Topic: How high do you get on the tach?

[BVCB650]

I shift at 4k. So most of the time I'm running 3K - 4K. Sorry, I'd like it to last.

No reason to apologize.  It's your bike, ride it how you want to, but using the engine the way it was designed to be used isn't going to hurt it.  

Oh, and 3-4K on a 750 is lugging it, and lugging an engine can hurt it. 

I read what other people do and that is fine with me. I like a combination, I have probably gone 9K on one of my miss shifts. I know i have done 8K a few times this year.

I am not sure it is good for the overall health of the motor to either run it slowly or run it balls out all of the time. Probably a combination of the two is best.

One thing to consider is that most of us are not the original owner. While new and well maintained these motors could go balls out.

If you are the 3rd owner or more, how would you know the if the bike had good maintenance over the last 30 years. Looking at the threads you see some real horrors. So, i run around town shifting at 4K and keep it there. When my need for speed breaks out, I have no qulams about 7K shifts.

You could an overall check up on your bike to determine it's "health"
 by doing compresion checks etc. Barring metal fatige, It probably doesn't have any feelings that might get hurt.

I grant you that you can get some idea of your engines health from the checks you do. There is a whole lot of high stress parts down below that can get fatigued and worn. Running a bike low on oil is gonna get the bearings first.
I am an all things in moderation kinda guy at this point in my life.

I hear you. Sounds like we didn't get as wise as we are by going through life at 10K rpms. Although, there were time when I should have indeed died. I can count 6.

[BobbyR]

+1 on that Brother. I may have had more times, but what is the point of counting. Next week I go for my 2 years stress echo, which is the problem with having had the cardio guy as your internist. So the Doc will take me to the redline and look for misfires and fluid flow through the motor.      

[andy750]

+1 on that Brother. I may have had more times, but what is the point of counting. Next week I go for my 2 years stress echo, which is the problem with having had the cardio guy as your internist. So the Doc will take me to the redline and look for misfires and fluid flow through the motor.      

Good luck Bobby! Maybe you shouldnt look at the Babe thread before you 

[rachet]

I grant you that you can get some idea of your engines health from the checks you do. There is a whole lot of high stress parts down below that can get fatigued and worn. Running a bike low on oil is gonna get the bearings first.
I am an all things in moderation kinda guy at this point in my life.

[/quote]

All things in Moderation... even Moderation!

[Gordon]

All things in Moderation... even Moderation!

Well put!

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

First, second and third close to 10,000. Fourth and fifth will see that when I get the new swing arm in place. Don't like wobbles at 100+ mph. I'm not worried about hurting the engine but rather blowing it up again if I miss another shift in that rpm range. I figure the main issue is creating a leaky head gasket quicker at the higher rpms. Wind that sum#$%* up! 

[shizzomynizzo]

about 500 hundo below redline at least once, every ride.

My buddy swore I would blow my motor if I did this, but he (who drives an old suzuki waterbuffalo?) blew his and never took his to redline.

I guess it depends on how well maintenance is done, and the quality of the factory that built it. I most definitely trust that my honda was built with only the highest quality and do not fear that bringing the bike to redline will cause any type of catastrophic failure  .

[Joe Mig]

At times the tack sees 10,000 RPM . It seems like the power comes on at 6,500 to 10,000.
On the road I think it is 5,000 at 65 mph it kind of likes that.

[Sam Green Racing]

8 to 11.5k......

Boom comes to mind

Sam.

[Sam Green Racing]

All great replies - thanks everyone!

Myhondas - good detailed reply!

I need to go practice now  .

Keep in mind I have been riding for 19 yrs  - 18 of those on CB750s. Ive had the bike to flat out speeds on the Autobahn with the tach around 7-8K, WOT for a couple of hours or so. But usually shift it in the 6-7k range. Now Ill try something new  . Never too old to try something different. I know my bike inside out having rebuilt it a couple of times now. It has less than 8,000 miles on the rebuilt top end. But good point Bobby!

cheers
Andy

I thought at first that this was a wind up, now I'm sure Where does the red line on the tach (rev counter to me and you) start on the Ks ?

Sam.

[BobbyR]

All great replies - thanks everyone!

Myhondas - good detailed reply!

I need to go practice now  .

Keep in mind I have been riding for 19 yrs  - 18 of those on CB750s. Ive had the bike to flat out speeds on the Autobahn with the tach around 7-8K, WOT for a couple of hours or so. But usually shift it in the 6-7k range. Now Ill try something new  . Never too old to try something different. I know my bike inside out having rebuilt it a couple of times now. It has less than 8,000 miles on the rebuilt top end. But good point Bobby!

cheers
Andy

I thought at first that this was a wind up, now I'm sure Where does the red line on the tach (rev counter to me and you) start on the Ks ?

Sam.

On my 78K it begins at 8K. People are taking 30 something year old tach readings as Gospel. I opened one up once and it is a carbon copy of the speedo. Not quite a precision instrument. I am hoping both the speedo and tach are reading low, I love the illusion of danger.

[Laminar]

Thank you Andy for starting the thread I was going to!

When I first started riding, I would shift way to early.  It wasn't a problem, and I thought I was doing it right.  It "sounded" right.  When I had a mechanic look it over, he was telling me about doing 80 in third gear and I about freaked!  However, he explained that the power range for my bike (again, a 750f2) really didn't kick in until the higher RPM's.  I started experimenting and dang it if he wasn't right.  The motor is just tooling along in the 5K range, and accelerates hard as I increase the Revs.  It really is around 9-1/2K when i stop accelerating, but then I shift... and BAM!  The Tach usually drops to 4 or 5k, and I start accelerating again.

