What are your shift points?

[tjb0012]

Hey everyone,

Just wondering and would like to get a general census of everyone's shift points. Since the 08+ 250r likes to be in the high rpm ranges, I am not sure if my shift points are correct. Generally speaking, on main roads ( approximately 40 mph speed limits), as you go through your gears, around which rpm range do you normally shift at?

[Alex]

Redline, Redline, Redline, Redline, Coast. If it's marked 35, then it's just Redline, Redline, Redline, Coast.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Alex

Redline, Redline, Redline, Redline, Coast. If it's marked 35, then it's just Redline, Redline, Redline, Coast.

Haha Thats the way to do it!

[Yoda]

I generally shift around 8-9k but then again I grandma it around most of the time.

[miks]

If Im just cruising then I tend to shift around 7-9. But if I need to get going quickly, redline all the way baby!

[Reswob]

Rev the snot out of it for the first couple gears (until up to speed), then shift quickly to 5th or 6th depending on the road and speed limit.

[Reswob]

Originally Posted by Alex

Redline, Redline, Redline, Redline, Coast. If it's marked 35, then it's just Redline, Redline, Redline, Coast.

Methinks redline in 4th is well over 35mph...

[Xoulrath]

It depends on how I'm riding. If I need speed, then redline through at least third if not fourth gear. If I'm going for mileage then I shift around 7-8k, just enough to get power and not bog the engine. If I'm attacking corners then I'm typically in third, fourth or fifth hitting close to redline and I don't shift often.

[adouglas]

Don't know about you guys, but my butt dyno tells me that the bike isn't making a lot of power over 11k.

I had a real dyno run today and my impression is confirmed. The power curve levels at about 10,800 and the torque curve peaks somewhere between 10,000 and 10,500.

So redlining is fun but it doesn't really get you anywhere that you can't get by shifting a bit north of 10,000 rpm.

(My bike has a pipe and jet kit installed, BTW).

[fernieh07]

mostly around 7 or 8... but redline is alot more fun and its awesome when my bike is screaming at 11k

[Anteraan]

7-10k typically, depending on how I am riding. On certain occasions, near-redline shifting is required, but on most of my commutes, proper planning and traffic reading actually prevents me from going to redline.

[Snake]

As Andrew explained in his post I think the best way to know at what point to shift is by having your bike dyno'd

[kkim]

Just because a bike makes max HP at a given rpm point does not make it the ideal spot to shift. You have to consider how much the shift will drop the rpm and where in the rpm/powerband that next gear will put you. Shifting also costs you time as opposed to staying in the same gear a bit longer/higher in the rev range.

T.J.- your shift points will be determined by how fast you want top get to the desired speed. To get to 40 in the quickest time possible, I follow Alex's advice.

[Snake]

Kelly,
Are you saying it is better to just go by feel/experience time on any given bike?

[kkim]

I guess so... just saying shifting at the HP peak may not be the fastest/quickest way. It all depends on the situation and the type of riding you're doing. As a general rule, though, what Andrew says is pretty close to ideal.

[Snake]

Thanks Kelly. I was just thinking that it helps to have a dyno reading to have an idea where your bike is the most efficient and then use that info to suit the type of riding your doing at the time. (Cruising vs. intermittent speed changes)

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by kkim

Just because a bike makes max HP at a given rpm point does not make it the ideal spot to shift. You have to consider how much the shift will drop the rpm and where in the rpm/powerband that next gear will put you. Shifting also costs you time as opposed to staying in the same gear a bit longer/higher in the rev range.

True. But the dyno also told me that the torque curve on my bike is pretty flat from about 7500 all the way through 10,000 rpm, so shifting at 10-11k keeps me in that zone.

Looking at the chart, at redline the bike is making significantly less torque than it is between 10 and 11k. Actually, it's making less torque than it does at 5k.

If I shift at 11k and lose 1000 rpm in the process, according to the data for my bike I go from about 29 hp and 13.5 ft-lb to 27.5 hp and 14.25 ft-lb.

If I shift at 13,000 rpm and lose 1000 rpm, I go from roughly 28 hp and 11 ft-lb. to 28.75 hp and 12.5 ft-lb

Still looks to me like shifting at 10-11000 rpm is the way to go, because it leaves you with some headroom.

[Sailariel]

I usually shift at 11K

[Snake]

I usualy shift anywhere between 9k & 10k.

[tjb0012]

so you guys are saying that I should shift up to 2nd gear at 7-10,000 rpm? I have been shifting at around 4,000 I guess thats why my bike feels so slow when going from full stop.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by tjb0012

so you guys are saying that I should shift up to 2nd gear at 7-10,000 rpm? I have been shifting at around 4,000 I guess thats why my bike feels so slow when going from full stop.

lol... the power on this bike doesn't even start at that rpm. yep, try revving to 7-10k and see if that doesn't make a difference. after you get used to that, try shifting at redline before the rev limiter just cuts in. after that, you can decide what shift points works the best for you.

