Shifting RPM

[Vroopster]

My 2021 Is my first and only bike I’ve owned, so nothing to compare it to. I’m curious what RPMs you’re typically shifting at in the most normal of riding situations. I feel like mine is happiest shifting at below 4k. But lately I have stretched that to hit 4k or so before shifting.
Anything much more than 4k or 4.5k feels like she’s at the end of her comfort zone.
I’d like to know if this is common/normal riding for the Himalayan.

 

[Andyb]

If you shift up as low as 4000rpm it means that in the next gear the engine will be reving around 3000rpm - and lugging an engine is not good. So if you are accelerating up to speed try going to at least 5000. It won’t damage the engine.
If you are cruising downhill with a tailwind then up shifting at 4000rpm is fine as in the easy conditions the slow engine speed in the next gear will be ok.
In the end you will do it by ear and feel.

 

[Old Man Himmie]

Here’s a good discussion on the subject.

Himalayan FAQ Thread

Starting a FAQ thread for Himmies, with stuff people often need and for kwik referencing. Recommend it be stickied to the top of this subforum. Also recommend others do the same thing for other types of REs in those subforums. So to get the ball rolling: NGK Iridium plug, model CR8EIX Info on...

www.royalenfieldowners.com

 

[Robc76]

If you shift up as low as 4000rpm it means that in the next gear the engine will be reving around 3000rpm - and lugging an engine is not good. So if you are accelerating up to speed try going to at least 5000. It won’t damage the engine.
If you are cruising downhill with a tailwind then up shifting at 4000rpm is fine as in the easy conditions the slow engine speed in the next gear will be ok.
In the end you will do it by ear and feel.

I generally agree but I'd like to add that I like to keep revs below 4k until the engine is warm. After that, 4-5k shifting feels about right on road.

RobC

 

[Andyb]

Agreed Rob - always pays to ride gently the first few miles to warm it up.

 

[Laserman]

Normal riding I shift between 3500-4500 on 1-2 and 2-3 shift; 4000-4500 for 3-4 and 4500-5000 for 4-5.

YMMV, but I have found this keeps the engine in the meaty part of the torque curve. My '22 has accumulated nearly 20k miles in this manner.

 

[Robc76]

As the miles have increased on my engine, I found it "telling" me it wants more revs. It's hard to express in words, but up to 3.5k miles it likes 4-4.5k revs. For the last 2k miles it likes 4.5-5.5k revs. 5k revs feels like the sweet spot at the moment.

RobC

 

[Eatmore Mudd]

As the miles have increased on my engine, I found it "telling" me it wants more revs. It's hard to express in words, but up to 3.5k miles it likes 4-4.5k revs. For the last 2k miles it likes 4.5-5.5k revs. 5k revs feels like the sweet spot at the moment.

RobC

+1 !

Rob there's more of that goodness to come !

 

[Vroopster]

Good info. Thanks all. Looks like I’ll stretch my shifting out a bit and get higher into the revs.

 

[Bluestrom13]

Per Hitchcocks dyno chart the stock bike's torque is (an almost) linear ~19 to ~20 ft-lbs between 3250 rpm and 5200 rpm.
Is the Himalayan (on standard gearing) really lugging at ~3K?
Mine will chuff along quite happily at those revs in top gear, on level ground - 35/40 mph without snatching. My normal cruise being 50 - 60mph.
These graphs take the guesswork out of the numbers.
First three for standard 15/38 gearing, upshifting at 4250/4500/5000 rpm. #4 is 16/38, upshift at 5K. Last one is speed in each gear/rpm

 

[Andyb]

Nice use of tech in those graphs Bluestrom. Can you do ones with the changes at 3750 and 4000rpm, where the OP was changing?
You ask would 3000rpm be lugging the engine. Well it really depends on the load on the engine from hills / wind / bike weight etc and also if the rider is just trying to trickle along at a steady speed or if they are accelerating hard.

 

[Robc76]

3k rpm around town is just fine on my bike and lets me keep up with the ebb and flow of traffic. If it goes down to 2.5k then it struggles and "asks" for a downshift. In town and traffic, 3-4k is the sweet spot for me - the same is true on the tracks. However, on those tracks, if I encounter a steep climb (rocks, mud, gravel) in second gear at low speed, a handful of throttle will pull the bike up the hill at 2k rpm if necessary saving a tricky downshift to first.

RobC

 

[kreygmu]

If you think about it the Himalayan has a pretty narrow range of revs in which it's "happy". Most bikes don't like being below 3k rpm much and the Himalayan is no different other than if you're trundling along at low speed. The difference is the Himalayan also starts to get rattly above 5k rpm and hits a hard electronic limit at 6500rpm when it's otherwise unusual for a bike to hit the limit below say 8k rpm. So generally with road riding you operate in the 3-5k rpm range, and then off-road I'll run more in the 1.5-3k rpm range but with much gentler throttle input.

 

[Robc76]

Hmmmm....my rev limiter kicks in at 7,500rpm despite the red line being at 6,500. I do wonder if this is an anomaly.

RobC

 

[kreygmu]

Hmmmm....my rev limiter kicks in at 7,500rpm despite the red line being at 6,500. I do wonder if this is an anomaly.

RobC

Tbf that 6.5k rpm figure was off the top of my head and might not be correct, my bike actually won't rev above 6k rpm in top gear though, the tacho sits at dead on 12 o'clock.

 

[Hctr154]

I normally don't pay much attention to the tach when riding; just shift be feel. When it feels like the torque has maxed out, I shift to the higher gear.

 

[RotorWrench]

I normally don't pay much attention to the tach when riding; just shift be feel. When it feels like the torque has maxed out, I shift to the higher gear.

Same here. I really never have watched R's too much except during run in. You sort of get a feel for the bike and where it's pull peak is. I always avoid lugging an engine when possible but otherwise I let the bike tell me what it likes. Not for everyone I know.

 

[Bluestrom13]

The old way....

Riding 56 years, the Himmi is my only single (of many owned) with a tach.
We managed, and so did the bikes.

 

[Robc76]

The father of a childhood friend used to change gear when acceleration ceased - even when cold! To my knowledge, he only broke two engines - both company vans. Perhaps they're all tougher than we realize

RobC

 

[grymsr]

I normally don't pay much attention to the tach when riding; just shift be feel. When it feels like the torque has maxed out, I shift to the higher gear.

Ditto. That and engine note are my shift cues.