SuzukiSavage.com - Shifting up and down.

Afan

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Shifting up and down.
08/16/13 at 10:21:07

Attached is the scanned shifting part from Owner's Manual.
In my case, I have a feeling that my bike don't have enough power to ride 25 mph in 4th, nor 30 mph in 5th gear. Looks like it will stall. I feel comfortable wen hitting 30 mph to shift up to 4th, and 40 mph to shift up to 5th gear.

Also, in my MSC they were teaching me when stopping shift down all the way to 1st. And keep in 1st if on crossing, waiting for green light. When I compared it to cars with manual transmission where you NEVER down shift to 1st when makes stop, he said it's ok with motorcycles.
Ok, I trust him, he's teacher, he supposed to know that stuff but none of my buddies are doing that. They would go to 2nd and then stop and switch to N, or downshift to N and stop.
I like this idea much better but I can't downshift to N from 2nd gear (except by accident

). It will always go to 1st, skip N. If I really, rally downshift sloooowly then maybe I would be able. Is this ok?

Related, when shift from 1st to 2nd it will skip N (sometimes with ugly grinding sound) and I'm assuming that's the way to do it. And if pull up the lever from the 1st really easy, small touch, it will shift to N. That's ok, right?

Tanks.

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S40_Owners_Manual_-_2b.jpg

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Serowbot

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OK.... so what's the
speed of dark?

Posts: 28668
Tucson Az
Gender: male

Re: Shifting up and down.
Reply #1 - 08/16/13 at 10:41:36

Yup,.. those numbers are nuts...
20/30/40/50 are more reasonable...

I don't know why Suzuki thinks lugging the engine is a good idea...

PS.. shift down to 1st at walking speed,.. just before rolling to a stop...
(I usually keep it in 1st, at a stop in traffic, until the guy behind me is stopped,.. then, I'll pop it into neutral if it's a long light)... that's just what I do... (safer to stay in 1st,... but sometimes I want to stretch, or scratch my butt)...
Grin

...

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Ludicrous Speed !... ... Huh

...

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PhantomII Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 96 Tampa, FL Gender:	Re: Shifting up and down. Reply #2 - 08/16/13 at 11:01:20 I agree with Serowbot I not only keep mine in first I stare in my mirror to make sure the guy behind me is going to stop and I always slightly pull up on the side of the car in front of me in case I need to run to avoid being rear ended.
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WD Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Professional "scooter trash". Posts: 5207 Rosemark TN Gender:	Re: Shifting up and down. Reply #3 - 08/16/13 at 11:11:29 Mine goes: cruising in 1st is 15, 2nd 25, 3rd 35, 4th 45-50. No speedometer anymore, so I use the engine sound in each gear to keep roughly at the posted limits. Mine has a 5th gear, but since I only use it while trying to keep up with 50+ mph traffic I pay little attention to it.
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Afan Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 156 Des Moines, IA Gender:	Re: Shifting up and down. Reply #4 - 08/16/13 at 11:32:16 Any comment regarding downshifting from 2nd to 1st and not able to "stop" at N? And shifting up from 1st to 2nd with skipping N?
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Dave

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Re: Shifting up and down.
Reply #5 - 08/16/13 at 12:05:28

I have no idea at what speed I shift gears......it is a hearing/feel thing and I don't look at the speedometer. Depending on the ride being leisurely or sporting.....my shift points change. I shift when the engine is either going too fast or too slow for the diesired "feel".

Every once in a while I can feel that I am going into neutral on the way down from 2nd - and I may take advantage of it and just leave it in neutral when I stop.......but my goal is to shift down to first. Just do whatever works for you....but don't obsess on not being able to stop at neutral from either 1st or 2nd while moving. I believe the bike was designed to make it difficult to shift into neutral while in motion, as the detent in the shifting drum is much smaller for neutral to help you avoid shifting into neutral while in motion.

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Someday I will be old......But not today!

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28668 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Shifting up and down. Reply #6 - 08/16/13 at 12:05:35 Practice...
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28887 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Shifting up and down. Reply #7 - 08/16/13 at 12:10:26 Practice...
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oldNslow

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Re: Shifting up and down.
Reply #8 - 08/16/13 at 12:26:19

Quote:

I like this idea much better but I can't downshift to N from 2nd gear (except by accident ). It will always go to 1st, skip N. If I really, rally downshift sloooowly then maybe I would be able. Is this ok

2nd to neutral(or first to neutral) is just a matter of practice and getting a feel for how your particular bike shifts. Takes a little lighter touch on the lever than other shifts.

Skipping neutral going either way won't hurt anything. The only real danger is banging the transmission down into first while moving too fast and skiding the rear wheel. Just keep the clutch disengaged until you're completley stopped.

The only time my bike is in neutral when I'm in traffic is if I'm sitting stopped at a really long light and I have to take my clutch hand off the bar for some reason.

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Afan Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 156 Des Moines, IA Gender:	Re: Shifting up and down. Reply #9 - 08/16/13 at 12:31:25 Thanks guys. This was great "class" today to me.
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