Topic: How to drive your SOHC4 (CB550)

[AirCanuck]

In light of the "help I dropped my 550" thread and my subsequent discovery that I have no idea where to keep rpms on a bike, can someone describe here how the CB550 likes to be driven?  It's my first bike, still haven't ridden it (in the shop... I put it in there right before a big local rally, so he has just started looking at it).

Where does it like to be kept above?  Tips on kickstarting? I've never kickstarted a bike.  Any other operating tips?

I am commuting on it short distances through mostly slow speed limit areas on a base (35km/h - 60km/h, about 5km trip total).  Am I going to be able to get it charging on these rides?  Or do I "have" to take a detour on the way home

cheers all!

[flybox1]

The only time the bike should be under 3000rpm, is when its stopped, at a light or stop sign.
Below that, the charging system wont provide enough to keep the battery charge, and you could possibly be lugging the engine.
I cruise at or above 4000rpm, always, and never have charging issues.

[flatlander]

this is a good question!
don't use it for your commutes. full stop. get a moped or bicycle for that.
here's how i warm up my engine: i ride about 10km up to 5k rpm, then another 10km  up to about 6.5k rpm - then use the full rpm range. you get the message, right? your 5km commute doesn't get it fully heated up and it will over time deteriorate by building up crud and carbon. also your exhaust will rust away as it won't get hot enough to burn off the condensation. these bikes don't like short rides and stop-and-go city traffic.

for taking off, get the revs up to between 3k and 4k, gently let out the clutch and add throttle as needed. 4-5k is fine for just cruising at moderate speeds as flybox says. if you want to accelarate, everything between 7k and redline is fine which give you the most power. on the highway at higher speeds, you can keep it also at anything up to redline for extended periods.

i have a 550 myself and love it on smaller scenic roads where it really shines. i'm also happy to take it on the highway even for longer runs at illegal speeds, high revers for hours at at time. all this is fine as long as the engine has been warmed up properly. but i never use it in town.

[Gene]

I've been commuting on a 550 for a long time recently, and long time a while ago (1980's). I never had a problem commuting with it. Keep in mind Flatlander, the U.S. commutes tend be longer than Europe, no disrespect to your suggestion.

Keep the revs above 3K as Flybox says. When you are at a light, idle like normal, take off - get the revs back up over 3K to 5K for charging. I ride to and from work and in the Winter I always ride home in the dark. If the battery gets a little low it's because I chose a poor route and ended up stopping more than I would like and waiting. But it's always gotten me home and been fine the next day.

Kickstarting: Turn fuel on. Kick it with the ignition off 5-10 times on a cold start. No throttle. Full choke (closed), ignition on, kick. Should be >3 to get it going. Use throttle to warm up. As soon as mine is started I open the choke fully and take off. Getting out of my neighborhood gets me just enough warm-up time. I can't speak for anyone else - but this is the method I use and it works fine. I live in So California though, so warm-up is totally different from, say, Canada.

[TwoTired]

While riding, I select gears so as never to go below 3500 rpm on the 550.
You really don't get started into the engine power band until about 4000.  And, the twist grip is an escape mechanism for traffic threats.  Expect to downshift 1or 2 gears to really scoot, and be ready at all times to do just that. The engine is deliriously happy with anything below 9200 rpm. From 4000 to 9200 is ALL useable on a routine basis.

As an aside, the operating band is a major reason why I prefer quiet exhaust.  Far less annoying to the populace, garnering some modicum of toleration and less animosity.  They won't see you or hear you regardless of exhaust noise.  And perhaps more importantly, less scrutiny from law enforcement, as it seems less "racey and wreckless" while still operating in the routine power band.

My views on starting and warm up have already been stated.  Heed or ignore as you wish.

I found the 550 to an excellent commute vehicle.  My commutes were about 20-30 minutes long one way.  Only in the coldest rainy San Jose ca weather did brown mayo form on the dipstick, indicating a longer run time was needed.  If you keep the stock size tires and wheels, the bike is much more maneuverable in traffic, and imo, better than the bigger, heavier 750.

Cheers,

[flatlander]

Keep in mind Flatlander, the U.S. commutes tend be longer than Europe, no disrespect to your suggestion.

he said his commute is 5km one way, that's what i was going off.
i have an occasional commute of over 120km one way - for that i gladly use my 550 

[Gene]

While riding, I select gears so as never to go below 3500 rpm on the 550.
You really don't get started into the engine power band until about 4000.  And, the twist grip is an escape mechanism for traffic threats.  Expect to downshift 1or 2 gears to really scoot, and be ready at all times to do just that. The engine is deliriously happy with anything below 9200 rpm. From 4000 to 9200 is ALL useable on a routine basis.

As an aside, the operating band is a major reason why I prefer quiet exhaust.  Far less annoying to the populace, garnering some modicum of toleration and less animosity.  They won't see you or hear you regardless of exhaust noise.  And perhaps more importantly, less scrutiny from law enforcement, as it seems less "racey and wreckless" while still operating in the routine power band.

