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Riding in 6th gear at or below 3500 RPM

L

Luma46

Cruisin' Guzzisti
Joined
Apr 12, 2012
Messages
111
Location
Southwest Alberta, Canada
Hi there, not a Stelvio owner yet, but it is in the making. I have done lots of reading about the Stelvio NTX and I am just wondering how does it behave when riding around or even below 100 km/h in 6th gear. I am fairly conservative and a bit aged rider (66) and I love just chugging along at speed limit. My present 2006 1200GS is quite happy in 6th at as low as 2800 RPMs and I wouldn't want a bike that needs to be raced to keep it in the top gear.
Looking forward to ask more questions when I get this new beast.
 
Hi from England!

I have a 2011 Stelvio and I can ride in top gear (6th) at 40 mph no problems at all. Revs are about 2000 rpm approx. but could check exactly when I next ride end of this week?
 
UKstridey said:
Hi from England!

I have a 2011 Stelvio and I can ride in top gear (6th) at 40 mph no problems at all. Revs are about 2000 rpm approx. but could check exactly when I next ride end of this week?
Click to expand...

Like stridey says, you can lug it down to low revs in top gear, but Moto Guzzis like to rev (at least the modern ones do, not sure about the two valvers.) I don't think it is particularly good for the Stelvio to chug along that way. Personally, I would not recommend doing so habitually.

Cheers,

Bruce
 
BravoBravo said:
UKstridey said:
Hi from England!

I have a 2011 Stelvio and I can ride in top gear (6th) at 40 mph no problems at all. Revs are about 2000 rpm approx. but could check exactly when I next ride end of this week?
Click to expand...

Like stridey says, you can lug it down to low revs in top gear, but Moto Guzzis like to rev (at least the modern ones do, not sure about the two valvers.) I don't think it is particularly good for the Stelvio to chug along that way. Personally, I would not recommend doing so habitually.

Cheers,

Bruce
Click to expand...

I'm with Bruce - I'm sure that the Guzzi would survive being "lugged" in high gear, but believe me, it's not necessary.

If I've been in traffic and not paying attention to what gear I'm in, and the road clears and I'm cruising down the road, I sometimes go for many miles subconsciously thinking "Wow, this bike is running smooth and nice" and realize that I'm in 4th gear at 5000 RPM and the bike feels smooth and nice.

If you want something to "chug", one of the 45 degree wrong-way V-twins would be just the ticket.

Lannis
 
This is the first Guzzi I've owned. I've logged about 875 miles on my Stelvio and I usually run it in the 4500 to 5000 RPM range. It seems to run quite well at those revs.

Phil
 
why? Doesn't matter your age - what is the engine telling you. Ride what the RPM'S are telling you. Don't lug the bike - any bike. don't try to be in any certain gear - just be in the gear the bike is telling you to be in. Make sense?
 
tomsp said:
why? Doesn't matter your age - what is the engine telling you. Ride what the RPM'S are telling you. Don't lug the bike - any bike. don't try to be in any certain gear - just be in the gear the bike is telling you to be in. Make sense?
Click to expand...

B) I second this..

Only time I use 6th is when on clear motorways cruising around 90mph. My Stelvio seems to forget it's a V twin at 92mph in 6th, it's like it has found it's perfect running speed/revs and goes all quiet a smooth... rest of the time is spent around the 4500 to 5000 rpm mark, not sure what gears I'm using, like tomsp said, let the bike talk to you... listen.....react

windy
 
I am with you guys, I do as well listen to my bike and gear as required. The thing is that if you ride an extended distance on a flat road at 100 km/h (60 mph), why would you keep the bike in 5th or even 4th, just because it is "happy" at 5000 RPM? Doing so must definitely impact your fuel consumption, right?
 
I had a bike once that struggled in top gear at 60mph. Back in 1969, it was a Suzuki 250 2 stroke, and then it was only when going into a head wind. FWIW, in top gear, my 1200 Sport runs smoothly from 60kph @ 2000rpm, but it really loves 120 to 150kph. What a bike! :twisted:
 
For me ... my Stelvio seems happiest between 4000 and 5000 rpm. That's where I usually try to keep it. It might be my imagination but I think I get better gas mileage as well :D
 
Luma46 said:
I am with you guys, I do as well listen to my bike and gear as required. The thing is that if you ride an extended distance on a flat road at 100 km/h (60 mph), why would you keep the bike in 5th or even 4th, just because it is "happy" at 5000 RPM? Doing so must definitely impact your fuel consumption, right?
Click to expand...

:lol: A true biker farts in the face of fuel consumption figures.... :whistle: (kidding)

Rag the arse off it, buy fuel with a credit card and pay it back over winter when you're not riding as much... :shock:
 
Luma46 said:
I am with you guys, I do as well listen to my bike and gear as required. The thing is that if you ride an extended distance on a flat road at 100 km/h (60 mph), why would you keep the bike in 5th or even 4th, just because it is "happy" at 5000 RPM? Doing so must definitely impact your fuel consumption, right?
Click to expand...

Don't get too worried about it. It is easy enough to know when you're lugging the engine. It is not unusual for me to run in 6th on flat level road @ 60 MPH. At some point, you get to an RPM where you give it gas and you can tell you're lugging it. Downshift. You can tell by the sound and feel what gear you need to be in.

Zoom Zoom,
John Henry
 
Mines not real happy below 4000, and like the others I usually run between 4000 and 5000. I find I have to use a little more throttle when at too low revs, so I think fuel economy may be better at slightly higher engine speeds.
 
kmartin said:
Mines not real happy below 4000, and like the others I usually run between 4000 and 5000. I find I have to use a little more throttle when at too low revs, so I think fuel economy may be better at slightly higher engine speeds.
Click to expand...

thats right, Keith,
but mine ist too responsible above 4000 rpm to run smoothly in town and low speeds.
so mostly of the time in town I run between 3000-4000 rpm and try to not let it go beyond 3000, even it would work and run there smooth (with O2 Optimizer).
But I have read that Guzzis like to run higher and that it's not healthy for motor and oil delivery to run it too low.
 
...Just ride it!...shift when it feels right...but you're right: the GS is more comfortable at 2000rpm than Stelvio...although...a right or left turn in 2nd gear in a residential area...and 2000 is fine
 
Get yourself a 2011 bike with the big tank and it will be happy at almost any speed in top its great fast or just pottering around fuel consumption doesn't seem to chamge too much anyway you have 32 ltrs of the stuff
 
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