V-Max 2 Busa
Registered
I've often wondered what RPM range other Busa riders prefer in the twistys.
What's your RPM Range in the Twistys?
- Thread starter V-Max 2 Busa
- Start date
im an english guy n been out today chasing i mean following a good m8 on his gsxr1000 hes a far quicker rider than me in the twisties but had little problem keeping up with him in the mid range 5-7000 rpm and was plenty lively enough for me
from his exhaust note id say hes always 3000 or so rpm highter
aitch
from his exhaust note id say hes always 3000 or so rpm highter
aitch
fastblackblur
Registered
The gear your in is dependent on the speed of the corner.
You want to keep the revs as high as you can. You should not need to shift while the bike is leaned over.
I'm not perfect and am often in too high of a gear going into a corner but I'm working on it.
You want to keep the revs as high as you can. You should not need to shift while the bike is leaned over.
I'm not perfect and am often in too high of a gear going into a corner but I'm working on it.
Brokenchickenleg
Registered
:unhappy:I have nothing to contribute...as we have no twisties in North Central Texas, just flat and straight.:unhappy:
Some folks will say you should be in as low a gear as possible to keep the RPMs as high as possible, that way when the rear end steps out from too much throttle and too little traction during a corner exit the rev limiter will limit wheel spin thus reducing your chance of a highside. As opposed to exiting a corner in too high a gear and the motor has the whole RPM range to spin the rear tire thus allowing for a much greater chance of a high side.
Some folks. ???
cheers
ken
Some folks. ???
cheers
ken
Street riding=enough to slowly accelerate out of the exit of every corner. Whether at 4,000 or 7,000, the goal is to be slowly and steadily accelerating out the exit of the corner.
Track riding=enough to be more than slowly accelerating out of every corner. It becomes more important to keep the RPM's up in this format for increased engine braking on corner entry/set-up
Track riding=enough to be more than slowly accelerating out of every corner. It becomes more important to keep the RPM's up in this format for increased engine braking on corner entry/set-up
On the street I don't apply the "low gear, big RPM" theory like I would on the track. Most of our twisties are 60mph or faster, so I just stick it in 5th gear and ride the torque curve. Usually between 4000 and 5500rpm. Occasionally pull it back to 4th for a posted 25mph tight one.
Focus more on keeping mid corner speed up, and less on big RPM heroics down the connecting straights. This method keeps me up with all but the bravest young bucks on liter bikes.
Focus more on keeping mid corner speed up, and less on big RPM heroics down the connecting straights. This method keeps me up with all but the bravest young bucks on liter bikes.
Some basic 
of survival!
If we are talking twisties, leaving sweepers out of the equasion, the rule of thumb is:
If you are coasting through the corners as most street riders and occasional track day enthusiast tend to do, a higher gear has it's benifits. Since all motorcycles HATE coasting in corners a taller gear will place less stress on the front tire. Since loss of traction on the front tire contributes to far more getoffs in the corners than does rear traction loss, I'd say most of you would benifit from using taller gears.
Now I hear you nae sayers "I always apply nuetral throttle through the corners". Well, actually a neutral throttle is still coasting due to friction and aerodynamic drag. So you see, you must apply more than neutral throttle in order to maintain your entry speed.
In order to properly carve a corner you must apply throttle as soon as the steering is complete, not at the apex or exit but as soon as the steering is complete. Add enough throttle to transfer at least 10% of the weight from the front tire to the rear tire where there is much more traction available.
If you are an agressive corner carver and properly apply throttle the gearing/RPM become a much more important portion of the corner carving equasion. As some have already stated a higher RPM is much more rider friendly than mid or low range. By keeping the RPM in the top 25% range will keep your chances of spinning the rear on exit to a minimum as well as make the spin more manageable if it occurs.
