Effects of over-revving?

[Jok3r]

I did something very, very stupid. I pegged the tachometer on my gs850. Some supra tried to do a ricer flyby and I shifted down one too many times

I'm pretty sure the bike was at like 14k. It still runs like a champ, I'm just wondering what are the ill effects of over revving a bike like that?

[hampshirehog]

Terrible - you'll have consumed a little bit extra fuel

Don't worry - these old girls are as tough as old boots and I've always considered the red line as purely advisory.

[bwringer]

If it's still running, you got away with it.

Just try not to do that too much...

[TheCafeKid]

If it's still running, you got away with it.

Just try not to do that too much...

You ever spun one of your 850s over center Brian?? I worry bout it a little when im rowing on the ES, but i figure, at some point in its life, someone has beat on that thing pretty hard...i mean, thats what it was made for right? If its still runnin now, theres little *I* can do to it that hasnt been done already...

[max parsons]

revs

I flog tdop all the time without any disastrous results and I haven't seen any stories on this site of a stock motor destroying itself.

[bwringer]

You ever spun one of your 850s over center Brian?? I worry bout it a little when im rowing on the ES, but i figure, at some point in its life, someone has beat on that thing pretty hard...i mean, thats what it was made for right? If its still runnin now, theres little *I* can do to it that hasnt been done already...

I've accidentally spun it to around 11,000 several times, usually the result of a missed shift. Much more than that, and it's possible to spit out a shim. Best not to take too many chances with getting ahead of 25 year old valve springs.

If it's any comfort, I believe redline on a GS500 is 11,000, with bigger pistons and pretty much the same valvetrain.

[mriddle]

what does "over center" mean ?

[Dogma]

I've accidentally spun it to around 11,000 several times, usually the result of a missed shift. Much more than that, and it's possible to spit out a shim. Best not to take too many chances with getting ahead of 25 year old valve springs.

If it's any comfort, I believe redline on a GS500 is 11,000, with bigger pistons and pretty much the same valvetrain.

Hmm. I had always thought the limiting factor was fatigue life of the rods. Never thought about the dynamics of the valve train.

Interesting thing about metal fatigue is that steel has a fatigue limit. If you keep the stresses below the limit, you can subject the part to infinite cycles. Go above that limit, and the limit comes down, and you have fewer cycles available over the limit. In other words, if you spend enough time over red line, you'll eventually break a rod. Never go over red line, and the rods should last forever. If the PO spent time over the red line, you have a time bomb. Most metals don't have such a limit, so they will eventually break, no matter how lightly loaded. Well, that was my theory about red line anyway.