Safe rpms for a 650G

[Anonymous]

So here's my question..

coming form the world of cars taking something past 5000 rpms is a little iffy...

so i'm wondering what mechanically are good rules of thumb...

last night i was doing 70 at 5000 rpm.

is that safe...and can i do that for extended periods of time...

so...for these scenarios what is a good number
A - crusing down the highway for extended periods of time
B - blowing of the Jack%ss who's been tailgating me for the past 20 mins

i know this is probably a simple questions but please don't throw things...except money...

[Anonymous]

5000 iffy for cars? I used to have a 396/375 that redlined at 6500 and that's a big motor.

What does the redline on the tach say? That's how far you can safely go consistently. Have at it.

[Anonymous]

5000 rpms is my attempt to get a lot of years out of this car....

[AOD]

Phil, we had a discussion about this a few weeks ago. motorcycle engines are much smaller then car engines, and due to the small valvetrain they are able to rev much higher. you should be able to do 7000 RPM all day long in your GS...it does seem like a lot on the engine, but they can take it.

enjoy the ride! 8)

[Anonymous]

A 650 will happily cruise all day long at 5000 rpm or 6 or 7 for that matter (though the police might disagree). I think the redline is 9,500 and even our old GS's should be more than capable of visiting it occasionally. Just don't stay there too long or miss any gear changes!

For comparison, my other half's 1990 400 Bandit has it's redline at 14,000 and 70mph equates to about 8000 rpm.

[Anonymous]

I agree. Just relax and let the engine do the work it was designed to do at any rpm up to redline.

Back in 86 I traded my 850 MotoGuzzi for an 82 GS850G. It took me a while to make the transition from a low-revving v-twin to a high-revving (relatively speaking) four-cylinder UJM, with all those cams and valves way up there where I could hear them. By comparison with the old Guzzi, the engine sounded to me, erroneously of course, as if it was self-destructing, even at easy cruising speeds of 60 mph in 5th.

So, I gradually learned that high revs (again, relatively speaking) did not harm the GS four-cylinder engine at all. On the contrary, 5000 rpm is a good place to be for that engine, which is working efficiently at that range.
I also learned to relax and enjoy the ride.

17 years on GS bikes now, and I hardly ever look at the tach. When my tach cable brakes, I get a replacement "ma?ana", whenever... I shift when it feels good to shift, given the situation.

Let the 650 do its thing. Allow it to do 5000 rpm at 70 mph, as long as you want. That engine was designed to do just that, all day long. Just change the oil and filter, adjust the valves, and keep the carbs synchronized regularly, and it it reward you with great riding pleasure for many years.

Nick