Spin the rear at mid range and the tire will spin much faster giving the rider a far less chance of recovery than spinning at higher RPM where the tire spins slower and generally always manageable.
of survival!If we are talking twisties, leaving sweepers out of the equasion, the rule of thumb is:
If you are coasting through the corners as most street riders and occasional track day enthusiast tend to do, a higher gear has it's benifits. Since all motorcycles HATE coasting in corners a taller gear will place less stress on the front tire. Since loss of traction on the front tire contributes to far more getoffs in the corners than does rear traction loss, I'd say most of you would benifit from using taller gears.
Now I hear you nae sayers "I always apply nuetral throttle through the corners". Well, actually a neutral throttle is still coasting due to friction and aerodynamic drag. So you see, you must apply more than neutral throttle in order to maintain your entry speed.
In order to properly carve a corner you must apply throttle as soon as the steering is complete, not at the apex or exit but as soon as the steering is complete. Add enough throttle to transfer at least 10% of the weight from the front tire to the rear tire where there is much more traction available.
If you are an agressive corner carver and properly apply throttle the gearing/RPM become a much more important portion of the corner carving equasion. As some have already stated a higher RPM is much more rider friendly than mid or low range. By keeping the RPM in the top 25% range will keep your chances of spinning the rear on exit to a minimum as well as make the spin more manageable if it occurs.
Spin the rear at mid range and the tire will spin much faster giving the rider a far less chance of recovery than spinning at higher RPM where the tire spins slower and generally always manageable.
Last edited:
Tufbusa and Lamb hit it right on......I personally am always in the HIGH Rpm range since I use engine braking extensively.
There is nothing wrong with engine braking on the streets. If you go on a group ride, pay attention to how many riders who coast up to the corner without touching the brake. "Most"!
It's also okay to use the front brake to set your entry speed. I do suggest no trail braking into twisty corners.
If you fail to use the brake on track days, you'll get passed a LOT!
IG.
Registered
Midrange works for me just fine. There are other factors to consider.
Higher rpm produces more noise, so if there are houses along the road, I personally feel bad for people who are forced into hearing a wining of a high rpm bike, especially 600 bikes. Hayabusa has enough torque to provide needed acceleration on the exit without using high rpm.
Higher rpm is a cop magnet. Any LEO sitting by the road and hearing the bike from a mile away already knows that the rider has no respect for local residents who want it to be quiet.
The more aggressive line on the track which implies hard acceleration on the exit is not round like most of the turns on public roads and therefore is not very suitable for the street - the rider simply won't fit inside the lane as well.
Anyone who is about to spin the rear on the street is way too aggressive for the street. Just smooth and progressive acceleration through the turn does all the wonders and brings great satisfaction, and a sense of being one with the machine and the road - and isn't it why we love twisties?
If a rider accelerates through the turn, the speed increases. If a turn is a constant radius turn, the bike needs to lean more in order to stay within the lane. Longer turns like 120 deg, or even 180 deg, not to mention decreased radius, will all require to stop accelerating at least for some time. This a good way to practice a smooth right hand.
If there is any oily spots, debri, let alone deer, or a stopped vehicle, or a LEO in the oncoming lane or sitting by the road, the situation my worsen very quickly. Those are real life factors.
So, my general approach is to enjoy a moderately aggressive ride, staying in mid range, being smooth, and when the situation allows take an occasional turn more aggressively.
I've seen more aggressive guys who take blind turns like they are on the track. The problem I see is that it's just a matter of time before one of such turns presents an unsolvable challenge to put it mildly.
Like someone said, 3rd - 4th gear, and an occasional 2nd gear for tighter turns. There is one 180 deg right turn where I live that I started taking in 1st - there are no houses nearby as I can see, and the turn is pretty slow on entry. I think if someone manages to be smooth in 1st going through the turn and then smoothly upshifting into 2nd, that's an achievement by itself.
Higher rpm produces more noise, so if there are houses along the road, I personally feel bad for people who are forced into hearing a wining of a high rpm bike, especially 600 bikes. Hayabusa has enough torque to provide needed acceleration on the exit without using high rpm.