My views on starting and warm up have already been stated.  Heed or ignore as you wish.

I found the 550 to an excellent commute vehicle.  My commutes were about 20-30 minutes long one way.  Only in the coldest rainy San Jose ca weather did brown mayo form on the dipstick, indicating a longer run time was needed.  If you keep the stock size tires and wheels, the bike is much more maneuverable in traffic, and imo, better than the bigger, heavier 750.

Cheers,

He said it better than I did. I also commute on my 750 - the 550 is a little more nimble - easier to throw around an oncoming vehicle that doesn't see you - and therefore a little better for side streets.

[Gene]

Keep in mind Flatlander, the U.S. commutes tend be longer than Europe, no disrespect to your suggestion.

he said his commute is 5km one way, that's what i was going off.
i have an occasional commute of over 120km one way - for that i gladly use my 550 

Ah, I see. Well, in that case AirCanuck, take the long way home

[flatlander]

and to add: 20-30mins as twotired mentioned is fine and i would take that as the minimum amount of time i'd want to regularly ride that bike (unless your standing around idling half the time). the 5km would be too short in my opinion.

[754]

Try not giving any gas when kickstarting

[ilikepinkcrayons]

Nobody mentioned LEDs. Going full LED has really helped my battery out. I found it would loose charge pretty quickly (within a month or two) before I switched to all LEDs (including a Trucklite 27270C headlight, which is low power and bright, but has a crumby beam pattern). I was also running on an old battery, but bought a new one at the same time as the LED swap. Haven't had any problems since. Oh, I've also got a Dyna-S ignition with 5ohm coils, which draws quite a bit more power than the stock!

I have a similarly short commute as well (3.3mi or 5.3km), but I let it warm up for 1-2 minutes before I take off (start it up, put on jacket, gloves, helmet, 3-point turn in my driveway). I do a 60-count in my head to make sure I give myself plenty of time to get oil in the valve train. Another 2-3 minutes of 3-4k rpm through the neighbor hood before I get to a big street, then I keep it between 3 and 6 (I don't typically have many stops from home to work). By the end of the commute, I'll usually rev it up to 7k on the last stretch to keep those spark plugs happy.

On a side note: my bike doesn't  like to hang out at 4000 all that much, so I'm usually between 3-3.5k or 4.5-6k. I'm still working that out. Additionally, I kick start it with full choke (parallel to the ground), kick the lever and immediately after give it some throttle. Springs to life, but often times dies after about 5 seconds if I don't hold the throttle to keep it idling. I also live in sunny Southern California, where its almost always warm.

[slikwilli420]

I have read to ride the bike in the top half of the RPM range. I started riding my '09 Thruxton like that and it just runs nicer and is right where the power really comes on. It makes sense when you think about it for any bike, but especially a 4 cylinder which loves to be revved a lot. Don't go nuts but unless you play near redline, you won't kill your engine.

[TwoTired]

Nobody mentioned LEDs. Going full LED has really helped my battery out. I found it would loose charge pretty quickly (within a month or two) before I switched to all LEDs (including a Trucklite 27270C headlight, which is low power and bright, but has a crumby beam pattern). I was also running on an old battery, but bought a new one at the same time as the LED swap. Haven't had any problems since. Oh, I've also got a Dyna-S ignition with 5ohm coils, which draws quite a bit more power than the stock!

Well that makes sense.  I don't have LED anything on my stockers.  They still serve me as is.  But, I do know how to keep the battery happy.  My blinker flash rate is also my voltmeter/charge meter.  Tools at hand and all that.

Have you tallied total cost for the total LED conversion?  Know the total current drain of the bike's systems?

Cheers,

[robvangulik]

Just ride the bike like you want, where and when you want.
I have done over 40 years of commuting (to the same company, just under 10 km away) with bikes growing from 200cc , via 350, 500/550, 750 later 836 to my current cbr1000f's, and had no problems but a lot of fun.
My 750 did well over 100k km and the 1000 refuse to die at over 200k km.
 Warming up is just the time/distance it takes to get to the open road out of town, even the cbr is hot and crackling when i get home.
Bikes are here for my pleasure, not the other way round, i treat them with respect, do all maintenance and repairs myself, but they have to work to earn my love!

[AirCanuck]

and to add: 20-30mins as twotired mentioned is fine and i would take that as the minimum amount of time i'd want to regularly ride that bike (unless your standing around idling half the time). the 5km would be too short in my opinion.

That really... REALLY... sucks to hear.  That's the majority of the driving I had planned.  I'm pretty bummed out to hear it's not suitable...  Getting a second bike is definitely not an option

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

and to add: 20-30mins as twotired mentioned is fine and i would take that as the minimum amount of time i'd want to regularly ride that bike (unless your standing around idling half the time). the 5km would be too short in my opinion.

That really... REALLY... sucks to hear.  That's the majority of the driving I had planned.  I'm pretty bummed out to hear it's not suitable...  Getting a second bike is definitely not an option

You'd be surprised how stress-relieving a nice ride can be.  Try extending your commute to allow sufficient running time to get the bike up to proper temperature.  DO NOT let it idle for any extended period; it will overheat (needs cooling air from riding). 

