some of the basics...

I'm pretty new to riding a motorcycle, so some stupid questions:

When do you shift? I'm used to cars where you shift at around three or four thousand rpms, I know the sound and feel of that in most cars. But with the xj, I get the feeling you run it a little harder before you shift up. What's a good cruising rpm in any given gear?

 

My 550's run 5K rpm at 60mph. I normally shift at between 6K-7K (ok, 5K around town) but then again, like getting on the freeway 8K or even 9K in third...some 650 owners should jump in here, but I think we all redline at 10K so...

 

my red is about nine and a half and i like the way it sound when it gets there! but i normally shift between 5 and 8 depending on my mood and how much of a hurry im in, it will rev better than your cage but the feeling is the same as far as when you can shift vs. when you have to shift. hope that helps i haven't had mine on the highway much so i'm not sure what it will cruise at.

 

My 550 will run 80mph ALL DAY if asked. I commute a couple days a week with it (in season) into and out of Detroit, 63 miles one way. The inbound traffic on I-94 runs around 82mph in the morning. It LOVES to hum along holding 7K on the clock. And that's a 550. XJs rock.

 

650 cruses at about 5500 rpm at 70. I generally shift about the same as Fitz. Mostly you do it by feel.

 

yup bout the same here

 

Sweet. I've been shifting way too low, cruising too low. Thought it felt a little underpowered.

 

As Zookie says; REV IT!

 

These bikes are dogs under 3K rpm. If you're running them there, you're lugging the engine. There was another post on this subject matter awhile back -- I forget where -- and I stated then that I felt my fuel milage went up when I started cruising with the engine rpms held at or above 4k rpms. That finding has held true after several months of testing. Since that original posting, I went on a cross state trip (Washington State) with my wife. We both discovered that the best fuel milage we got was keeping the bikes (yes, she was on her own XJ) between 60 and 70 mph. Anything more than that and we would really start burning the fuel (but man it was fun!!!).

 

My 750 redlines at about 10k, I usually shift between about 5k and 6.5k, depending on traffic in town. If I'm out running through some twisties with some friends, I hold her at 7k+ the whole ride. A solid pull to redline before shifting drops me into the next gear at over 8k, and my little 750 pulls like a freight train from there back to redline again, but you can sure tell the difference at the pump!

I have to agree with gamaru, I found that I actually get BETTER gas mileage shifting between 4 and 5k than between 3 and 4k, even though it SOUNDS like it's easier on the engine at lower rpm's. Definitely easier on my hearing, haha.

 

It depends on where and how I'm riding. For everyday putting on local roads and streets, as with my commute, around 4-5k. Merging on the freeway, its more like 6-7k or more, depending on how fast the traffic is. Redline is at 9.5k, but I've never had it above 8k, no reason to. The fastest I've gone is around 85 mph, trying to catch up with a group after getting stuck at a light. Today I'll be riding with my friend from church, who is on a K1200GT. Pretty sure I can keep up.