Best RPM to shift at

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Wolffmann34

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So, I've only had my 2006 V-Max for about 3 weeks now. I've only put a couple hundred miles on it.

Being a used bike, I obviously don't know it's history, but it appears stock.

While riding along the other evening I decided to pass a car doing about 50MPH, I down shifted into 2nd to just blow by the guy real quickly, being some open road I went ahead and stayed on it into 3rd, which it became necessary to shift quicker than I expected, so I was running about 10,500 RPM when I shifted. The front wheel hopped off the ground about 6 inches as I accelerated in 3rd gear. I was quite surprised by this. But it brought to mind the question.

What is the best RPM to shift at for best acceleration with a stock bike?

And is there a rev limiter? If so, at what RPM does it kick in at?
 
If you run it like that much, you better invest in a Dyna 3000 or put-in for the Ignitech ignition box group buy. You are in-need of a rev-limiter. Without it your engine's days are limited.:confused2:

I think most people here would agree that for longevity, you should install one or the other immediately, and my suggestion is set it for 9000 rpm, if you want to avoid engine damage. The rods won't last long under that use you described, and it often is #3 which fails, if you,re lucky, and doesn't put a rod thru the case, or screw the main bearing & thrust surface of the case. Sean says he has had some luck w/that repair, but it's gonna cost $$ to replace whatever is ruined, and ship it both ways.

http://www.vmaxchat.co.uk/MaxInPrint/CycleWorldAug88/PAGE31.jpg

Here is data on Motorcyclist magazine's dyno runs from 1997 & 2003 models, averaging 117 RWHP @ 8500 rpm. Interestingly, they had better e.t. & trap speed w/the '97: 10.87. sec. @ 124 mph vs. 11.30 sec. @ 119.84 mph. The RWHP difference was 2 hp. Dunno if the strip was the same, or the riders, or the time of year, ambient temp, etc.

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/performancedata/122_0108_pdataresults/

So it appears that running past 9K is not going to help unless you have reworked the heads w/cams, lifters, flow work, etc. & who-knows-what besides.
 
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The gearing is super low on these bikes man. The owners manual has the shift points (for fuel economy lol) at :
1st - 0-10mph
2nd - 10-15mph
3rd - 15-20mph
4th - 20-25mph
5th - 25mph +

You don't need to drop into 2nd to pass with a vengeance at 50mph... whatever gear you're in at that speed will gladly blast on by.

If I'm just putting around town I stay out of the vboost range and typically shift around 3-4k. On ramps and empty roads see the high side of 8k... I've never had to downshift to get additional power for passing or anything like that. Just twist throttle and launch without hesitation... the bike is a monster.

Agreed on rev limiter or shift light set to 9k as a good buy for these since there's no built in limiter.
 

"the rev-limiter is your wallet and how-many times you're willing to replace your bottom-end & con-rods, if you keep riding like-that...":rofl_200::bang head:
 
If you roll it wide open to the "pin", you don't want to buzz it too much past 9500. At the track I shift about 9700 just to kepp it in the "meat and taters" range. I wouldn't recommend "tickling" the throttle to that kind of rpm either. It's one thing to stick it wide open under hard load but I wouldn't just kinda hold it around that rpm......02. cents
 
Factory tachs are way off (so are the speedometer the faster you go) so I'd be surprised if you were seeing 9500rpm but a rev limiter is a good idea, my shift light is at 9300... I've tried higher but the bike was no faster...

Sent from my HTC Rezound using Tapatalk 2
 
I had about 200 passes on my old motor with the shift light set around 9000-9300 so shifting at 9300-9600.

No damage to the bottom end. The tranny finally went tits up which wasn't rpm related.

The factory set up has no rev limiter although one is vaguely referenced in the service manual in regards to maybe the vaccum module pulling timing. It's kinda vague.
I've had it to the moon a few times and never felt any rev limiter tho.

The Dyna has a very effective rev limiter.
 
Great information, guys!!

I had an 86' V-Max back then, and I thought I remembered a rev limiter back then, but I've been on a lot of bikes since.

Speed wise the Max is a step backwards compared to what I had been riding in the past, but that was planned. I'm just used to the inline fours that pull hard but then start to kind of taper off and then eventually hit the rev limiter.

I'm curious about the tach being off, I may need to check into that.
And the Dyna might be a good addition.

And yes, I know I don't 'need' to shift into 2nd to pass, but I was having fun.
 
When I had an autometer shift light/tach mounted to my speedo, it usually read about 5% less RPMs than the factory tach.

These motors do not like to be over-revved. The power falls on it's face much past 10k anyway so for a stock mill there's no reason to rev it out that far.

Keeping it in the 8500-9500 range is the meat of the powerband. I set my shift light for 9200.
 
I just ordered a Dyna from their website.


So, on a side note, is this UFO company as bad as they say?

They were first in Google results, but...

Planet VMax - $325.00
Dyna - $289.00

How can they think they can sell something for more than it goes for on the manufacturer's web site?
 
Sean is a good businessman for us here, and always willing to offer help.
 
Last I checked they were backordered though and I think I had shipped out my last one a few weeks ago (will need to check and make sure).

Sean
 
i have my shift light at 9000 and the rev limiter at 9500.
 
Shift light set at 8500 here , but that s on a Gen II so by 8500 I'm already bye who ever I wanted to be bye and even in first well over the speed Limit ::biglaugh:
 
Wolffmann34 said:
I just ordered a Dyna from their website.


So, on a side note, is this UFO company as bad as they say?

They were first in Google results, but...

Planet VMax - $325.00
Dyna - $289.00

How can they think they can sell something for more than it goes for on the manufacturer's web site?
Click to expand...

Because in his eyes you should pay extra just for the privilege of dealing with him. He's a douche with an ego the size of the sun.

The member here "dingy" also had a group buy of Ignitech plug-n-play ignitions for the vmax, maybe contact him to see if there are any left? They offered fully tunable maps, as well as features like tunable vboost ranges, rev limiter, ect.
 
I should install the Dyna 3000 I bought from Sean's group buy last year, just too lazy to install I guess. I have my shiftlight set at 9200 r's currently and thinking of setting the Dyna revlimiter at 9500 r's, is that too narrow of a window? Maybe I should set my shiftlight at 9000 r's and Dyna at 9500, if I can't react/ shift in 500 rpm's I have no business trying to go fast!
Besides the benefits of the rev limiter maybe I'll pickup a few ponies so I can turn that 200 radial I have installed!
 
i've found 9000-9200 and 9500 work well brian.

but i have an ecliptech so there is less reaction time i'd imagine since i have mine programmed as a tachometer to put a light on every 1k from 3k -9k.
 
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