Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Upshifting, yamaha vstar 650, volunteer advice

Question
In one of the answers I found the following Shift points:

First Gear: 0-10 mph Shift up at 10 mph
Second Gear: 5-25 mph Shift up at 25 mph, shift down at 5 mph
Third Gear: 20-40 mph, Shift up at 40 mph, shift down at 20 mph
Fourth Gear: 35-55 mph, Shift up at 55 mph, shift down at 35 mph
Fifth Gear: 55+ mph, Shift down at 50

The user's manual for my Yamaha Vstar 650 gives the following upshift points:

First Gear: Shift up at 10 mph
Second Gear: Shift up at 15 mph
Third Gear: Shift up at 20 mph
Fourth Gear: Shift up at 25 mpg

Am I missing something?

Thanks,
Alex  

Answer
Yep, you're definitely missing something. However, it's good that you're looking for answers.

My advice was written in a generic sense: something that would work for just about any bike. For example, I could give you instructions for how to mow a lawn, but everyone's lawn will be slightly different and you'll need to adapt the advice to your own needs.

Info in the owner's manual is written by the manufacturer of that bike for that bike, so that may be a better guide for shift points. HOWEVER, bear in mind that the manufacturer has break-in, waranty, and legal matters to contend with that an experienced motorcyclist/volunteer advice giver doesn't.

My advice was based on real-world situations and not what the bike's engineers think. You'll notice that we both show that 20 mph is okay for third gear, the only difference was _when_ you shift. Fourth gear is WAY too high on a Vstar for 25 mph, though, in my opinion.

Bikes shift easier when you're accelerating, too. If you're already up into third gear at 25 mph, you're not accelerating, as far as I'm concerned, and you have no need to find fourth gear unless you're going to be going 25 mph for a long, long time with no slowing or speeding up and no hills to contend with.

Okay now I'm rambling. Sum up: my advice is general, Suzuki's advice is specific. Hope that helps.

Pat