SuzukiSavage.com - shifting speeds

nbatter

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shifting speeds
09/23/09 at 14:22:29

alright, so this is really stupid but...

ive taken the MSF course and have been driving my savage around the neighborhood. i really want her to be my primary transportation as long as the weather stays warm, but im still not fully confident driving on busier streets on traffic.

the only major issue for me is that i never drove an automatic transmission on a car, so i dont have a natural feel for when to shift. i know it varies a lot by circumstance, but i have a 2003 Savage -- at what speeds should I be changing gears?

also, the MSF course said its fine to hold the clutch down for neutral. i thought riding the clutch was bad?

thanks!

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FreeSpirit Serious Thumper Offline Joy is my Compass ! Posts: 3823 North Georgia Gender:	Re: shifting speeds Reply #1 - 09/23/09 at 14:39:29 nbatter,did you get the Suzuki manual with your bike?
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Skid Mark

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Re: shifting speeds
Reply #2 - 09/23/09 at 14:45:36

Riding the clutch is keeping your hand on the lever and partially engaging it while in gear. This causes unnecessary wear and you will be repalcing the clutch too soon.

I shift when the engine revs tell me to. There are reccommended speeds to shift, but these are only guidelines and I've never looked em up.. The situation at the time will dictate when to shift. Your best bet is to ride with someone experienced. I beleive this is something you will pickup better by doing, rather than reading.

Its not a stupid question. When I got my 1st bike 100yrs ago, I rode with my older bro to learn some basics. I was shifting way too soon ( afraid to hurt the bike ) and fouling the plug. He set me straight real quick on that and many other things.

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babyhog

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Re: shifting speeds
Reply #3 - 09/23/09 at 14:54:49

With you being a man, this may not be the best suggestion, but maybe...... if you could ride b!tch with someone else, they could tell you when they shift and give you a feel for the correct time to shift. Every bike is different as far as what actual speed is the right time to shift. Yours being an '03, if any modifications were done, the book speeds could be off. Does yours have a tach? If it does, someone might be able to give you an rpm recommendation. Mine doesn't have one....

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Routy

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Re: shifting speeds
Reply #4 - 09/23/09 at 15:00:53

Yeah, it kinda come natural to us riders. But if you ever feel the engine "chugging" (for lack of a better word) when letting out the clutch...while cranking the throttle, you shifted too quick,.....or at too low a speed. You should never feel the engine lugging or chugging Wink

On the other end, it perdy easy to hear or sense the engine winding up, and when its time to shift. And its not that critical either.

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FreeSpirit

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Re: shifting speeds
Reply #5 - 09/23/09 at 15:05:39

Yes,you will learn as you practice/ride,by listening to the engine,but the manual is helpful to give a general idea,when youre first learning.

To be honest,I cant remember now what the manual says.

But I found it very helpful as a new rider to get and read the manual ,which has more info than just that in it about the bike.

I'm just trying to see things from a new rider standpoint.Other things we've learned with experience.

Edit:And Routy is right.....sorry Routy,I posted this before I read yours

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Pabst 2006

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Re: shifting speeds
Reply #6 - 09/23/09 at 18:38:35

Study the road speeds the engine will redline at (look at the data below), maybe pick a gear like 2nd or 3rd (2nd gear redlines at 55MPH and 3rd gear redlines at 75MPH), and accelerate to within 5MPH of that speed while remaining in that gear. It's just a test - you'll hear how the engine sounds and that should be your guide to deciding on a nice middle point between lugging the engine (around 2000 RPM or so I think?) and redline (6500RPM) of when to upshift.

The engine (on 5-speed models) will redline as follows:
1st = 35MPH
2nd = 55MPH
3rd = 75MPH
4th = 95MPH
5th = 100MPH

In layman's terms, I upshift when the engine begins to sound like a really pissed off lawn tractor. Downshift when my knees on the sides of the gas tank feel those too-low-of-a-speed vibrations and know it's lugging.

Hope it helps!

