RPM at certain speeds

Ok, my first real help me post!

I have some questions about what RPM you guys ride at on your bandits. Remember, mine is the 05 1200s

Ok, so at 60 I stay in 4th and it sits round the 2600-2800 RPM mark

At 100 I'm in 5th (obviously) and it is sitting around 4000 RPM

So, questions are, do you guys prefer to stay in 3rd at 60kph and keep the rpm up or is running around in 4th at this speed all good...

And, at 100kph, is it a good idea to investigate a different sprocket to drop that down a little, to say like 3200-3500 rpm or is 4000 rpm better?

Just wondering with the highway speeds as i reguarly sit at 110kph on the M1 and would like the rpm to sit a little lower than the 4200 RPM mark at this speed.

Thanks for the help.

Before this bike I had a 2004 bandit & used to sit in 3rd or 4th @ 60 if maneuvering in traffic or 5th if just cruising along at 60 .I found it didn't labor the motor & if I needed to accelerate hard or on a hill I would kick it back then . It`s a common thing to be looking for another gear with the 5 speed box but I just got used to it / if you do change your sprocket just be aware your speedo may be out /they`re pretty bullet proof & 4200 rpm cruising wont hurt it

I would say you want to be in a lower gear and keep revs 3.5----4.5. On a day run i quite often never get into 6th .(1250 ) 4 th being the most used if you keep revs higher you will be in the power area and not have to wait for it to "wind up ".It is a good question though as the bandit engine
is so tourque you can ride around in most gears .Unlike a v-twin which will complain .
I often wonder what revs people change from 1st to second .Maybe i can add that question to yours .I guess the whole thing depends on what
face you have on . Race or cruise

lol, so two totally different answers.... I love it...

I see both your points, I'm more likely to sit in 4th at lower rpm than 3rd at higher. With no traffic around there is little need to gun it so I don't need to be in the power band all the time.

Taking off in first and then changing up really depends on traffic and my mood. A couple of times today where the red light was on the down hill I didn't even bother with 1st. The bike has so much torque that it just pulls and pulls from anywhere....

I guess one of the reasons I would like slightly less revs on the highway is that it would stop the bike from doing 130-140 so quickly when my wrist twitches slightly

.

the first bandits I think had cable drive but my 2004 had a sensor

I use a throttle lock which gives you the chance to take your throttle hand off the bars to move it around on longer trips / I suppose you could also use it to control your wayward right wrist a bit .

I just use what ever gear makes me happy at the time. No real rhyme or reason to any of it.
Have to agree with the comment comparing the bandit with a Vtwin. I now have to think a bit more on gear choice as the big V does complain a bit when opening up the throttle at 60kph in top gear (the bandit didn't give a shit by comparison)

4200prm while cruising is no problem IMO but if you want to change the gearing a bit to lower the RPM's, have a look here for some help in picking what to go for. Keep in mind tho that changing the sprocket sizes, changes all gears, not jsut top so what you gain in lower highway revs, you loose in initial take off and acceleration

Yea, its that loss of take off speed that I don't want to give up, although in saying that I can't imagine giving up a little to be a huge issue when the bike will leave any cage behind in the dust.....

Cable drive vs sensor? Please xplain that a little?

I like the idea of a throttle lock. I guess the idea though of losing a free throttle scares me? Although in saying that I can't live without cruise control in a car anymore. Howerver, I imagine the throttle lock doesn't automatically cut out when you hit the brakes? Its a mechanical thing isn't it?

chips wrote:Yea, its that loss of take off speed that I don't want to give up, although in saying that I can't imagine giving up a little to be a huge issue when the bike will leave any cage behind in the dust.....

Cable drive vs sensor? Please xplain that a little?

I like the idea of a throttle lock. I guess the idea though of losing a free throttle scares me? Although in saying that I can't live without cruise control in a car anymore. Howerver, I imagine the throttle lock doesn't automatically cut out when you hit the brakes? Its a mechanical thing isn't it?

cable drive speedos are mechanical & are run via a cable from front the front wheel near the hub /sensor run are electrical & run by a sensor on your front sprocket so if your motor is spinning at a different speed it affects your speedo /the throttle lock attaches to your handlebar & has an arm which goes across to a ring you fit to the inside ( larger part ) of the throttle grip with a small leaver you push down to actuate a gripping device around the throttle ring .you can still move the throttle if you need to as it doesn't grip it that tight its just enough to stop the throttle from springing closed.jts a mechanical device .

