!

 

[DefyInertia]

I generally only rev REALLY high when I'm accelerating in 1st/2nd, or on the track. I run most twisties in 3rd through 6th with 3rd being the exception and 5th being my favorite (if you dont' slow down, you don't have to speed up). I rev moderately high in town for safety reasons and b/c of the stop-and-go.

I adapt my shifting pattern to the situation. There's no one formula that works for all of them.

In general, though, there's no sense in revving high if you aren't on the throttle. I have to laugh at guys that scream around town uncertainly with the revs high up. When you need the revs, hit the throttle until you don't need them anymore, then shift up.

+1 on the first part

on the second part, I'm guessing you don't weigh much based on the honeymoon pictures you posted. For those of us that weigh a lot more, we need the power ON TAP for the following reasons......

Well I constantly ride in traffic so I make damn sure I'm not lugging along because this is a sure way to take away one of your "outs." 6-8000 rpms is my average so gear choice is very important depending on the type of riding envornment you are in.

I consider it dangerous to lug around when you are in traffic. You never know when you will need the maximum power that your bike can deliver at a twist of a throttle if a situation arises where you need to get yourself out of a sticky siituation. Yeah, the difference could only mean a second or two from being in one gear vs another, but if it's a second or two I'll take. Whatever advantage I can get, the better off I am. So I use the higher revs as one of my defensive tools. When emergency situation arises or corrective measures need to be taken, sometimes it's just best to "throttle out" vs braking.

Now If I'm out on the open road with no traffic, the probablity for me to demand maximum power at a split second is low, so I'm not so concerned about throttling out of situations.

+1

another 10 years and you'll be ready to write a best seller :thumbup:

Isn't that the point of a 600?

The point is different for everyone But yeah, the 600 screams :rockon:

 

[The Toecutter]

Well I constantly ride in traffic so I make damn sure I'm not lugging along because this is a sure way to take away one of your "outs." 6-8000 rpms is my average so gear choice is very important depending on the type of riding envornment you are in.

I consider it dangerous to lug around when you are in traffic. You never know when you will need the maximum power that your bike can deliver at a twist of a throttle if a situation arises where you need to get yourself out of a sticky siituation. Yeah, the difference could only mean a second or two from being in one gear vs another, but if it's a second or two I'll take. Whatever advantage I can get, the better off I am. So I use the higher revs as one of my defensive tools. When emergency situation arises or corrective measures need to be taken, sometimes it's just best to "throttle out" vs braking.

Now If I'm out on the open road with no traffic, the probablity for me to demand maximum power at a split second is low, so I'm not so concerned about throttling out of situations.

I couldnt have explained my own riding style any better.:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[nimzotech]

Vegasrider once said that riding a motorcycle is different than driving a car. The bike works better in the higher RPM range. Our fizzers actually have pretty high power-band mid range. 6 - 8 X 1000 RPM. That's what I learned is optimal for the bike. So I've been trying to keep the revs in that range. I feel like a complete putter when I'm starting off at the wrong "higher" gear then I should be.

In summary rider 'er hard - she likes it.

 

[Shinn]

I called myself a lugger, but my V-twin gets kinda choppy when it truly "lugs". I never ride in a gear that I can't accelerate in, if need be, but I don't see the need to run a gear down jsut because I'm on a motorcycle. In fact, my riding style is very similar to my driving style, int hat I shift in roughly the same areas. 60mpg makes up for the fact that my buddies think I'm in too high a gear.

Also, keep in mind I don't have an FZ or inline 4, so I run at different rpms anyway.

You get 60mpg on an SV??!! Wow, I never had that on my SV. I was lucky if I saw 45mpg. Worst was 28.

I ride my FZ the way I used to ride my ninja 250. Rev her and the sweet spot will show and keep her there. 6-8 rpm is magnificent. I get awesome gas mileage, can blow all cars away, and even feel comfortable doing it!

