Cruising RPMs

[YZ125]

When you guys are riding non-aggressively and simply cruising along, what RPM's do you keep your FZ6 at?

I got my '07 FZ6 about a week ago and find myself cruising around the 5K range.

I'm curious as to what other members keep their RPM range at?

 

[FB400]

That's going to depend on if you are cruising in 6th gear and the speed.

Once you change sprockets the rpm range will be different.

I generally like to cruise at 73 mph in 6th gear. Rpm readings with 15T front sprocket show about 6800 at this speed. With normal 16T sprocket if memory serves me I was showing 6200-6300 at this same speed

 

[pookamatic]

4k most of the time. Of course, on the highway, that can't happen.

 

[major tom]

I cruise at what ever 5 over the speed limit allows. Through Nevada and Utah it's 85MPH on rural roads. My FZ's are smooth enough below 71/2K That's about 85MPH with stock gearing and I've gone up one on the C.S. for a more relaxed feel and better mileage.

 

[FIZZER6]

The stock FZ6 isn't happy below 5K, you are lugging the engine if you put a load on it below 5K. 5K is good if you don't have any inclines but the sweet spot is more like 6K for cruising and 7-8K on the freeway.

 

[Carlos840]

As a general rule i try to keep the tach needle just below or past the 12 o'clock position, so my cruising speed will usually be around 7 or 8 thousand rpm.
This is where the FZ6 is the happiest, it will go as soon as you open the throttle!

On the highway it is usually closer to 9000rpm.

I do have 15/48 gearing.

 

[CNY Fizzer]

I found that I liked driving at 6K and shifting at 7K. :thumbup:

 

[Wildcat_drvr]

The stock FZ6 isn't happy below 5K, you are lugging the engine if you put a load on it below 5K. 5K is good if you don't have any inclines but the sweet spot is more like 6K for cruising and 7-8K on the freeway.

I wonder if this is the one of the differences' between S-1 and S-2?
My '08 S-2 is happy to run at 2500-3000 RPM.
It pulls good from idle up.
If I'm in traffic or in no particular hurry
I can be in 6th before 35 mph.
Driven truck all my life, learned in a '51 Jimmy with a 5x3 dual tranny setup.
Can you say double clutch? no syncros anywhere.
They hadn't thought of the H shift pattern yet, crazy,CRAZY!! pattern!
If you can drive one of these, you can drive anything!
I digress.
I never lug my engine but shift at 2,000-3,000 rpm,
I don't nail from those revs.
Unless the devil makes me crank it!
Then downshift and then I wind it up!

Rich

 

[major tom]

Mine too. My 07 and 08 are quite happy at 2500 in any gear though I don't make it a habit, I was just not paying attention. No complaints from the motor or driveline. If I want to accelerate I just drop down a couple gears. I usually ride up to 5000-7000 then shift, fast enough for me. Like I said earlier my cruising speed is 75-85MPH max. I'm one up on the C.S. My speedo is now accurate too! Not my odo though, it's now off.

 

[Carlos840]

I think it has more to do with different people's perception of "fast" than it has to do with an S1-S2 difference...
I have an S2 with 15/48 gearing and still think the bike is a dog under 7000rpm. Yes i, it runs fine at 2500rpm, but it just doesn't do much when you open the throttle. This is my impression, because i usually keep the bike at 7 or 8k, where the pull is instantaneous as soon as you twist the throttle, and i often shift at 13000rpm.

If you on the other hand are used to shifting at 5000rpm, never see redline and cruise at 3000rpm, you will find the bike perfectly useable down there.
Not that there is anything wrong with doing that, just that what you are used to has a lot to do with your perception of things!

One thing in your favor doing what you do is mileage! I get around 32mpg, you must get around 45mpg!

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I wonder if this is the one of the differences' between S-1 and S-2?
My '08 S-2 is happy to run at 2500-3000 RPM.
It pulls good from idle up.
If I'm in traffic or in no particular hurry
I can be in 6th before 35 mph.
Driven truck all my life, learned in a '51 Jimmy with a 5x3 dual tranny setup.
Can you say double clutch? no syncros anywhere.
They hadn't thought of the H shift pattern yet, crazy,CRAZY!! pattern!
If you can drive one of these, you can drive anything!
I digress.
I never lug my engine but shift at 2,000-3,000 rpm,
I don't nail from those revs.
Unless the devil makes me crank it!
Then downshift and then I wind it up!

Rich

Mine too. My 07 and 08 are quite happy at 2500 in any gear though I don't make it a habit, I was just not paying attention. No complaints from the motor or driveline. If I want to accelerate I just drop down a couple gears. I usually ride up to 5000-7000 then shift, fast enough for me. Like I said earlier my cruising speed is 75-85MPH max. I'm one up on the C.S. My speedo is now accurate too! Not my odo though, it's now off.