[seanbarney41]

Just go for a nice long ride a few times a week with no particular destination...motorcycle riding is not a tiresome chore like driving a #$%*ty car is.  It's fun.

[AirCanuck]

and to add: 20-30mins as twotired mentioned is fine and i would take that as the minimum amount of time i'd want to regularly ride that bike (unless your standing around idling half the time). the 5km would be too short in my opinion.

That really... REALLY... sucks to hear.  That's the majority of the driving I had planned.  I'm pretty bummed out to hear it's not suitable...  Getting a second bike is definitely not an option

You'd be surprised how stress-relieving a nice ride can be.  Try extending your commute to allow sufficient running time to get the bike up to proper temperature.  DO NOT let it idle for any extended period; it will overheat (needs cooling air from riding).

Define extended?

[Gene]

More than 4 minutes.

[BomberMann650]

This famous quote comes to mind

It's a little motor and it loves having the tits revved off it.

I had a 3 mile commute to my last job, and the start and finish of my shift were the best part.

Kick starting a 550 is pretty basic.  Fuel on, choke on, in neutral, hand on the throttle, hand off the clutch.  Stand over the bike.  Push down gently the kick lever with your foot until you feel the pressure resisting you.  Allow the kickstarter to come back up.  THEN GIVE IT A STRONG KICK!

A well maintenanced 550 should start up on the first kick. Use the throttle as needed to keep the motor purring.
As the bike warms up, you'll be able to turn the choke off.  I like to give the throttle a couple of blips before shifting into gear and rolling away.

For more information on rider technique, I'm obligated to say "take an msf course" - which can actually be really good instruction and a fun way to build skill, confidence, and speed if you're in an intermediate or advanced class - often taught at your local race track!

But for at home viewing pleasure, I recommend this brilliant piece of educational cinema!

The techniques outlined in the video have served me very well.
Except that one time I got a few things mixed up and nearly shat myself trying to calm an unhappy bloo.

[goldarrow]

Ride it like you stole it!

[ilikepinkcrayons]

Nobody mentioned LEDs. Going full LED has really helped my battery out. I found it would loose charge pretty quickly (within a month or two) before I switched to all LEDs (including a Trucklite 27270C headlight, which is low power and bright, but has a crumby beam pattern). I was also running on an old battery, but bought a new one at the same time as the LED swap. Haven't had any problems since. Oh, I've also got a Dyna-S ignition with 5ohm coils, which draws quite a bit more power than the stock!

Well that makes sense.  I don't have LED anything on my stockers.  They still serve me as is.  But, I do know how to keep the battery happy.  My blinker flash rate is also my voltmeter/charge meter.  Tools at hand and all that.

Have you tallied total cost for the total LED conversion?  Know the total current drain of the bike's systems?

Cheers,

I can get a power summary together and post it, but the improvement is obviously better the more the lights are used. I'm a daylight headlights kinda guy, so this helps me considerably.

As for cost, I'll break this down too, but I'd estimate it to be $50 for everything except the headlight, including the load independent flasher.

The headlight is $$$ (or £££ for those in the United Kingdom of England Land), and only worth it for those truly dedicated to short trips with the headlight on!

[TwoTired]

I think the DOT and many state laws require headlight on always for motorcycles.
So, its the max power draw I'm interested in.
The 550 alternator only makes 4-6 amps at idle speed.  If you have the total consumption down below this level, the battery should always get charge capability.  Even something close to these numbers would allow more charge than battery depletion.
I'm just curious about the cost/benefit ratio.

Cheers,

[Lostboy Steve]

I commute on mine, and have for about 5 years. 6 days a week and about 50 miles a day. All while having bags and a rear rack. This summer was bad because of a rocker issue (soon to be fixed).

I also keep my headlight off during the day, but my two stock market/blinker lights have very bright leds in them which are always on.


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[Deltarider]

don't use it for your commutes. full stop. get a moped or bicycle for that.
here's how i warm up my engine: i ride about 10km up to 5k rpm, then another 10km  up to about 6.5k rpm - then use the full rpm range. you get the message, right? your 5km commute doesn't get it fully heated up and it will over time deteriorate by building up crud and carbon. also your exhaust will rust away as it won't get hot enough to burn off the condensation. these bikes don't like short rides and stop-and-go city traffic.

for taking off, get the revs up to between 3k and 4k, gently let out the clutch and add throttle as needed. 4-5k is fine for just cruising at moderate speeds as flybox says. if you want to accelarate, everything between 7k and redline is fine which give you the most power. on the highway at higher speeds, you can keep it also at anything up to redline for extended periods.

i have a 550 myself and love it on smaller scenic roads where it really shines. i'm also happy to take it on the highway even for longer runs at illegal speeds, high revers for hours at at time. all this is fine as long as the engine has been warmed up properly. but i never use it in town.

This ^