I use 5th (depending on gradient sometimes 4th or wahtever). If I needed a burst of speed then I’d click down 1 (or two). If you need a burst of power quicker than you can change gear to get the revs up a bit, then you are either a slow gear changer or have poor judgement!!

MPG/MPH??????????????????

as 4th is 10mph/1000rpm, it's running at 3000rpm at 30, which is (as i see it) the "minimum" revs you can comfortably run before it chugs.

Hovi5 - the Poll should read "...at 30mph"

Also, I find myself very rarely going above 5-6000rpm in "normal" town riding, am i labouring the engine too much by sticking to around 3k-rpm?

I would leave it in 2nd/3rd as it sounds better :D but does it drink petrol at higher revs?

My town riding (not that I do much of it at all) is anywhere between 2nd & 6th.

It's all about balance. I really don't see 6th as labouring the engine (and my 11mph in 5th was whilst I was coming to a stop, brakes then gears).

As I posted a while back, if I'm filtering, I choose as low a gear as I can comfortably get away with, something to keep the revs around 5-6k. Bags of power, almost as much engine braking.

If I'm stuck behind someone I'll happily kick it up into top & lay back (not literally!).

Generally, probably 5th gear, maybe 4th if I'm going up a hill. 2nd & 3rd isn't out of the question, it's all about the situation I'm in. For the same reason I see 6th as justified, constant speed & she doesn't chug at all. The chugging happens when you try to accellerate.

In hindsight, maybe my first post in this thread shouldn't of said 6th. People seem to think I ride stuck in top & don't know where the gear lever is (in front of the handbrake, right? :P ) I just class it as part of my normal riding, esp when coming from a higher speed area to a slower one, then change down when I need to, not simply because I'm slowing down.

YOU MISSED OUT FIRST :twisted:

Had this same question until I got rid of the 5.5k limit

Now its 30mph, 4k revs, 3rd gear.

Dont like to be in 6th until at least 40mph

David

:lol:

Suits me, I don't even have a 1st gear....yet! :lol: Takes off in 2nd gear fine though!

SS600 here,

1st. (sometimes second when im trying to keep the noise down)

being in 6th gear at 30mph will use more fuel than in a lower gear! revs don't indicate the amount of fuel being used. For example; with the throttle barely touched when in neutral you can bounce of the rev limiter, but in gear full throttle wouldn't do this to the same affect - and far more fuel is being used in the latter! The best way of working out the best mpg is how far you have the throttle twisted as this represents how much fuel is being put in the engine. So 3rd gear may be more efficient- and a hell of a lot more fun!
(saying that i can't pick up my sv till i pass - and i failed my first test today :o( with only 2 minors!! it wouldn't be too bad if my new bike wasn't waiting in the dealership still)

Or something unexpected happens :roll: