View Full Version : What rev's should the SV be rode at?
Hi all,
I was just wondering what sort of rev's the SV650 should be rode at?
I usually ride around 5-6K, but I've recently joint the IAM and one of the things I've been picked up on a few times is, being in too high a gear/not enough rev's. I've tried taking this on board and on the twistys, been riding at 8-9K, but it sounds like the engine is screaming it's tits off and it's gonna blow up any time soon. :confused:
Any views/advice appreciated.
Cheers, Gaz
P.S: I've got a SV650 K1
You can bounce it off the limiter on the way out of a corner if you want. My SV loves to rev, for a twin anyway.
I only change up at 9-10k mark mostly.
fizzwheel
26-03-07, 08:18 PM
5 - 6K is good, you'll get good drive from there or useful engine braking whe your slowing down.
8 - 9 is to high IMHO, your nearly out of the top of the SV's power band by then. That would be more suitable for an IL4 rather than a twin. I dont tend to go over 9 much on the SV its just not worth it, its better to change up lower down and use the torque to push you along. Although like Razor says it is revy for a twin.
Ride how you feel comfortable riding, would be my advice, I reckon you'd be better off concentrating on your road position and corner entry speed that kind of thing than worrying about what revs your bike is running at.
I'm not an IAM observer though so dont take what I say as gospel.
Low as possible for me. 2,500 RPM is enough to make it smooth. Balls out, just bang it up the box between 9,500 and 10,000. I ride thou's though :)
Guess your IAM observer is riding an IL4 not a vtwin. the advice is to "be in the right gear for the speed and conditions you are riding." Basically you should ideally be in a rev band where you have sufficient power to accelerate without the engine labouring.
Chances are they're picking you up for not changing down into a bend. When you have your de-brief tell them why you are not changing down (flexible power band on a VTwin) and see what they say about it. Alternatively speak to another observer who you know to ride a twin and see what htey have to say on the matter.
End of the day there is no black and white on this. Most observer spend most of their time saying "it depends" however they mostly do not ride twins so get upset if a) you do not change down into bends and b) do not use your brakes when slowing down a bit due with engine braking.
As long as you are in control, plan ahead and are safe you are very unlikely to fail your test by not changing down. But if you go piling into a bend in 4th a 2k revs then run horribly wide because you have no drive at the rear or went in too hot you can expect to be buying your observer tea for many rides to come.
kwak zzr
26-03-07, 09:25 PM
when riding 30-40 mph in town i find myself leaving the thou in 2nd, i cant use any other gears because it labours the engine.
Kwak, if you let a bit of dirt build up on your downpipes it will improve the thermal insulation and you will then be able to stick it in 5th between 30 and 40. 200+ miles per tank will then be yours :)
Personally, I change gear anywhere between 2k RPM & the rev limiter (which I found in 3rd gear the other day, overtaking a truck :oops:)
It sounds like you specifically want to know about corners.
The SV's peak torque is somewhere between 5,500 & 8,500 I believe. So I try to be as close to 6,500-7,000 as possible for corner exit. Slap bang in the middle of the torque. No labouring engine pulling out of the corner, and can still roll off the throttle to get use of engine braking.
I'm not an IAM observer, nor have I done IAM, and I've been riding for about 8months. Ignore me :)
My Dyno run HP peaked at 10K, Torque peaked at 9K.
But the torque curve is pretty flat from 4K to 11K but highest between 8K & 9.5K (The HP obviously rises as revs rise)
- use the info as you wish.
My Dyno run HP peaked at 10K, Torque peaked at 9K.
But the torque curve is pretty flat from 4K to 11K but highest between 8K & 9.5K (The HP obviously rises as revs rise)
- use the info as you wish.
I need to play with my suspension settings a little before I push corner exits too hard. She's still a little light on the bars, the smallest movement causes a pretty massive shake.
Not exactly confidence inspiring when random bumps in the road cause it, but certainly makes life interesting :)
When it's sorted, I'll try exiting at 8-10k & punching up the box as soon as I'm out :)
My K5 seems happiest cruising between 6.5K and 7.5K, this gives me the smoothest ride with nearly no vibration. I usually shift between 8.5K and 9.5K.
Downside is my mileage, only 45-50 mpg in mixed city/highway driving.
My Dyno run HP peaked at 10K Torque peaked at 9K - use the info as you wish.
Not all bikes are the same though.
My bike peaked at around 8900 revs power, 7200 revs torque on my last dyno.