-Pabst

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boofer

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Re: shifting speeds
Reply #7 - 09/23/09 at 18:50:41

I grew up on tractors, lawn moweres, hay trucks, anything with an engine appealed to me from age 12. I have come to believe there are some things that can't be taught. Just ride the thing in a low traffic area and listen, listen, listen. My cousins and uncles just stuck me behind the wheel and said, "Go." Of course, lawyers were just for selling land in those days. (No offense to lawyers, just to those looking to sue anyone they can.) I takes a long time to become comfortable with a machine. I jump on my daughter's ATV, run it up in first and grab the brake thinking I need to clutch it. IT HAS NO CLUTCH! Just ride, ride, ride, and concentrate on the road 90%, the bike 10%. It'll come to you. Boofer

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: shifting speeds Reply #8 - 09/23/09 at 18:52:51 Holy cow, a nube asks when to shift and you tell 'em to red line it? very simply... shift out of 1st at 10mph, 2nd at 20, 3 at 30, and 4 at 40. of course you can go faster than that.
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Pabst 2006

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Re: shifting speeds
Reply #9 - 09/23/09 at 19:33:21

I guess when I was a new rider with a new bike I wondered where in the entire usable range I was doing my shifts. I didn't trust the numbers in the manual as it was often lugging when I did my upshifts at the speeds Suzuki recommended to upshift. Felt like it was doing more harm than good. My MSF course I took last fall always mentioned, "Stay in the powerband of your engine." (for example: in order to be able to safely accelerate away from problem situations in traffic) Hence knowing just where the heck the powerband existed for a specific gear. Maybe my approach isn't for everybody. I dunno.

-Pabst

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SavageDude Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Posts: 561 OC_California Gender:	Re: shifting speeds Reply #10 - 09/23/09 at 19:57:44 verslagen1 wrote on 09/23/09 at 18:52:51: Holy cow, a nube asks when to shift and you tell 'em to red line it? very simply... shift out of 1st at 10mph, 2nd at 20, 3 at 30, and 4 at 40. of course you can go faster than that. I second that!
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Dj12midnit Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline If you'r here and I'm here isn't this our time? Posts: 1036 Lynden Wa. Gender:	Re: shifting speeds Reply #11 - 09/23/09 at 21:08:33 I would recommend not spending a lot of time looking at the speedo while riding. Learn to feel it. use the vibrations.
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youzguyz

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Re: shifting speeds
Reply #12 - 09/24/09 at 02:26:23

Just as a joke, not as a recommendation:

1st - Shift up when the bike stops accelerating.
2nd - shift up when the mirrors begin to buzz.
3rd - shift up when bugs stop bouncing off your face and begin to splatter.
4th - shift up when your mouth suddenly fills with air and begins to function as an air scoop.
5th - shift up when you forget there is no sixth gear.

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John_D FSO

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Re: shifting speeds
Reply #13 - 09/24/09 at 02:41:48

nbatter wrote on 09/23/09 at 14:22:29:

alright, so this is really stupid but...

ive taken the MSF course and have been driving my savage around the neighborhood. i really want her to be my primary transportation as long as the weather stays warm, but im still not fully confident driving on busier streets on traffic.

the only major issue for me is that i never drove an automatic transmission on a car, so i dont have a natural feel for when to shift. i know it varies a lot by circumstance, but i have a 2003 Savage -- at what speeds should I be changing gears?

also, the MSF course said its fine to hold the clutch down for neutral. i thought riding the clutch was bad?
thanks!

Since everyone else commented on the first 1/2 of the post, I'll help beat the second 1/2 to death. Grin

I've always understood "riding the clutch" to mean driving/riding along with your foot/hand resting on the clutch, and the clutch partially disengaged. This is indeed hard on the clutch.
What they probably were referring to in the MSF class (at least they did in mine) is to just leave it in first gear and hold the clutch down when at stop signs or lights. If it's fully disengaged, this doesn't hurt the clutch, and it leaves you with the ability to quickly get out of the way if you suddenly see a car grill coming up too fast in the mirror! Shocked

Oh, and just noticed you put that you're from Nebraska. Which part, if you don't mind telling us? I grew up outside a dinky little town in western Nebraska.

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EJID

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Re: shifting speeds
Reply #14 - 09/24/09 at 07:24:51

youzguyz wrote on 09/24/09 at 02:26:23:

Just as a joke, not as a recommendation:

1st - Shift up when the bike stops accelerating.
2nd - shift up when the mirrors begin to buzz.
3rd - shift up when bugs stop bouncing off your face and begin to splatter.
4th - shift up when your mouth suddenly fills with air and begins to function as an air scoop.
5th - shift up when you forget there is no sixth gear.

Love the bug comment Grin

& tried to shift up from 5th many times without any luck Huh

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