Recommendation to upshift

Anibal

Anibal

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Visit site
Hi everyone.
I often wondered if this was an option on the B and TC and apparently it is, however, the user manual is very vague or I just need my second morning coffee.
Being bored and indoors I decided to read the manual and I came across the attached but I cannot tell how to set it up.
Has anyone tried?
Cheers
IMG_0391.jpeg
 
Scott Semone said:
I didn't realize the upshift feature had any setup parameters, my Model B does show the upshift recommendation; however, I always think it recommends an upshift prematurely base on the current RPM gauge?
Click to expand...
Thank you Scott.
Mine does not show up. Not that I need it as I normally upshift and downshift by engine feel and noice without paying too much attention to the RPM but I thought I could compare my decision to change gears with the engineers opinion.
👍
 
I get it occasionally on my TC. Usually when I hold onto 3rd at around forty mph
in traffic. I think it is about 3,000 rpm. It is also dependant on the demands you
are putting on the engine, as harder acceleration will turn it off.
 
Interesting, thank you Rider0974.
I will have to check this when I ride again. Currently a busted left knee has kept me on crutches for a little while.
 
Yeah, I see it all the time on Alcina on the backroads.

I go on engine power and RPMs more though, as I don't want to lug the engine, as I usually keep her on "ROLL" mode. Burns less oil too if you keep engine RPMS up.

Mike
 
Keehn said:
Yeah, I see it all the time on Alcina on the backroads.

I go on engine power and RPMs more though, as I don't want to lug the engine, as I usually keep her on "ROLL" mode. Burns less oil too if you keep engine RPMS up.

Mike
Click to expand...
To add,

If I'm moving >30MPH, I make sure my RPMs are 2500 or greater. With internal combustion engines (gasoline, not diesel, BTW), it's not the RPMs that kill, it's lugging them below RPM that puts stress on the piston rings and connecting rods. Plus, you'll notice greater oil consumption if you lug the engine. I personally noticed this early on with Alcina, which prompted me to change my riding discipline to 2500 RPMS at >30MPH, as I wasn't downshifting when riding at 80MPH while going uphill when my engine power was down to 25%.

So, I know a lot of people have dismissed the usefulness of the power meter, but I've noticed it to be quite useful to determine when the engine is lugging, and when to downshift to ensure Alcina is no longer in that scenario.

Here's a useful video talking about the technical aspects of engine lugging for those interested:


Mike
 
Keehn said:
To add,

If I'm moving >30MPH, I make sure my RPMs are 2500 or greater. With internal combustion engines (gasoline, not diesel, BTW), it's not the RPMs that kill, it's lugging them below RPM that puts stress on the piston rings and connecting rods. Plus, you'll notice greater oil consumption if you lug the engine. I personally noticed this early on with Alcina, which prompted me to change my riding discipline to 2500 RPMS at >30MPH, as I wasn't downshifting when riding at 80MPH while going uphill when my engine power was down to 25%.

So, I know a lot of people have dismissed the usefulness of the power meter, but I've noticed it to be quite useful to determine when the engine is lugging, and when to downshift to ensure Alcina is no longer in that sc'm not enario.

Here's a useful video talking about the technical aspects of engine lugging for those interested:


Mike
Click to expand...
I'm not sure a pancake motor like the R18 classifies as a high rpm, small displacement motor. Certainly not with it's 1802cc displacement, engine load and cam configuration running out of steam pretty quickly past 4000 rpm. It's a very low stress motor, and really the motor is never really working that hard until you get up past 70 -80 mph and your mpg rate starts dropping like a stone. You can get away with running the motor in 4th 5th or 6th down to 1600-1700 rpm, providing you don't crank the throttle hard for instant acceleration, but accelerate gently until you get past 2000 rpm. A motor you're lugging is going to let you know well and good that you're abusing it. Too much throttle and very little acceleration gained from throttle input is what you want to avoid. The engine should respond rather quickly with increasing rpm rate when you ask for power from the throttle. If it doesn't, you are lugging the engine.
 
Ive only got 300 miles on my 2023, and of course I'm breaking in the engine so I'm varying the RPMs. Off hand I don't recall the sweet spot where the motor likes to run, but somewhere around 3k sounds about right.
Once it's broken in I just go by sound and Pork Rind nailed it, the engine should respond quickly when twisting the throttle, if not your lugging it or winding it out.
 
Pork Rind said:
I'm not sure a pancake motor like the R18 classifies as a high rpm, small displacement motor. Certainly not with it's 1802cc displacement, engine load and cam configuration running out of steam pretty quickly past 4000 rpm. It's a very low stress motor, and really the motor is never really working that hard until you get up past 70 -80 mph and your mpg rate starts dropping like a stone. You can get away with running the motor in 4th 5th or 6th down to 1600-1700 rpm, providing you don't crank the throttle hard for instant acceleration, but accelerate gently until you get past 2000 rpm. A motor you're lugging is going to let you know well and good that you're abusing it. Too much throttle and very little acceleration gained from throttle input is what you want to avoid. The engine should respond rather quickly with increasing rpm rate when you ask for power from the throttle. If it doesn't, you are lugging the engine.
Click to expand...
That's why I use the engine power indicator as the "coal-mine canary" to tell me if the engine is lugging. When I first got Alcina, I didn't watch the power indicator much, keeping the RPMs lower than I should have, especially while climbing hills (while not downshifting). As a result, I noticed she was burning oil...which is alarming for an engine with less than 600 miles on it!

I've since changed my riding habits, as I mentioned, and ensure that I DO downshift when going uphills, making sure the power indicator stays at least 50% or better, and I haven't burned oil since. The 1/2 mark on the sight glass has stayed solid since my 600 mile fill up. Mind you, I'm 80-90% highway riding, so the vast majority of the time, we are sitting at 70-80MPH in 6'th gear.

I paid too damn much for her to screw this boxer engine up! Luckily the cylinders are modular...but they ARE still pricey, should it one day come down to a rebuild.

Mike
 
Unless is a low gradient hill, definitely downshift when you are going uphill. The engine noise and feel will let you know if you need to come down one gear. Except when commuting to work, most of my riding time is on fast flowing motorway or country lanes that allows for the national speed limit to be kept, so 70mph in 6th gear is where I am most of the time and the RPMs are around 2.7K
 
I would consider in the taller gears, 5th and 6th, that if you are to summons full throttle and get a good response, your minimum rpms being in such tall gears should be around 2000 rpms, minimum.... A good look at the HP and torque graph of this engine indicates the motor makes 85 to 90% of peak torque by 2000 rpms, and is falling off much past 3800 rpm. Sure, you'll make HP past 3800, but the acceleration rate won't pull as hard as it would most likely in a taller gear at 3000 rpm. It's a balancing act... but a big motor like this is much better using the torque while riding than even getting close to redline at 5000 rpm, trying to make horsepower.

Keep in mind, this bike competes in the cruiser market, not the sport bike market. A K1600 is your jelly if that's how you want to haul the mail, Pony Express or Air Mail style. Use the powerband and torque accordingly. It's not like your Italian or Japanese sport bikes. Twisting the bollocks off the crank with the design being unbalanced.... the vibrations are telling you something, and that something is not good for the engine, or the rest of the bike.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top