What I would like to know is, Why does it run better at higher Revs, unlike other bikes I've ridden?  The Cam perhaps?

Rach-

What other bikes have you ridden? Thumpers? Twins? The stereotypical four-cylinder bike has less low-end grunt than a comparable twin or thumper, but does much better up high. If you think this bike has a kick up high, try one of Honda's DOHC bikes like the Nighthawk 700s (never mind any of the new sport bikes). That's got a high-rpm kick like you wouldn't believe.

[Sam Green Racing]

Thanks Bobby, I just took a look at some pics from diferent years below yours and it seems 8 is the magic number, I wonder if there is any significance in why they use RED in that section of the revs.

Sam.

[runutz698]

What I would like to know is, Why does it run better at higher Revs, unlike other bikes I've ridden?  The Cam perhaps?

Rach-

I would put that down to over square engine, which is classic Jap style same as alot of the high reving Jap stuf like Honda Cars Ect...

[BobbyR]

Thanks Bobby, I just took a look at some pics from diferent years below yours and it seems 8 is the magic number, I wonder if there is any significance in why they use RED in that section of the revs.

Sam.

In some Asian cultures Red is a lucky color(colour). So I imagine if you go into that zone they are wishing you luck. Very decent of them really. 

[Simpson]

In town I stay within 5k. Anymore and you tend to draw attention to yourself, and you are probably speeding. On the open country road, high revs are 7-8k. Typically I get all the acceration power I need under 6k. Why beat a 40 year old bike? Thats why I have a Speed Triple. Once every few months I "may" bump the red line slightly. I disagree these engines are made to run at or near redline all the time or running them to slow is hurtful to longenvity. So long as you perform regular maintenance, normal usage without the high extremes can give you a long life.

[rachet]

The last bike I rode was a Suzuki V-Strom 650.  By 4, 5 Thousand RPMs The bike was Screaming to be shifted.  It seemed that by 40 MPH i had already moved through all the gears.  With my 750 I'm still in first gear at 40!  I also rode a few dirt bikes, which I assume are always high geared.

I know the PO replaced my rear sprocket which gives it a rocket style take off, but also limits it to 110 MPH.

[Popwood]

It just seems artificial to "cruise" the highway in 3rd at 8K rpm, engine screaming, or scootin' through a neighborhood in second at those high revs just because the bike can take it (or are you running 30-40 mph over the speed limit?). I can see running it up and holding there, even on a regular basis, to exercise the engine, but routine mile after mile running at those revs just doesn't seem to make sense. As Mammy said in "Gone With the Wind", "It ain't fittin', it just ain't fittin'!"

[rachet]

When I'm cruising around town, There is no red line pushing.  It's more moderate 4 or 5k RPM action.  I mean, oh sure, there is the occasional WOT and going way to fast... wait... is this a cell phone!?!  PRANK CALL! PRANK CALL!!!

[Laminar]

The last bike I rode was a Suzuki V-Strom 650.  By 4, 5 Thousand RPMs The bike was Screaming to be shifted.

Do you mean that it sounded like it should be shifted, or that there was a noticeable drop-off in power that necessitated shifting to stay within the usable power range?

Specks for the V-Strom DL650:
DL-650
64 HP @ 8500 RPM
48 ft lbs @ 7400 RPM

At 5000rpm it's nowhere near its power peak. It seems like "screaming to be shifted" was simply your perception of the engine's sound. Either that or there's something terribly wrong with the bike.

[rachet]

The last bike I rode was a Suzuki V-Strom 650.  By 4, 5 Thousand RPMs The bike was Screaming to be shifted.

Do you mean that it sounded like it should be shifted, or that there was a noticeable drop-off in power that necessitated shifting to stay within the usable power range?

Specks for the V-Strom DL650:
DL-650
64 HP @ 8500 RPM
48 ft lbs @ 7400 RPM

At 5000rpm it's nowhere near its power peak. It seems like "screaming to be shifted" was simply your perception of the engine's sound. Either that or there's something terribly wrong with the bike.

Show off...

It's been about a year ago, so my memory is a little fuzzy.  Probably a little bit of me shifting to early based on sound.  I don't remember the exact RPM, but it wasn't 9k by no means.

[articblue]

1978 honda goldwing gl1000...8-9000 which is sitting at the redline.
Although it really wanted to keep going I was afraid it'd shoot a piston into my leg
And I was ~90 mph sooo that was kinda fast for the old gal.
I think that was in 3rd.

[MRieck]

Reading Rachets excellent ride report of his evening ride:

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=59135.0

made me realise I am probably not using the full potential of my engine. Dont get me wrong I do ride fast but I likely baby my engine never going beyond 7K on the tach and thats only once in a while.

So question is - what is the usual tach rpm range you operate in and in what gear? (this applies to CB750s but if have another bike please specify).

I am guessing that running at higher rpms will shorten the life of the engine? Thoughts on this as well are welcome....

thanks
Andy
 

Mine tagged the rev limiter at 10,000 several weekends riding with Ben and his brother Andy. It does sound nice jusssst bumping into that limiter.

[andy750]

Wish I had been there Mike!

BTW I have a 836 engine that I will be needing you to have a look at....I think the cam is toast....

cheers
Andy

[Terry in Australia]

I regularly ride with my CB750 engine revving at 10,000 RPM. Fcuking thing is stuck in first gear.....................