Higher rpm is a cop magnet. Any LEO sitting by the road and hearing the bike from a mile away already knows that the rider has no respect for local residents who want it to be quiet.
The more aggressive line on the track which implies hard acceleration on the exit is not round like most of the turns on public roads and therefore is not very suitable for the street - the rider simply won't fit inside the lane as well.
Anyone who is about to spin the rear on the street is way too aggressive for the street. Just smooth and progressive acceleration through the turn does all the wonders and brings great satisfaction, and a sense of being one with the machine and the road - and isn't it why we love twisties?
If a rider accelerates through the turn, the speed increases. If a turn is a constant radius turn, the bike needs to lean more in order to stay within the lane. Longer turns like 120 deg, or even 180 deg, not to mention decreased radius, will all require to stop accelerating at least for some time. This a good way to practice a smooth right hand.
If there is any oily spots, debri, let alone deer, or a stopped vehicle, or a LEO in the oncoming lane or sitting by the road, the situation my worsen very quickly. Those are real life factors.
So, my general approach is to enjoy a moderately aggressive ride, staying in mid range, being smooth, and when the situation allows take an occasional turn more aggressively.
I've seen more aggressive guys who take blind turns like they are on the track. The problem I see is that it's just a matter of time before one of such turns presents an unsolvable challenge to put it mildly.
Like someone said, 3rd - 4th gear, and an occasional 2nd gear for tighter turns. There is one 180 deg right turn where I live that I started taking in 1st - there are no houses nearby as I can see, and the turn is pretty slow on entry. I think if someone manages to be smooth in 1st going through the turn and then smoothly upshifting into 2nd, that's an achievement by itself.
[/B]
There is nothing wrong with engine braking on the streets. If you go on a group ride, pay attention to how many riders who coast up to the corner without touching the brake. "Most"!
It's also okay to use the front brake to set your entry speed. I do suggest no trail braking into twisty corners.
If you fail to use the brake on track days, you'll get passed a LOT!
True! but were not talking about track are we? thats a different story...
There is absolutely nothing wrong with coasting through the corners at a nice easy pace. I actually enjoy this pace where I can sit straight up on the seat and enjoy the scenery.
I totally agree about disturbing the neighbors. Romping through neighborhoods or a populated countryside is a quick way to have law enforcement on you!
IG.
Registered
Side point on coasting through turns. Great tires that we are lucky to have these days give an impression that it's perfectly fine. One day, when I had a Katana with touring tires, I was riding in the rain on one road which had someone old surface, going a bit downhill, and maybe with just a touch of negative camber. I wasn't going too fast, and the lean angle was light. Letting the throttle go while in turn, caused the front to slide momentarily. I realized what I was doing wrong, and on another pass of that same turn, I was ON the gas, and nothing slipped. From that day on, and of course after reading TOTW, I avoid coasting through turns.
It is interesting to observe that a rider may be on the gas going through the turn in the dry. But in the wet, trying to be more careful, the same rider would coast through the turn. Amazingly, the logical thing would be to do the opposite. A rider could afford to coast through the turn in the dry - after all there is plenty of traction available. But in the wet, when the amount of traction is reduced, being on the gas becomes very critical.
Just another one of our natural relfexes sending us in the wrong direction.
Even staying on the gas without any acceleration is a lot better than coasting.
It is interesting to observe that a rider may be on the gas going through the turn in the dry. But in the wet, trying to be more careful, the same rider would coast through the turn. Amazingly, the logical thing would be to do the opposite. A rider could afford to coast through the turn in the dry - after all there is plenty of traction available. But in the wet, when the amount of traction is reduced, being on the gas becomes very critical.
Just another one of our natural relfexes sending us in the wrong direction.
Even staying on the gas without any acceleration is a lot better than coasting.
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