Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: gear to use, shift, gear

Question
Hi, I just saw this in an answer of yours and am wondering if this would be the same if I drive a 500 vs. an 800.  I am trying to get used to what gear to be in and am going more by ear then speed, but since I am a new rider and haven't driven a manual car I am not sure if I am doing it right.  Also, is there a good rpm range to be in?


1st gear starting out only
2nd gear accelerating, turning slowly (5-15 mph)
3rd gear accelerating, cornering at 20-40 mph
4th gear leveling off, cornering at 30-50 mph, riding along at 30-45 mph
5th gear leveling off, cornering at 40+ mph, riding along at 45-60 mph
6th gear overdrive only

Thanks!

Answer
Those gears/speeds are generic, and apply generically to any modern bike.

But being that they're generic, every single bike will probably deviate from this list.

Just like how tire pressure on cars is supposed to be 35F 35R, that's a good generic point to start from--but you adjust it for the way you drive and the way you want your car to respond.

Another way to judge gear/speed is based on RPM, which is more or less doing it by ear. Except for when cruising/overdrive, you generally want to be in the lower-middle of your powerband when you shift.

Powerband is unique to each bike. It is the rpm range in which the engine makes the most power. On my bike, for example, I make good power from 5000-9000 rpms, so I shift at about 7000.

A brief online seach for your make/model of bike (discussion forums seem to me to be the best source of information like this) will probably give you an rpm range for your powerband. It will be up to you then to decide how to use that information to decide when to shift.

The goal is for your motorcycle to always be "ready for action" in case you need to accelerate in a hurry. Being in the powerband means you don't have to downshift to have lots of power/acceleration ready at your fingertips.

If you tell me what kind of bike you have, engine size and design, I can maybe give you a better idea of when to shift, but it's really up to each rider to do what makes the most sense and is comfortable for them.

Generally, for bikes with a low redline (say, 6000 rpm) the powerband will be 3500-5000 or so. For bikes with high redlines (say, 12,000 rpm) the powerband will be in the 8000-11000 range.

Hope that helps. Use your best judgment. Enjoy that motorcycle!

Pat