test

[ribbert]

[melloncollie]

It must be a mistake, not me.  I never try shifting out of 5th.  Dog's gotta have its nose calibrated.  I want to see some papers.

[fj1289]

It must be a mistake, not me.  I never try shifting out of 5th.  Dog's gotta have its nose calibrated.  I want to see some papers.

I don't know f that means you need to find your kookaloo ..... or if it means you don't want to lessen your kookaloo by shifting to a higher gear!   

[Waiex191]

Yep, that's me.  Imagine my surprise when I rode my kid's Concours and it actually has 6th.

[Millietant]

That poor dog will have a scent overload if he ever visits a FJ Owners rally, or meeting 

[Old Rider]

About 35 yr ago i had a fj600 (the one in my profile pic ) if i remeber right it had a sixt gear so it goes clear of the dog

[melloncollie]

I don't know f that means you need to find your kookaloo ..... or if it means you don't want to lessen your kookaloo by shifting to a higher gear!   

Usually its when I'm on the freeway and not looking at my tach, not sure which one that fall into.

[Bill_Rockoff]

That dog's snout is unerring! Good one.

On the FJ with a slightly shorter-than-stock 170/60-17 rear, 5th seems pretty short and I look for a 6th pretty often. I like that tire size, so I will probably go to an 18t front sprocket next time.

The 998 is geared pretty tall, so I have the opposite problem, I always seem to leave it in 5th or even 4th and there's frequently a taller gear or two available to me. I lose count in the gearbox if there's traffic for a bit, and when traffic clears I sometimes find myself thinking "this bike is unusually smooth and strong today! Must be the cool weather... Oh, I'm in 5th, let me shift to 6th..." More than once, I've absent-mindedly prodded the shifter up a minute or two later and found yet another gear, "I was in FOURTH I guess..."  Crowded highway traffic in rush hour is sometimes a bit too slow for 6th gear, it bucks and surges until 60+ mph and it's not really happy until 70+ indicated.

[Pat Conlon]

Yep, it's all about gearing....ditch the oem 17/42 combo and go with the 18/40

I stopped looking for 6th when I had my engine rebuilt by Randy. He painstakingly balanced everything so the engine is buttery smooth.

[Millietant]

That dog's snout is unerring! Good one.

On the FJ with a slightly shorter-than-stock 170/60-17 rear, 5th seems pretty short and I look for a 6th pretty often. I like that tire size, so I will probably go to an 18t front sprocket next time.

The 998 is geared pretty tall, so I have the opposite problem, I always seem to leave it in 5th or even 4th and there's frequently a taller gear or two available to me. I lose count in the gearbox if there's traffic for a bit, and when traffic clears I sometimes find myself thinking "this bike is unusually smooth and strong today! Must be the cool weather... Oh, I'm in 5th, let me shift to 6th..." More than once, I've absent-mindedly prodded the shifter up a minute or two later and found yet another gear, "I was in FOURTH I guess..."  Crowded highway traffic in rush hour is sometimes a bit too slow for 6th gear, it bucks and surges until 60+ mph and it's not really happy until 70+ indicated.

I run 18 and 38 on my FJ and love it. Never searching for 6th gear and great for 80-85mph cruising.

Like you Bill, I had a V Twin sports bike for 17 years (Aprilia RSV 1000) and I always felt 6th gear was too tall on that bike.......until running down the back straight at the Nordschleife at an indicated 172mph on it was still pulling in top gear..........at road speeds, 6th Gear was just too tall.

[Ted Schefelbein]

Guilty, as charged. I rode a GSXR for many years, and got used to sixth being there. I think the count up through the gears is seared into my brain.

Pat, what tires size do you run with that gearing?

Ted

[Pat Conlon]

180/55-17 and 120/70-17

[Motofun]

Took the '85 out for a 80 mile run through (actually around) the mountains.  I've found that the tach needle and the speedo needle stay perfectly balanced when the bike is in third gear.  The tach will lag the speedo by a little in fourth and more when in fifth.  The reverse is true in first and second.  A simple glance and you know what gear you're in!

I only tried for sixth gear ten times.....   

[Ted Schefelbein]

Thank you, Pat.

Ted