On another dyno with different end can, looking at the curve, it was 9-9.5k max power and around 7400 max torque.
I ride round at 4-6k most of the time. I lower or higher the revs depending on my mood, cops, town. other factors. etc
Feel free to discount and ignore me as well as I have done less miles than Baph. :)
21QUEST
26-03-07, 11:10 PM
Hi all,
I was just wondering what sort of rev's the SV650 should be rode at?
I usually ride around 5-6K, but I've recently joint the IAM and one of the things I've been picked up on a few times is, being in too high a gear/not enough rev's. I've tried taking this on board and on the twistys, been riding at 8-9K, but it sounds like the engine is screaming it's tits off and it's gonna blow up any time soon. :confused:
Any views/advice appreciated.
Cheers, Gaz
P.S: I've got a SV650 K1
I get what the observer is getting at and has nothing to do with IL4 or V-twins as it's still the same. It all boils down to not enough revs for good drive without labouring for the gear you are in.
I somewhat agree iwth Fizz regards riding how you are comfortable with but to improve, one still has to be prepared to add/modify by taking in sound riding techniques.
Saying that I've seen some places advise a higher gear than usual(in dry)for the wet. For me that is rubbish so I'll ignore stuff like that. In the wet I want drive instantly and rather rely on the right hand. That means I'll normally be in a lower gear(similar revs) than usual for me. Works pretty good for me.
Ben
This worked for me - I used to come into bends around 2/3rds height of my revs using the engine braking over the brakes as it kept the suspension more settled and set me up for the exit - make sure I'm in the right gear before cornering and it would drop down to just below half and then use the meat in the power band to come back out again. Play with your entry to set up the drive for the exit. Still use it on the Tuono but it revs higher than the SV so longer legs to play with.
squirrel_hunter
26-03-07, 11:24 PM
Ok your engine is not going to blow up riding between 8-9K otherwise I would be replacing engines a lot more than I do.
Power and torque drops off at 10-10.5K with a peak at around 9K though you will find that it kicks in around 7.5K. Generally speaking I live between 8-10K for progressive riding.
In relation to the IAM, you should be in a gear with revs appropriate to the conditions. Remember I.P.S.G.A. There can be no hard and fast 'you should be in this gear at these revs' rule.
With the SV 7-9K is a good place to be, you have both the power ready to accelerate while using good drive and the added engine braking a V-Twin offers.
But for the best advice talk to your observer, after following you they will be able to give you the ride specific advice better than anyone from behind a computer screen. Listen to what they tell you and put it into practice. If you need more ride time then ask for it and as a candidate I'm sure they will take you on their ride outs.
BTW: IAM passed 2003 on a '99 SV650s ;)
kcowgergmm
27-03-07, 01:11 AM
with a passenger today i was going into turns at about 5-6k and then rolling on th throttle letting the mid range torque pull it through the turn
The Basket
27-03-07, 02:04 AM
My view is to ride in a lower gear and give the bike revs. Then you can use engine breaking to stop with rather than brakes. Also you can twist the throttle for instant go. Riding in too high a gear means no engine braking and the engine will not pick up quick enough if you need it.
mister c
27-03-07, 06:51 AM
Ride how you feel comfortable riding, would be my advice, I reckon you'd be better off concentrating on your road position and corner entry speed that kind of thing than worrying about what revs your bike is running at.
I second that.:cool: Nice piece of advice.
What an odd question. Use the gears, and use the engine, its what its there for.
Have a read of this book if you can. Some of it can be a bit dry or hard going but you show get some good results.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorcycle-Roadcraft-Police-Riders-Handbook/dp/011341143X/ref=sr_1_1/026-6378551-0052415?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174989627&sr=1-1
The most recent one is blue, I dont know why amazon havent kept up.
Ch00
thedonal
27-03-07, 11:02 AM
I normally ride at 4-6K- how I switch up depends on how I'm riding- if I've got a clear, long straight road, I'll rev high before changing, if toodling along in traffic, I'll normally change lower and keep the revs a little lower to make it smoother/less thirsty. I use most of the range of 2nd gear though- for traffic riding it's quite flexible and it's also got a lot of pull in that gear if I need to get away quick. Saves switching up and down gears loads when adjusting speeds with the traffic.