First check your F&R sprockets to see if they are std. You will find the std sizes for your bike on the net. Then decide if travelling on the freeway at cruising speed is comfortable, ie, the engine noise is not too loud and there are no unwanted vibrations that would annoy you after a while . Dont worry about a cruise control yet. Get to know your bike like the back of your hand first. Oh, tyre pressures are another huge part of the set up to make your riding more enjoyable. You will learn most things as you go. Most of all enjoy and be safe.

thanks hammy, tire pressures are something I check every 2-3 weeks.

It is booked in for its service on the 19th, going to get suspension etc checked out then to see where it is at.

Might enquire about a throttle lock of of curiosity but think i'll spend the money on a zumo first...

Ask your mechanic to measure up your bike with you on and off it for shocky setting. It will make the world of difference. If he says it doesn't matter, take your bike somewhere else. Honost.

Hammy wrote:Ask your mechanic to measure up your bike with you on and off it for shocky setting. It will make the world of difference. If he says it doesn't matter, take your bike somewhere else. Honost.

will do.

To be honest this service is being done at a suzuki dealer so this may give me another benchmark to measure them up against

The BEST manual cruise control is the " Brakeaway" cruise control. They are exxy, but worth it. Check them out on the net.

thats what I want. something that cancels wit the brake....

I'm liking, $200 + a little for shipping on ebay ain't to bad. Cheaper than the cruise I fitted to my car a while ago.

Will have to add it to the "I want it now" list.... and get it later

My cruise control cost me $9. Crampbuster, CB4 looking at the web site. Takes a second to put on / take off.

crampbuster

I've seen a couple of spread sheets on the net showing rpm related to gear related to speed.

fast larry's

Will have to add it to the "I want it now" list.... and get it later [/quote]

Write out your " Wish List " and rank it in order of importance.

With stock gearing on the 1250 I never get out of 3rd on my commute on the days I think of my license.

But seriously it all depends on how quickly you think you might have to GTFOH
In heavy traffic you really want to be bloody close to max launch rate RPM.
I don't trust anyone on 4 wheels to have seen me and its kept me upright for many many years.

Although the engine is cruising in 4th at 60km/h its not the gear you want to be in to save your arse.

Up to you though.

3rd @ 60 otherwise it chugs. 6th @ 110 is 3,500rpm

01-05 are the same and standard ratio is 15-45 and at 100km. should sit at about 3600. If yours is on 4000rpm,check your rear sprocket for a start. I`ve only gone to a 48 rear for the first time in 7yr on my bike,and at 100km sits about 3850rpm.
I never ride in 5th at 60. I use 5th 80 and above.

mtbeerwah wrote:01-05 are the same and standard ratio is 15-45 and at 100km. should sit at about 3600. If yours is on 4000rpm,check your rear sprocket for a start. I`ve only gone to a 48 rear for the first time in 7yr on my bike,and at 100km sits about 3850rpm.
I never ride in 5th at 60. I use 5th 80 and above.

Thanks for the tip, i'll get the shop to check the sprockets for me during service as I have no idea what to look for....

Put a mark next to one tooth on the sprocket. Count the teeth till you reach the mark. That's how many teeth are on the sprocket.

Sometimes depending on manufacturer the part number might give a hint as to it's make up but not always. Counting teeth is the most accurate IMO

At 60 I'm in 3rd doing around 3000rpm. I find that if I'm in 4th or 5th I don't have the accelaration I want/need or the engine braking I want/need.

I generally use 2nd at 50, although if it's long stretch at 50 I'll snick it in to 3rd.

Out on the highway 110 (indicated) is about 4000 in 5th.

A couple of weeks ago, just for the hell of it, I rode the 6.5km home from work in 3rd. That's 50, 60 and 80 zones, 7 roundabouts and one set of lights. I was quite impressed by how well it pulled from zero in 3rd (with a little bit clutch finesse).

Another thing that was popular was to put a 14 tooth sprocket on the front for more acceleration ( + higher revs )

b12mick wrote:At 60 I'm in 3rd doing around 3000rpm. I find that if I'm in 4th or 5th I don't have the accelaration I want/need or the engine braking I want/need.

I generally use 2nd at 50, although if it's long stretch at 50 I'll snick it in to 3rd.

Out on the highway 110 (indicated) is about 4000 in 5th.

A couple of weeks ago, just for the hell of it, I rode the 6.5km home from work in 3rd. That's 50, 60 and 80 zones, 7 roundabouts and one set of lights. I was quite impressed by how well it pulled from zero in 3rd (with a little bit clutch finesse).

based on this i would guess I'm on stock sprockets.

I think i will add/remove teeth to reduce the RPM. So at 60kph in 3rd I'll be sitting a little under 3000RPM and 100-110kph at 3600-3800RPM (I hope)......