Topic: Average Cruising RPM?!

[garrettmiklautz]

Hey guys,
Just looking for an average RPM you guys stay around when riding. I've owned my 77' cb750 for a few months now, and i feel like i've been lugging it a bit. I've become accustomed to driving past bikes/cars at lower Rpm's. This is the oldest bike i've owned, and first SOHC CB. I've recently been staying closer to 4-5rpm at cruising speed and it seems to be happy there.
And man does it sound good at 8-9!!

[flybox1]

4500-5500rpm.  Right in the meat of the powerband.

[seanbarney41]

yup, these are happy at 5-8000 rpm all day long...no joke

[flatlander]

you can let them sing, they love it. on a good day on a free highway and no cops i can keep my 550 between 6k and red line all day long.

[PeWe]

4000-5000rpm on 5:th gear is normal cruising speed (100-120kmh). I prefer to drive a little bit faster than the cars to avoid problems like pushed sideways by idiots.
I had driven my bike on German autobahn, French and Italian highways in 140-210 km/h according to the speedo all day long. Mostly 150-180. Gearing 17:48 on my CB750 K6. (1 tooth less front increase rpm at 100kmh by 225 rpm only)

It took a few days to get the nice song from my 4-1 out off my head after such trip :-) 210kmh was max speed possible to reach. Same acc to 180, slower to 200 and squeeze the last to hit the 210 barrier which I did with 2 persons and luggage bags.
Engine had about 80 rwhp

My next goal is 220kmh I hope is possible with hotter cam and better valves. I was 30% lighter back in the touring days though :-)

[Kevin D]

I feel like i've been lugging it a bit.

Best not to lug it too much. I don't run an oil pressure gauge, but I have been told that oil pressure follows rpm 10psi per 1000rpm up to 50+psi, when the pressure relief opens.
 I'm generally doing backroad cruising through farm country at 45-50 mph, maybe 3500rpm, and I feel like it it will run forever. I try to stay off the interstates but that will be 5000-5500rpm or so. Leaving a red light, the sky is the limit for the first few gears!
 So how much oil pressure is enough? I really don't know, but if the engine is bucking when you do top gear roll ons from 2000rpm 25mph, well, probably not the best to put a big load on it while the oil pressure is low. It's easy to click it down a gear.

[PeWe]

About oil pressure.. not too low rpm at idle. 1200-1400 rpm is OK with my engine. 1000 rpm is where pressure will warn with lamp sometimes. Oil pump restored with repair kit. Got a pump from a bike with "only" 45.000 km. My old pump had over 100.000 km.

[Deltarider]

Mine is a CB500 and I prefer the rpm where the mirrors become clear again. Longest ride I did in one day was 1000km + from the Swiss-Italian border to home. Where possible I rode at 7000 rpm or above. Vibrationfree engine loves it and gets well cleaned inside.

[BobbyR]

On local roads I choose a gear that will keep her at 4K. You get good engine braking and a lot of jump when you need it. On the highway, 60-65 mph will have her at about 5K with the stock gearing. She does like to run fast, I took a trip into Pa. There are some steep climbs so the motor is working to maintain speed. I got off at my exit and I thought the motor quit when I stopped.

[garrettmiklautz]

Thanks for the feedback.
Sounds like i've been babying it a bit. I wasn't sure how far i could push this old engine.
I feel like I'm driving the #$%* out of it at that higher rpm, but by the sounds of it they like it.

[DaveBarbier]

I'm with Delta and the others that stay a little higher on my 550. Maybe 5500-6500. Highway is 6500 and up

[DaveBarbier]

Thanks for the feedback.
Sounds like i've been babying it a bit. I wasn't sure how far i could push this old engine.
I feel like I'm driving the #$%* out of it at that higher rpm, but by the sounds of it they like it.

I believe the owners manual says to never go past the red on the tach, and don't stay in the red for too long. So you can touch red line without issue...assuming your bike is in normal working condition.

[BomberMann650]

I don't have a tachometer, but I can use onomotopea to describe the exhaust note!

[Lostboy Steve]

At 80 or so on my 550 I'm pushing somewhere around 7 or above.

[Gordon]

I don't have a tachometer, but I can use onomotopea to describe the exhaust note!

Is it something like this?

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

[BomberMann650]

I don't have a tachometer, but I can use onomotopea to describe the exhaust note!

Is it something like this?

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Well, with the mac canister it did :p
But my old skool yoshi can makes more of a

WWWHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! At 85-90

And a

Bbbbwwwwuuuuuummmmmm

When coasting thru towns.

[Retro Rocket]

I don't have a tachometer, but I can use onomotopea to describe the exhaust note!

Is it something like this?

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Well, with the mac canister it did :p
But my old skool yoshi can makes more of a

WWWHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! At 85-90

And a

Bbbbwwwwuuuuuummmmmm

When coasting thru towns.

I love it when you guys get all technical ....

[madmtnmotors]

I don't have a tachometer, but I can use onomotopea to describe the exhaust note!

Is it something like this?

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Well, with the mac canister it did :p
But my old skool yoshi can makes more of a

WWWHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! At 85-90

And a

Bbbbwwwwuuuuuummmmmm

When coasting thru towns.

I love it when you guys get all technical ....

    

and 85 mph in first gear on a CB350 sounds like:

BS...BS...BS...BS...BS...BS...BS...


     


Oh, and my CB750's hover around 5K at 75mph.

[scottly]

The start of the "redline" wedge is the maximum safe continuous RPM. The end of the redline wedge is the maximum short term RPM. 

[BomberMann650]

The start of the "redline" wedge is the maximum safe continuous RPM. The end of the redline wedge is the maximum short term RPM.

If you go past that you may hear a

RattlerattlerattleBANG!!!!

[Stev-o]

Life begins at 5K!

[Bankerdanny]

On the highway going to work my 550 sits at 6k at around 75mph

[garrettmiklautz]

Life begins at 5K!

I've seen the light, What a joy.

[scottly]

Life begins at 5K!

I've seen the light, What a joy.

[Desert-SOHC]

Smooth up to about 4800, then the mirrors don't work much till you hit 6500...so that's about where I stay.  Anything under that and you will almost get run over out here.