Mine is the same..

I generally shift at 5k, un-less horseplaying.

And also agreed, it doesn't wake up until above 7-8k. But for normal use, I'm still way ahead of traffic shifting at 5k, cruising at 4k..

The engine definitly is NOT lugging at 3k in 6th gear. I've been riding since 1973, street bikes since 1975 and know what lugging, pinging, etc is... Running at 3k in top gear, my water temps stay (in the 90's, F) usually stay below 180F.

Yes, it has no balls at just turning the throttle, but it is smooth accelerating (W/O downshifting) and still faster than most cages..

With that said, about 48 MPG beating around town...

 

[FIZZER6]

I don't know. Maybe it's because my Cruiser makes 110 ft lbs of torque that the FZ6 below 5K just feel like it's lugging to me but you will not be getting better fuel economy running the engine below it's optimum range of 5-8K rpms. In order to accelerate from 3K rpms you have to add more fuel than you would to accelerate at the same rate from 5K rpms where the engine is more "happy". I never run below 5K and I always get 50 mpg commuting.

I've heard that the charging system is also happiest above 5K.

 

[Marcin]

I've heard that the charging system is also happiest above 5K.

Honestly, not sure about that. I have a voltmeter and get 14v already at 2000 rpm. Dual headlights. When in high revs it spmetimes drops to 13.8.

It is difficult at first to get used to these rpms when U drive a car where redline is at around 7k. Or, like me, had a 650 single cylinder for a first bike with similar limits.

It's just different.

 

[FIZZER6]

Honestly, not sure about that. I have a voltmeter and get 14v already at 2000 rpm. Dual headlights. When in high revs it spmetimes drops to 13.8.

It is difficult at first to get used to these rpms when U drive a car where redline is at around 7k. Or, like me, had a 650 single cylinder for a first bike with similar limits.

It's just different.

Voltage doesn't mean it's putting out charging amperage. I've heard of people wearing out batteries from doing a lot of stop and go traffic with dual headlights which indicates to me that the battery isn't charging at idle. I wouldn't know because the only time I'm at Idle is when I warm up the engine in the morning on the way to work! :thumbup:

 

[ChanceCoats123]

Agreed. Charging amperage is what really matters in those terms. Batteries today are pretty good about keeping their voltage in spec (especially with the R/R helping), but 14V at .1 A will not keep the whole system running (for long at least). I haven't done the math for the power of the ECU and headlights, brake/tail light, etc. but you will need a few amperes at least to keep the whole system from drawing off the battery.

That said, I ride at around 5-6k on the road and 7-8k when on the highway (even though most of my driving is done in 6th gear, the revs still get up there).

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

In order to accelerate from 3K rpms you have to add more fuel than you would to accelerate at the same rate from 5K rpms where the engine is more "happy". I never run below 5K and I always get 50 mpg commuting.

I've heard that the charging system is also happiest above 5K.

Actually, on a ride today to the bank/store, I checked my mileage, it was a high of 50.3MPG, NOT on the highway, just beating around town, a romp to red line the other day. I have no idea what it'd get on the highway(probably higher yet), I don't commute anymore.

Re the charging the system, its max output is at 5k. If you put a voltmeter on the VR or a good battery at 2500 RPM's and let the voltage settle, a normal system will see at least 13.5 volts. it is indeed charging at 1,500 RPM's just fine. Put a voltmeter on it, its really not an issue, just at a very low idle especially with lots of accessories.

My bike, with the dual headlights, I have the idle set at about 1,100 and its making 13 volts (slight charge). At 1,000 and you breaking even / slightly loosing..

As noted before, at the lower RPM's, yes you have to downshift if you want to accelerate hard, there's no disputing/arguing that. I can still keep ahead of most traffic (un-less there's a hot rod wanting to play) without winding it out or just shifting at 4-5k.

The power/ torque is completly different, as you know, between your crusier and the FZ. The FJR has almost as much HP at IDLE as the FZ6 has at WOT.

That's a good part of why Yamaha never went to a six speed for the FJR.. Its not needed and most of the guys don't want it. With that torque on hand, there's NO NEED to downshift. You can turn the throttle while crusing at 5k, (about 75 MPH), and with NO downshifting, and easily be at 125 just twisting the throttle....

My old Honda VT1100 (1985 -totalled and the replacment 1986) V-twins, drive shaft, 5 speed with hydralic clutch, tach) both had mucho torque just off idle. In the rain, I couldn't keep the back tire from braking loose off just starting to roll.

Just very different animals.

 

[outasight20]

RPM vs indicated MPH will not change with gearing. Only your actual speed will change.

 

[blackONblack]

I usually go by feel. Whatever is the highest gear that doesn't feel like its bogging down the engine. Click down one to pass, click down two to really goose it. I think it ends up being around 4-6k most of the time, but of course its a different story on the highway.