I actually get better gas mileage on my 6 then I ever did on the SV. Must be my riding style.

 

[opds9091]

i normally ride at 6-7k rpm on normal streets, so it's usually in 3rd and high rev's to the exhaust sounds sweet and if power is needed just a twist of the wrist and gone.

 

[Roadstergal]

+1 on the first part

on the second part, I'm guessing you don't weigh much based on the honeymoon pictures you posted. For those of us that weigh a lot more, we need the power ON TAP for the following reasons......

I didn't say I don't rev. I said I don't wait around at high revs without using it.

I ride proactively, because it's safer. I scan for potential situations that might arise and act accordingly. If I need to go, I pop a downshift, twist the wrist, and go.

I just don't cruise around with the engine screaming. I don't bog it at 3K either, though.

Yeah, the difference could only mean a second or two from being in one gear vs another

It takes you a second or two to shift?

 

[VEGASRIDER]

It takes you a second or two to shift?

I just don't want to be in a situation where I have to drop down a gear and throttle out. I want instant throttle response, twist of the wrist and that's it. So yeah, it may be a difference of a second or two if you take two bikes side by side travelling at the same speed, in different gears and get from point A to point B.

Plus the higher rev's from my Remus Exhaust is pretty loud so I know that the people around me laterally are aware that I am nearby or next to me. No stealth mode here. Again, your riding conditions could be much different, I just find that I feel much more comfortable using the tools that I have availabe to me dealing with all of the traffic.

 

[Nelly]

My commute is all 30mph roads, the traffic isn't dense. My bike its at about 3500 - 4000 rpm. I stay in 3rd mainly. With the 15T sprocket it has enough roll on power. Observation is the key to avoiding those dangerous situations.


Nelly

 

[BranNwebster]

Most of my riding is here in Houston. I putt putt till I get board. I get board often. I need another Leakey ride.

 

[codeblue]

My commute is all 30mph roads, the traffic isn't dense. My bike its at about 3500 - 4000 rpm. I stay in 3rd mainly.
Nelly

Same here, although occassionaly I'll go 4th gear, 'coz I go to work very early I don't want to piss off the locals.

 

[KensFz6]

I rev low for stealth mode since I ride home from work at 3am or 7am.

During the day though, if I'm in traffic I keep a moderate volume of 4500-6500 unless I'm right next to someone. I only wind it up if I'm accelerating or riding on the highway. Having the engine screaming and not actually accelerating just feels wrong to me.

 

[bluenova]

Amazing how differently people ride.

I cruise between 4000-5500, which I think is the most economical RPM’s to be in.

When accelerating I change to the correct gear depending how quickly I want to accelerate. If I want a gradual acceleration I will accelerate between 6000-9000, if I want the FZ to do what the FZ does best then I'll head up to the red line.

Isn't that the normal way to ride?

 

[Fz6Sa]

Amazing how differently people ride.

I cruise between 4000-5500, which I think is the most economical RPM’s to be in.

When accelerating I change to the correct gear depending how quickly I want to accelerate. If I want a gradual acceleration I will accelerate between 6000-9000, if I want the FZ to do what the FZ does best then I'll head up to the red line.

Isn't that the normal way to ride?

Well,- Aint that exactly the beauty of the FZ6, - it's strong enough to lug, yet takes the revs to have fun?
As for me, that one of the most loved things about the engine/transmission.

 

[grumpy1luvs2eat]

I ride my fizzer like a two cycle, run the revs up and keep it there. GRUMPY

 

[antijoy]

Now that I have the Two Brothers and PC3 installed I'm finding myself rolling around town at lower RPMs. It just feels and sounds more responsive in the low range now. I even had it down around 3K on a slow stretch this morning. It's still in the lugging range at 3K, but this was an unresponsive 'no man's land' for me before.

I haven't had the 2bros on for very long yet, so my riding habits could still change, but I thought this was interesting.