Not the speed I expected.

[blaine]

Originally Posted by dentheman

Could you please explain why she won't hold 80 all day long? Or were you thinking I was talking about the GZ?

He thought you were talking about a G.Z. :lol: :2tup:

Quote:Well, either way, I was so oblivious to what was going on that I thought we were talking about a GZ.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by dentheman

Could you please explain why she won't hold 80 all day long? Or were you thinking I was talking about the GZ?

80 MPH all day long. Hmm. The bike would probably do it but here are a couple thoughts.
That is pretty fast for a cruiser, it was never designed to be a mile muncher like a touring bike.
How is your own personal endurance compared to the bike's ability to run continuously for hours. This is a huge factor as fatigue will prove to be a major obstacle in riding comfort and safety.
Aside from those comments my next suggestion is slow down and enjoy the scenery. Are you a good enough rider to maintain higher speeds all day long without mishap? Can you tell I'm an old guy? :lol:

[5th_bike]

Originally Posted by dentheman

I went for my first 'freeway' ride on my Shadow 750 today, and only reached 60 mph. The bike runs great, but there was a strong cross wind both coming and going, and I do weigh around 240; so am I expecting too much for my bike to go 75-80 in those conditions? Also, I was using 5th gear (overdrive), is it bad for the engine to run at high speed in 4th gear? This bike does not have a tach, so I don't know the rpm's, but the manual states to shift from 4th to 5th at 31 mph.

I think you accidentally took your GZ250 for a ride. It should do 65 in 4th gear, no problem, but with a little effort and a high whine. And I think the manual says 37 mph, not 31. (we may both need new bifocals...)

[dentheman]

Originally Posted by 5th_bike

I think you accidentally took your GZ250 for a ride. It should do 65 in 4th gear, no problem, but with a little effort and a high whine. And I think the manual says 37 mph, not 31. (we may both need new bifocals...)

I rechecked the manual: 1st to 2nd 12mph; 2nd to 3rd 19mph; 3rd to 4th 25mph; 4th to 5th 31mph. I do shift at a little higher speeds since using those speeds causes the engine to 'clatter' for a second or two. This clatter (in addition to not reaching full speed) makes me think the engine is not up to full power. Concerning long trips, the furthest I might ever go would be from Lubbock to Ruidoso, NM, a trip that takes roughly 5 hours by car (if I recall correctly). To clear up any confusion, I don't have a GZ, but did ride one when I took the course. And finally, I am an old(er) guy too!

So now the question comes to mind: What would be a good cruising speed for my Shadow 750 for such a trip that wouldn't overstress the bike? Would 65 be about right? (I realize that if I did not ride full out at 80 like a car, and took gas and rest stops, the trip would take a lot longer and I don't forsee trying it in the near future, if at all). I am just trying to learn how to best ride this bike.

[jonathan180iq]

I would just get it up to speed and then see where she settles in. Bike are a lot more communicative than cars on as far as knowing their comfortable speeds. There should be this butter spot where she'll just purr and you know it's where she needs to stay. The specific speed will change given terrain and outside temp.

I don't have much first hand knowledge of that particular bike, but the butter speed for just about every other bike tends to be somewhere between 55 and 70. You'll just have to see how she feels.

[dentheman]

I did get her up to 70, but the engine seems to hum along the best at 60, and I feel the most physically comfortable (vibration, etc) at 60.

[music man]

I definitely agree you have a serious problem with your bike, because my ole' beat up suzuki VS800 will go 70-80 without even so much as a bead of sweat.

I don't really go that fast on a regular basis, but i have had it up to 100 once, just to see what it felt like to go that fast on a bike (scary as shit for those of you that are wondering) and it felt like it had quite a bit left in the stable if I would have wanted or had the cojones to go faster.

[jonathan180iq]

Buddy of my rides an older Virago 750 which is pretty similar in most regards to the Honda, granted that yours is newer.

Do you guys have shaft lube or gear oil or anything that can be changed?
Sludge would slow you down.
The good thing about those bikes is that even at a slightly slower speed, the weight of the bike makes the whole ride nice and comfortable.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by dentheman

I did get her up to 70, but the engine seems to hum along the best at 60, and I feel the most physically comfortable (vibration, etc) at 60.

Sounds good to me. 60 will get you there without stressing you or the bike. It's all about the ride not the destination.
As a side note. The Star 650 was purpose built with a sweet spot of 55 according to Yamaha. A big :2tup: to Yamaha.

[dentheman]

Originally Posted by jonathan180iq

Buddy of my rides an older Virago 750 which is pretty similar in most regards to the Honda, granted that yours is newer.

Do you guys have shaft lube or gear oil or anything that can be changed?
Sludge would slow you down.
The good thing about those bikes is that even at a slightly slower speed, the weight of the bike makes the whole ride nice and comfortable.

The rear does use hypoid gear oil, but the bike only has 7,000 miles on it and the manual states the first check (to check the level) of that oil should be at 8,000 miles, so the oil should be good.