Kookaloo and beyond!

[Burns]

The valuable point made by Mr. RPM is that a properly set up FJ won't buzz at highway speed. That moots out the taller 5th gear issue for me.  If indeed the FJ can be rendered buzzless there is no need to "patch" a symptom that can be cured.  I would certainly exhaust that avenue before I peeked into the FJ's innards.

Subtilties are lost in this type of forum and personal attribution for generic comments is common. I'm not offended by what I took to be generic chiding and did not take it as a personal affront. 

I'll leave it at this: if the shoe fits wear it. 

[movenon]

But I guess we can always pretend it will be better than reality...

Yea, we can always go pay golf .... For some, the comment is an American related joke...  
George

Back to the FJ. Mine runs real smooth at 4500 - 6000 RPM. Not that bad below that but the sweet spot is at higher RPM (mid range).

[fj1289]

No worries -- everyone has their own idea of the perfect bike and perfect mods (or even none). 

[charleygofast]

I'm truly sorry this went the direction it did. If you read my original post, it was just a story about me taking my bike to the "Kookaloo-zone" for the first time and diggin it! My comment to JoBrCo about "looking for 6th gear",was only meant as "goi'n fast humor"...nothing more! I'm actually pretty happy with the 5 gears and final gearing my bike has. If all of you were here right now we'd tip a few cold ones and have a good laugh over this!                                                                   Charley.

[movenon]

I don't think you have anything to be sorry about !  Just conversation around the campfire.   
George

[FJscott]

I'm truly sorry this went the direction it did. If you read my original post, it was just a story about me taking my bike to the "Kookaloo-zone" for the first time and diggin it! My comment to JoBrCo about "looking for 6th gear",was only meant as "goi'n fast humor"...nothing more! I'm actually pretty happy with the 5 gears and final gearing my bike has. If all of you were here right now we'd tip a few cold ones and have a good laugh over this!                                                                   Charley.

Yep, we just have to hug it out over some frosty mugs.....until the next oil or ethanol debate....doh!

Scott

[charleygofast]

I don't think you have anything to be sorry about !  Just conversation around the campfire.   
George

All it's meant to be George...Kookaloo to you, and cheers!                                                                                                                      Charley                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

[charleygofast]

I'm truly sorry this went the direction it did. If you read my original post, it was just a story about me taking my bike to the "Kookaloo-zone" for the first time and diggin it! My comment to JoBrCo about "looking for 6th gear",was only meant as "goi'n fast humor"...nothing more! I'm actually pretty happy with the 5 gears and final gearing my bike has. If all of you were here right now we'd tip a few cold ones and have a good laugh over this!                                                                   Charley.

Yep, we just have to hug it out over some frosty mugs.....until the next oil or ethanol debate....doh!

Scott

I know, right?!!!   

[Burns]

I don't think you have anything to be sorry about !  Just conversation around the campfire.   
George

Ditto

If everybody agreed on everything there would be nothing to talk about.

[axiom-r]

I don't think you have anything to be sorry about !  Just conversation around the campfire.   
George

Ditto

If everybody agreed on everything there would be nothing to talk about.

I can't really agree with you there..... 


Now about that 6th gear.....  my bike is smooth and happy throughout its rev range.  I like riding a lower gear when sporting the bike.  That said, I tour a lot and when I am doing long miles at 80mph or greater I often times reach for another gear.  It would be so nice to drop from the 4500-5000rpm range to the 3700-4200 rpm range for long hauls at speed.  Wouldn't this also improve mileage?

Cheers- tim

[Pat Conlon]

As Noel pointed out...You would think that after 30 years of riding the same bike, I would know what gear I'm in....occasionally I still reach for sixth.

[X-Ray]

Same Pat, same.   

[charleygofast]

Agree!!! I think a gear indicator might be nice, but I bet I would still be checking to see if I'm in top gear. Just a habit I guess                                                Charley.

[Fj.itis]

Funny thing is that an r1 6th gear ratio is about the same as the fj's 5th and they also hang at 4000 rpm doing 100 km/h. So it must be the vibes causing us to want another gear and i agree sitting at 3500 is much more pleasant.

[ribbert]

Funny thing is that an r1 6th gear ratio is about the same as the fj's 5th and they also hang at 4000 rpm doing 100 km/h. So it must be the vibes causing us to want another gear and i agree sitting at 3500 is much more pleasant.

You're right, a six speed box in itself offers no benefit unless top gear is higher.
If may be so presumptuous as to think I know what people mean, without incurring Franks wrath, when they say they want a 6th gear, is that they want a higher top gear, whether it's on a 4,5,6 or 7 speed box isn't the point. As has been pointed out, many of the 6 speeders out there have much the same top gear as the FJ.

When BMW went from a 5 to a 6 speed box on their enormously grunty 1200 boxer twins, it was not universally welcomed and seen by many as unnecessary on a motor that has bucket loads of torque, a wide power band and is not a moto GP bike. It made the upper gears annoyingly close together. They also pull similar revs to the FJ at cruising speeds in top. 

Yes it would be nice it snick up another gear or flick a switch and drop 600-700 revs on the highway if the road or the mood took you but I don't think it's going to happen.
I actually prefer the sound of my engine cruising at 5000+ rather than loping along at say 3 and a bit.
It's entirely personal though.
Try getting a pilot to relax or enjoy the sound of a Rotax when he's flown Lycomings at just under 2500rpm all his life.

Interestingly, one of our highly respected, experienced, knowledgeable multi bike owning members here once rode his FJ a very long way on the open road in 4th!

Noel