Shifting question.

Bizzy13

Bizzy13

XS400 Addict
Messages
182
Reaction score
1
Points
16
Location
Cleveland Oh
Is it normal on these lil shits for it to wind out so quickly?! I have to run 5th gear at 25mph or it is just winding so high it seems it'll come apart. I need 6th gear for 35 or over and at 60mph it sounds and feels wound out at crazy high rpm!! I normally take off in 2nd because 1st winds out so quickly there's no point using it. Is this normal?! I'm used to my old 440 KZ. That bike you didn't use 6th unless you were over 50mph and you could run 25mph in 3rd and 35 in 4th.
 
My guess is that something's up with your bike. Either the speedo is bad or you indeed have abnormally high revs. I usually go up to about 18 mph in 1st, 35 in 2nd and 45 in 3rd when accelerating, cruising I do 18 in 3rd, 35 in 4th and 45 in 5th. And I'm not abusing my bike in any way like that I feel. So yea I'd say there's something up with your bike.

Slipping clutch maybe? How high are your revs exactly? (not that I can compare, my tacho has been removed :p)
 
Thats definately not right ,the wind up quick between 5th and 6th .I usualy shift between 3500 and 4k rpm on each gear.Not sure if this is norm or not but by sound if I let go any higher in the rpms it sounds like its going to come apart.:yikes:
 
Get used to 60 MPH at around 6000 rpm with stock sprockets.

These are small engines and will cruise for hours at 6,000 rpm if well taken care of.

My bike doesn't really come alive until over 4,000 rpm. Shift under that, and you will be riding a slug.
 
I have no clue where my rpm's are,I have no tach. But it's definitely not right. It runs at ridiculously high rpm when riding. It idles perfect.
 
HoughMade said:
Get used to 60 MPH at around 6000 rpm with stock sprockets.

These are small engines and will cruise for hours at 6,000 rpm if well taken care of.

My bike doesn't really come alive until over 4,000 rpm. Shift under that, and you will be riding a slug.
Click to expand...

My bike is just the oppisite has plenty of low end power and good through out the mid range up 60mph.From what I rember the rpms are about 6k`s at that speed.Problem is with loud azz pipes I have It feels scary to go any faster.Yes they are getting changed.
 
I'm used to loud, open
Pipes. It's the rpm. My 1st gear winds out at 5mph, 2nd around 10. I have to be in 4th gear to hit 25mph! I have some needle shims, Ill try that buy I don't see what that would have to do w/ reaching too high an rpm @ too low a speed????
 
I think i would check out the clutches. I put new clucth plates and heavier springs with a extra in mine and it made a world of differnce. I dont have a tach but i know i can hit atleast 20 km in first. im running strait pipes as well. I also went up a tooth on the front. My top speed is around 140 :bike:
 
I'm not putting another penny in this bike. If it needs clutches the next guy can worry about that. I'm trying to adjust the clutch now. It's helping a little but not enough.
 
willem said:
My guess is that something's up with your bike. Either the speedo is bad or you indeed have abnormally high revs. I usually go up to about 18 mph in 1st, 35 in 2nd and 45 in 3rd when accelerating, cruising I do 18 in 3rd, 35 in 4th and 45 in 5th. And I'm not abusing my bike in any way like that I feel. So yea I'd say there's something up with your bike.

Slipping clutch maybe? How high are your revs exactly? (not that I can compare, my tacho has been removed :p)
Click to expand...

You're talking mph not kph, right?
 
Without a tach you don't really know if the bike is "winding out" These redline at 9k rpm's. My 80 has 16-37 sprockets and runs 5k at 60mph and my 79 is about the same. To you 5k might feel line red line but without a tach you wont know for sure:shrug:
 
These bikes cruise like it's nothing at rpms where Harleys throw rods. Your bike is not "winding out" at 5 mph in first, your ears are.
 
Bizzy13 said:
I'm used to loud, open
Pipes. It's the rpm. My 1st gear winds out at 5mph, 2nd around 10. I have to be in 4th gear to hit 25mph! I have some needle shims, Ill try that buy I don't see what that would have to do w/ reaching too high an rpm @ too low a speed????
Click to expand...

Something is definately wrong in 1st gear my bikes winds out at almost 20mph
 
The problem with loud is since sound is amplified It feels your faster than what you realy are.Like say with one of my hot rod cars I builT with open headers driving at 40mph cause it was loud it seemed like I was going 60mph.As soon as the rest of the exhaust put on with the system quieted down driving at the same speed felt normal.
 
Wound out in first at 5 mph? What sprockets do you have installed? 10 x 50?

There is a big difference between 9,500 RPM that SOHC's redline at, or 10,000 RPM for the DOHC, and 6000 RPM that Harley's explode at. If you don't have a tachometer installed, you are just guessing what the engine speed is. I've been around engines (from 5cc 2-strokes to high-bypass turbofans and everything inbetween) longer than you have been alive, and I know better than try to guess what speed an engine is running at. You should install a tach and find out what speed your engine is ACTUALLY turning. Yammering to us without facts is just bitching, and we could do with less of that around here.
 
I'm used to loud pipes and I know how bikes should sound. I had the same problem w/ my KZ but a valve adjustment and a little carb tweaking took care of it. I've got this one all dialed in but it didn't fix the issue. It has to be a clutch issue of some kind as when I adjusted the clutch it did seem to help it a little.
As for jap bikes running @ higher rpm's than Harley, I know that. I know exactly what it should sound and feel like, Im not one of your stupid children. I respect the fact that you've been working on bikes for over 40yrs and if you were here to actually witness what was happening Id be thrilled to have someone wise w/ experiences knowledge and advise. But since you're not here and you seem to be better at being an Internet asshole than a human being, I really have no use for you. So look into someone else's posts to be a wanker to strangers for no good reason. Good day, God bless.
 

Similar threads

CalgaryStreetBob
***NEW BIKE NEED ADVICE*
Replies
1
Views
632
tstidham
tstidham
jvdavidson
Carbs or Coils...or something else???
Replies
0
Views
740
jvdavidson
jvdavidson
sdhadley94
Power loss
Replies
0
Views
634
sdhadley94
sdhadley94
peebuck
Transmission reassembly
Replies
4
Views
2K
amc49
A
N
Hanging Revs Issue! Revs decrease slowly. Help!
Replies
13
Views
4K
amc49
A
Back
Top