RPM, Speed, Gear Selection, Vtech

While browsing another forum, I read several comments about RPM, speed, gear selection, Vtech and much of the information was contradictory to my experience.
How about some discussion?

Several comments about almost never riding at an RPM lower than 5,000
My experience has been that 4,000 in 6th is 60 mph indicated. I cruise a lot at 4500 RPM which is about 62 mph actual. That's about as far as you can push the 55 mph speed limit here

Several comments about never or seldom using 6th gear.
I use it a lot. 5000 in 6th is 75 mph indicated. Nice cruise speed in 65 mph zones

Comments were common about what a PIA the Vtech engagement was.
Hey, it happens, just be ready for it. I happen to have the PAIR valves bypassed and a PC3 and the Vtech transition is not really any surprise

Where do most of you run on the open road?
Very little of my riding is on city streets and usually on open country two lane roads.
I almost never engage the Vtech in normal riding. I do feel the need to make sure it is working properly by making a quick trip through the gears occasionally.

I cruise between 4K and 5K rpms in whatever gear is appropriate for the speed I'm travelling.  Vtec transition has never been a concern for me.  Depending on the road, a spirited drive may find me above the engagement point all the time, or I may transition in and out of Vtec.

On the open road where I find myself running at least 65mph I use 6th gear.   That's one of the great things about the vfr, the tall 6th gear allows smooth serene running at the 80+ mph speeds typically run by all vehicles on the open roads out west.


Mine is bone stock and I never have considered the vtech  engagement to be a PIA but I definitely feel it when it engages, especially in the lower gears.  What is a PIA is the snatchy on/off quality of the fuel injection.    Granted the 6th gen came out in '02 so I suppose they threw all they could into it at the time.  My Suzuki has far superior fueling (2008 B-king) and is far easier to ride smoothly on tight technical roads.   Still, I've ridden the vfr bone stock for three years now so I guess I've adapted.   One strange but true fact is the Bking with nearly twice the horsepower gets better gas mileage than the vfr.  

I'm with Conedodger and Legend--bike is stock.  I pay no attention to the tach 90 percent of the time, despite its prominent position.  I shift by ear and feel.  As for the vtec, mine's a 2006 (Honda dropped the engagement rpm a bit), and I find it quite manageable, if not exactly smooth (DigitallyHip refers to it as "the vibrator" :laugh: ).  I kind of use it like a turbo, making sure I'm within sight of the engagement point when I want boost.  When I have hit the transition without thinking about it (e.g. grabbing a handful on a corner exit), it just stands the bike up and off you go ...

Mine is stock and I've put 44000 on it, I'd say the 1st 40k was done at no less than 5000 rpm, because to me it is a close place to be able to accelerate for safety, and it was also a way to put some drag, to help my braking coming into a turn.

BUT.... I was reading something about "What is a good rpm" (on this forum), and while reading though it for a few days.... I think it was BLS that came on and was saying it's not that good for the inter-working parts to be keeping up in the high rpm levels all the time(pick your own levels plz), and that he ran in the 4000 range, so I thought I'd give it a try(I most think he knows something). As it turns out I liked the way the suspension worked a lot better when the rpm's are lower, and I just worked more on my riding tech' at that lower rpm till I got use to it, but then went back to the higher rpm's for a while, and then returned to the lower, and have been working with it this way for a while. I'm getting to where i like it that way.

I do take it though the vtec for the sake of keeping a rim from building at the top of the pistons throw, and making sure the vtec is not neglected. In the long run I'm finding my riding feels more controled. I got a lot of practice at TMac this year.

no H.

Compared to my last bike (K1200S), the VFR is rather gutless below 5K, so I always try to stay around there as much as possible. On the K bike, I could be cruising at 40 MPH in 6th gear at 2200 RPM and not have to downshift to pass almost anything on the road. :D

Since the VFR doesn't have a gear indicator, I just remember: 4th at 5k = 56 MPH, 5th at 5k = 65 MPH, 6th at 5k = 74 MPH (+/- 1 MPH for all).

The engine is so smooth around 5k RPM, that I consider it the sweet spot. Under any load below 4k RPM, and the bike vibrates a lot. It's also not good to lug the engine.

I usually try to stay right around 5K, unless it's a real long straight and I can drop it another gear without having to immediately downshift again. But, when I'm 'getting on it' (canyon or track) I spend most of my time above VTEC. Before I put on the PCIII, the VTEC (right way to spell it, btw. Vtech is a phone manufacturer) transition was so rough I would make a conscious effort to not be at the transition RPM while going into a corner. This meant either lugging the bike below or screaming above. Kinda a PITA. Thankfully the PCIII really helped with that, so now I don't have to think about it. The transition just means a bit more noise and a lot more power on tap; other than that I hardly notice it.

Mike

There is no rule regarding which gear to be in. It's totally up to you to choose the gear that will give you the performance, or fuel mileage you need at any particular moment. Nobody can tell you, you are operating the bike, only you can decide.

In 94,000 plus miles of twisties on my 02 I have Never worried or thought about vtec or it's engaugement point. I run between 3.5 & 12k rpm, but most of the time i can carry 6th ger on many roads running a quick PACE, but I an running 1dn up front. These days I rarely need to run above the 7k vtec point unless I'm really trying to rip it. I can easily keep up with the avg. rider never going over 7k. Running quicker with more advanced riders requires higher rpms.

BR