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question for the gear gurus
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tc862011
question for the gear gurus
ok so everyone knows i have a 1978 suzuki gs550e, its even in my sig. was riding the other day and most speeds around here are in between 25 and 55 so i dont even hit 5th alot of the time so hitting 6th is even rarer. i have noticed that alot of the power my bike provides is 1st through 4th anyway. how tall are the 5th and 6th gears in these bikes. i would almost assume that the 6th gear is for the highway cause it almost seems like a cruising gear if you want to do any type of good acceleration to shift down. i have had plentys of posts of the rebuild and how good its running so there isnt any issues. this is simply a gearing questionTags: None
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Originally posted by tc862011 View Postok so everyone knows i have a 1978 suzuki gs550e, its even in my sig. was riding the other day and most speeds around here are in between 25 and 55 so i dont even hit 5th alot of the time so hitting 6th is even rarer. i have noticed that alot of the power my bike provides is 1st through 4th anyway. how tall are the 5th and 6th gears in these bikes. i would almost assume that the 6th gear is for the highway cause it almost seems like a cruising gear if you want to do any type of good acceleration to shift down. i have had plentys of posts of the rebuild and how good its running so there isnt any issues. this is simply a gearing question
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tc862011
yea like i said i barely ever hit 5th and i prob have hit 6th 2 times and that when i was learning to ride so i was getting used to the shifting. i havent found much applications for 5ht and none for 6th yet, figure i would throw it up here and find out what fellow gs'ers thought about it
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Yeah, I never understood the 6th gear. My 850 doesn't have it & I dont believe the 750's do either. I guess there is a valid reason the Suzuki did not but don't know what the thinking is. My sons little GZ250 has 5 gears but 5th does next to nothing and if you need it to go you have to shift back to 4th.
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tc862011
yea my buddys 77 750 doesnt have it either, is there any real world application for 6th, it almost seems that the bike model itself isnt really fast enough for a 6th gear lol
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A 6th gear on our older bikes is pretty much a lost cause. I have never been able to redline my 750 in 5th as it is. In 4th gear it will pull hard right to redline, though once you shift into 5th it starts running out of breath around 6,500 rpm at 4,000 ft. A 6th gear would totally kill any power we have now.sigpicMrBill Been a GSR member on and off since April 2002
1980 GS 750E Bought new in Feb of 1980
2015 CAN AM RTS
Stuff I've done to my bike1100E front end with new Sonic springs, 1100E swing arm conversion with new Progressive shocks installed, 530 sprockets/chain conversion, new SS brake lines, new brake pads. New SS fasteners through out. Rebuilt carbs, new EBC clutch springs and horn installed. New paint. Motor runs strong.
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tc862011
Originally posted by mrbill5491 View PostA 6th gear on our older bikes is pretty much a lost cause. I have never been able to redline my 750 in 5th as it is. In 4th gear it will pull hard right to redline, though once you shift into 5th it starts running out of breath around 6,500 rpm at 4,000 ft. A 6th gear would totally kill any power we have now.
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If you want the maximum out of your 550 don't change up gear until the tacho is buried in the red. That engine thrives on revs - if you're letting it see 6500 rpm you're not riding it hard enough..79 GS1000S
79 GS1000S (another one)
80 GSX750
80 GS550
80 CB650 cafe racer
75 PC50 - the one with OHV and pedals...
75 TS100 - being ridden (suicidally) by my father
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tc862011
i ride my 550 like that but hitting 5th like that i would be doing 100 and it would take forever to be buried in the red with 5th and 6th gear, plus i would be having blues behind me going that fast lol. when i want to get on the bike and get the performance out of it i dont shift until i feel it in the motor and that is like 10.5k on the rpm gauge
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Maybe someone has changed the sprockets for lower rpms at highway speeds. Just guessing, I've never had one.1983 GS 1100 Guided Laser
1983 GS 1100 G
2000 Suzuki Intruder 1500, "Piggy Sue"
2000 GSF 1200 Bandit (totaled in deer strike)
1986 Suzuki Cavalcade GV 1400 LX (SOLD)
I find working on my motorcycle mildly therapeutic when I'm not cursing.
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tc862011
well since stock posted top speed when the 550s where new was right around 105 and i can hit 100 when shifting into 5th i dont think the 6th gear does much in that area, maybe it makes highway travel better, i am not sure. i havent found a use for it. i alo have stock size sprockets
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tc862011
i am sure it is, i havent had a chance to stretch out 5th gear, by the time i hit 5th i either need to slow down or i have ran out of road. i dont doubt i can get it to 115 its just not many places in southern maine that are long enough that i wouldnt have to worry about those cagers with those pretty blue lights lol,
i was just saying what the posted top speed was on the bike specs you find online i am sure its faster then that, oops never mind i just looked at a specs sight and it said 114.
another specs page says it does 0-60 in 5.8 secs i am positive mine does it faster then thatLast edited by Guest; 09-06-2012, 06:44 PM.
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