James Burleigh
Well-known member
When I ride on the superslab I'm continually shifting between 3rd and 4th gears. At an 80 MPH cruising speed the tach is at 6,000, and the bike is very buzzy, but responsive as hell (as I might have mentioned somewhere else ). But it's not that comfortable for cruising. So I typically pop the bike into 4th gear, which drops the tach 1,000 RPMs to 5,000. But at that RPM the throttle has reduced responsiveness, and it feels like I'm lugging the bike. Nevertheless I feel like I must be getting better fuel mileage, and it's more comfortable for cruising. Whenever I get into thick traffic or need to have available acceleration, I drop it back into 3rd.
So how should I think about this from a bike performance and longevity perspective? Is the bike "happier" (just call me Mr. Goodwrench) in 4th at 5,000 or in 3rd at 6,000 for cruising? Are there engine wear issues? Lugging issues? Mileage issues? Manhood issues? Stupid question issues?
Jb
So how should I think about this from a bike performance and longevity perspective? Is the bike "happier" (just call me Mr. Goodwrench) in 4th at 5,000 or in 3rd at 6,000 for cruising? Are there engine wear issues? Lugging issues? Mileage issues? Manhood issues? Stupid question issues?
Jb