[tjb0012]

Thanks a lot everyone!

[adouglas]

Then again, if you crank it up to redline in first gear launching from a traffic signal and there's a cop next to you, your ride might be over real quick.

These aren't supersport bikes, but they can still get you in trouble.

The right rpm to shift at is the one that produces the desired result.

This is the problem with the internetz. Somebody asks for advice and before you know it a simple suggestion has become a cast-iron rule.

[littledog]

I usually shift at whatever my eventual cruising rpm will be. Nice and smooth that way.

[Talonne]

Between 8-10k usually.

[ouzakris]

It all depends on the road and conditions of course. Merging onto the highway I'll take it up around 10k just to get up to speed quick enough, but then I ride pretty casually in the city, and shift around 5k when I don't need much power and even as low as 3-4k when riding around neighborhoods late at night.

You can't really shift at the exact same spot every time in every situation though, can you? You just have to shift when you need to, that's all. I end up shifting all over every rpm range, in the end.

[Francis]

You guys shift up from 1st at 7-9k rpm?

I've been shifting up after 2 seconds or get up to at least 20 kph o.O

Then again... I'm really new at this.

I've never drove standard, but with cars (i know they're different from motorcycles), I thought the philosophy was "use first gear to get the car moving then shift to second."

[Domagoj]

Originally Posted by ouzakris

You can't really shift at the exact same spot every time in every situation though, can you? You just have to shift when you need to, that's all. I end up shifting all over every rpm range, in the end.

This is my way as well. You do what you must. I don't redline when there is no need to. Then again straight line performance is not something that makes me especially happy. Perhaps that is the reason

[wvninja]

around 16k to redline everytime no matter what. i ride like im from florida

[Yasko]

Very good info.

[JMcDonald]

The ideal shift point is one at which the engine lands at an RPM with the same power as where you shifted out of the previous gear. So, you don't want to shift until the engine will be producing the same power at the lower RPM of the next gear as it is when at the higher RPM of the lower gear.

Basically, usually a little bit after the power peak is best, depending on the distance between gears. Most likely, you will find shifting at around 12k+ out of 1st will be ideal, but that optimal shift rpm will drop to more like 10.5-11k as you go through the gears.


I only recently started shifting at around 9k in most situations, due to my longer gears. Stock, I would shift at around 7-8k, depending on traffic and how close I was to my desired cruising speed.

One thing that I also recently changed is now I tend to cruise at around 8k, which for me is about 55mph on the speedo in 3rd, unless I am in a low-traffic area and won't need to accelerate any time soon. Then I might go to 4th at these speeds.

[bdavison]

I run first up to about 8g pretty quickly, then punch it into second where I will take it up to around 10-11g on each shift till I'm going the speed I want to go.

The first gear will Peter out on power after around 8500rpms...no sense in redlining it in first...there's no power there. Get it into second quickly, and you can be doing 65+ by the time you hit mid range in third easily.

12g it and droppin clutch in first will pull the front wheel off the ground...just a FYI.

[JMcDonald]

Originally Posted by bdavison

The first gear will Peter out on power after around 8500rpms...no sense in redlining it in first...there's no power there.

If anything, the drop in power with RPM is far more noticable in the higher gears. Also, mathematically, a stock Ninjette will have more thrust in 1st gear til about 12.5k than it will if shifting to 2nd before then.

[Cuongism]

Originally Posted by bdavison

I run first up to about 8g pretty quickly, then punch it into second where I will take it up to around 10-11g on each shift till I'm going the speed I want to go.

The first gear will Peter out on power after around 8500rpms...no sense in redlining it in first...there's no power there. Get it into second quickly, and you can be doing 65+ by the time you hit mid range in third easily.

12g it and droppin clutch in first will pull the front wheel off the ground...just a FYI.

Wow, your bike must be fast if you measure it in g-force

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Cuongism

Wow, your bike must be fast if you measure it in g-force

G-force FTW!!!

[Cedilla]

It all depends on the situation. If I'm puttering around I'll shift at 7-8k, if I'm pulling out onto a busy highway, then I'll shift around 12k, unless I want a cool Chevy bowtie imprinted on my back.

[JMcDonald]

I have to admit Im surprised at how many people shift that late (8-9k or later). I thought I was the only one consistently taking it past like 7k heh.
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[Ytse Frobozz]

If I want to feel like I'm going really fast, I take the RPMs way the hell up there. Otherwise, I shift around 8k. When it's late at night, even though my bike isn't loud, I feel like a jerk if I take it over 6k.

Has anyone else ever done this? You're merging onto the highway or whatever, so of course your eyes are everywhere but on the tach, and the wind is so freakin' loud you can't hear your own bike, and all of a sudden you're like, "I'm at WOT yet I don't seem to be going any faster." That's when you finally look down and the needle is banging away off the 14k mark.