shifting - Honda Shadow Forums : Shadow Motorcycle Forum

colddna · 05-21-2012, 07:29 AM

I was wondering if I'm shifting right this is how I shift
0-15 1st
15-25,30 2nd
25-40,45 3rd
45 and on 4th

Harvey · 05-21-2012, 07:38 AM

Sounds good to me.

OHgent · 05-21-2012, 07:56 AM

Seems about right but I never really pay close attention to the speed, I more listen to the engine rpms and then shift. Maybe I should kinda gage the speed a little more closely.

byggd · 05-21-2012, 08:33 AM

What year and CC bike do you have? My 1100 doesn't like 4th until at least 50 to 60.

John Hopkins · 05-21-2012, 08:42 AM

as byggd said it depends on the bike but if it starts chuga chuga you are in too high a gear..It's called lugging I believe..

John.

egold54 · 05-21-2012, 09:18 AM

I can do 25 in 3rd if I'm on flat road and just cursing along. There is no acceleration though. 30-35 shifting into 3rd for me. The same thing for 4th I can do 45 but it is lugging a bit. Fine if your out by yourself on a open road but there is no acceleration if you need to get out of trouble. I like 50 and above for 4th.

rmw · 05-21-2012, 11:41 AM

Looks ok but shifting by sound and feel works a lot better and is safer than watching the speedo. Better having your eyes out in front of the bike.

John Hopkins · 05-21-2012, 01:23 PM

I have large feet, and I find that at speeds of 75 and over the wind catches my feet if I try to move them away from the pegs..seems you can't win, on a sportsbike the wind tries to blow your chest off the bike, on a cruiser it's your head and on these bikes it tries to make you do the splits..

John.

Amos Iron Wolf · 05-21-2012, 01:37 PM

I run it by ear and the shift points change based on where and how I'm riding. I'll short shift and not run out the revs if I'm just tooling around a small town or just easing along a nice flat spot at a minimal pace. I'll run the shifts out further if I'm accelerating to get up to highway speed and cruise.

Same for downshifts. I can tool around on a flat surface in high gear as long as I'm keeping a consistent speed and there are no real demands on the engine and no lugging. If I'm doing traffic or curves with more dynamic activity then I'll downshift and upshift more.

A shift up or down at 25 MPH may be fine for one situation and be a bad choice for a different one.

Two things the Shadow could use: A tach and a 6th gear. I can add the tach, but not the 6th gear.

Kitulu · 05-21-2012, 02:20 PM

I have been known to cruise along at 25mph in 5th gear...

That was the week I spent running all over post getting paperwork taken care of and I got almost 200 miles to the tank.

05-21-2012, 07:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
colddna Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 37	shifting I was wondering if I'm shifting right this is how I shift 0-15 1st 15-25,30 2nd 25-40,45 3rd 45 and on 4th

05-21-2012, 07:56 AM	#3 (permalink)
OHgent Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: SE Ohio Posts: 190	Seems about right but I never really pay close attention to the speed, I more listen to the engine rpms and then shift. Maybe I should kinda gage the speed a little more closely. __________________ 2006 Shadow Spirit VT1100C "Betty" 20 year NAVY Retired Chief

05-21-2012, 08:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
byggd Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Corona CA Posts: 2,130	What year and CC bike do you have? My 1100 doesn't like 4th until at least 50 to 60. __________________ 88 Honda VT1100C 02 Yamaha WR426 71 Honda CB175

05-21-2012, 08:42 AM	#5 (permalink)
John Hopkins Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Tredegar,South Wales, near England, not far from Scotland. Posts: 3,480	as byggd said it depends on the bike but if it starts chuga chuga you are in too high a gear..It's called lugging I believe.. John. __________________ Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes right to the bone.

05-21-2012, 09:18 AM	#6 (permalink)
egold54 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: South Windsor , Connecticut Posts: 257	I can do 25 in 3rd if I'm on flat road and just cursing along. There is no acceleration though. 30-35 shifting into 3rd for me. The same thing for 4th I can do 45 but it is lugging a bit. Fine if your out by yourself on a open road but there is no acceleration if you need to get out of trouble. I like 50 and above for 4th. __________________ 1996 VT1100C

05-21-2012, 11:41 AM	#7 (permalink)
rmw Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: SW Indiana Posts: 3,173	Looks ok but shifting by sound and feel works a lot better and is safer than watching the speedo. Better having your eyes out in front of the bike. __________________ Best and Ride Safe Rick Dearly Departed 2004 Sabre...RIP

05-21-2012, 01:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
John Hopkins Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Tredegar,South Wales, near England, not far from Scotland. Posts: 3,480	I have large feet, and I find that at speeds of 75 and over the wind catches my feet if I try to move them away from the pegs..seems you can't win, on a sportsbike the wind tries to blow your chest off the bike, on a cruiser it's your head and on these bikes it tries to make you do the splits.. John. __________________ Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes right to the bone.

05-21-2012, 01:37 PM	#9 (permalink)
Amos Iron Wolf Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Del Rio, Texas Posts: 1,252	I run it by ear and the shift points change based on where and how I'm riding. I'll short shift and not run out the revs if I'm just tooling around a small town or just easing along a nice flat spot at a minimal pace. I'll run the shifts out further if I'm accelerating to get up to highway speed and cruise. Same for downshifts. I can tool around on a flat surface in high gear as long as I'm keeping a consistent speed and there are no real demands on the engine and no lugging. If I'm doing traffic or curves with more dynamic activity then I'll downshift and upshift more. A shift up or down at 25 MPH may be fine for one situation and be a bad choice for a different one. Two things the Shadow could use: A tach and a 6th gear. I can add the tach, but not the 6th gear. __________________ La vida está en el viento. (Life is in the wind.) The more I'm around people the more I love my dog, and she annoys the hell of me sometimes. Last edited by Amos Iron Wolf; 05-21-2012 at 01:42 PM.

05-21-2012, 02:20 PM	#10 (permalink)
Kitulu Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 593	I have been known to cruise along at 25mph in 5th gear... That was the week I spent running all over post getting paperwork taken care of and I got almost 200 miles to the tank.

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