SVeeedy Gonzales
27-03-07, 11:09 AM
I was told by an IAM rider that every bike has the tacho set so that when the needle is at 12 the bike's working in it's ideal zone, though that's more when you're riding on single and dual carriageways, It depends on the conditions though. There are no "right" revs - it's whatever feels right at that exact point. The right revs on one corner might be the wrong revs for the next.
I was told by an IAM rider that every bike has the tacho set so that when the needle is at 12 the bike's working in it's ideal zone, though that's more when you're riding on single and dual carriageways, It depends on the conditions though. There are no "right" revs - it's whatever feels right at that exact point. The right revs on one corner might be the wrong revs for the next.
I'd dispute that, doesn't the SV hit the limiter before it hit's 12k RPM? I know 12k is up there in the red zone....
ivantate
27-03-07, 11:26 AM
I guess Harley riders wouldnt stand a chance in the IAM. What do BMW flat twins rev upto?
The Basket
27-03-07, 11:27 AM
I think he means 12 o clock position...at the verticle.
The BMWs we have at work only rev up to 8k. Normally end up bouncing off the limiter trying to adjust.
Ch00
Thanks all for the advice.
Interesting to see a few different answers, I guess it’s just a case of practicing & seeing what feels right for me.
Cheers, Gaz.
petevtwin650
05-04-07, 07:08 AM
Don't be afraid to rev it. I "thrash" mine mercilessly. Just keeps coming back for more.
I need to play with my suspension settings a little before I push corner exits too hard. She's still a little light on the bars, the smallest movement causes a pretty massive shake.
Not exactly confidence inspiring when random bumps in the road cause it, but certainly makes life interesting :)
When it's sorted, I'll try exiting at 8-10k & punching up the box as soon as I'm out :)
Well, my suspension is a little mellower now, thankfully. I haven't been on the SV the last few days or so, but I did come to work on her this morning. However, I was feeling lazy so took the dual carriageway route to work, the bike never went above 7k rpm.
Spirited rides, now that the suspension issue is sorted, I'm using the gears more now that it's approaching summer time. Average corners are taken at around 8-9k RPM & hard on the throttle coming out, hit the gear lever at around 11k (or above). Coming into the bends I'm also using the box more, which means I'm using the brakes less.
Last night on the way home, some clown in an Astra wanted to try & push his car pretty fast over the tops. I was in spirited mode & he didn't stand a chance. Overtook him on a straight, dropped 2 down the box for the right hander, dropped another for the left sweeper, opened the throttle going into the bend & before I knew it, he was a good couple of hundred yards behind me. Climb up the hill going up through the box, drop back into 5th for the right hander in the dip, open throttle & lean as far as you dare just brushing the white line, and couldn't even see where he was! Never even thought about touching the brakes.
All in all, it feels great :D Roll on summer time :D
Having read the question, and the interesting replies, it makes me wonder if we do sometimes over analyse our riding. If it feels good, it will be right, if it feels bad, it will probably be wrong.
The rev counter is there, but really you shouldnt even need to look at it, you should be able to feel it.
Maybe it is my mood and I am oversimplifying this so feel free to ignore me or even abuse me !:D
Having read the question, and the interesting replies, it makes me wonder if we do sometimes over analyse our riding. If it feels good, it will be right, if it feels bad, it will probably be wrong.
The rev counter is there, but really you shouldnt even need to look at it, you should be able to feel it.
Maybe it is my mood and I am oversimplifying this so feel free to ignore me or even abuse me !:D
I agree completely. I've also had similar conversations with people.
Some bikers can tell if their brakes are binding just by the sound of the bike (500rpm higher to hold a certain speed for example). I can certainly tell when i'm due a service just by the tone of the engine. Same thing goes for fuel, I know before I get the light coming on that I'm running low, just by sound/feel.
Other bikers, regardless of the bike, don't pay that much attention to how the bike sounds etc.
I can generally tell what rev's the bike is at without looking at the instruments, but there are times when I'm not focusing on it.
injury_ian
05-04-07, 09:33 AM
Lol I ride mine about 3-4k when bimbleing (the only type of riding i can do atm) mostly because it makes the nicest sounds there, pops bangs and occasional cracks.
I have played with keeping her higher up the range, but it sounds chav to me, but as i said, im still on a learning curve :D
Lol I ride mine about 3-4k when bimbleing (the only type of riding i can do atm) mostly because it makes the nicest sounds there, pops bangs and occasional cracks. This is very true!
I have played with keeping her higher up the range, but it sounds chav to me, but as i said, im still on a learning curve :D any curve is good!
:)
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