I don't even think about shifting until 5500 RPM.... That's where my girl loves to sing.... Third LT, ZERO issues with winding her up...
Cruising RPM’s
I’ve had my 03 LT for close to a year and have been a watching this site daily to learn things about this beast. I keep reading here about how these machines like to be run at much higher rev’s than my other bikes so I just have to ask, do they really?
I’m talking about normal everyday riding here. As an example, at 50mph in fourth gear the engine runs at around 3k RPM’s, and compared to my other bikes except the Triumph that’s screaming. I’d like this LT to last me for a lifetime, so should I continue cruising around in lower gears and higher rev’s, or should I shift?
I’m talking about normal everyday riding here. As an example, at 50mph in fourth gear the engine runs at around 3k RPM’s, and compared to my other bikes except the Triumph that’s screaming. I’d like this LT to last me for a lifetime, so should I continue cruising around in lower gears and higher rev’s, or should I shift?
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
The LT has a rev limiter......Use it...
I was getting on the highway once when suddenly I realized I was still in second...The rev limiter caught me....
I've never heard of an LT engine being damaged by being run too hard...
Just doesn't happen....
You don't necessarily want to run it hard all the time..
But when you're in the twisties. Second gear is all you need.. Roll on to speed up... Roll off to slow down.. Very little braking required....She'll go 85 in second gear... So dont' think you're going to be slow...
She really doesn't start pulling till about 5K....
Have fun..
John
I was getting on the highway once when suddenly I realized I was still in second...The rev limiter caught me....
I've never heard of an LT engine being damaged by being run too hard...
Just doesn't happen....
You don't necessarily want to run it hard all the time..
But when you're in the twisties. Second gear is all you need.. Roll on to speed up... Roll off to slow down.. Very little braking required....She'll go 85 in second gear... So dont' think you're going to be slow...
She really doesn't start pulling till about 5K....
Have fun..
John
SteveW said:I’ve had my 03 LT for close to a year and have been a watching this site daily to learn things about this beast. I keep reading here about how these machines like to be run at much higher rev’s than my other bikes so I just have to ask, do they really?
I’m talking about normal everyday riding here. As an example, at 50mph in fourth gear the engine runs at around 3k RPM’s, and compared to my other bikes except the Triumph that’s screaming. I’d like this LT to last me for a lifetime, so should I continue cruising around in lower gears and higher rev’s, or should I shift?
even back in the 70's with the boxers there were guys who insisted the proper way to drive was to shift at the redline - those engines did not have rev limiters - which meant 1st gear in the city all the time - I never liked to listen to all the noise - BMW builds an engine that is perfectly happy chugging around in the city in 5th or staying in gear until you hit the rev limiter - it just needs long runs on the highway to be at its best
This is one of the things I love about the LT--great comfort and smooth ride. However, if you want her to take off her skirt and become a sportbike--hold on, she can make you sizzle!
Interesting discussion, I have been thinking about this very thing. I don't think the motor really cares what RPM you're at, as long as it isn't knocking.
On the other hand, I have killed TWO gear boxes in my '02 K1200LT/ Hannigan 2+2. Both times it was the bearing on the front of the input shaft. The first time I thought it might be lubricant related, like maybe the lube I was using got past the seals on the sealed bearing & washed its grease out. Now after having a second gear box fail, I think maybe I need to learn to drive stick. I should keep the RPM up to at least 3,250 - 3,500 under a light load, & 4,000 or more under harder acceleration. My LT is a fulltime sidecar rig, & that extra 500 lbs on the side puts a lot strain on the drive train.
In town I would tend to dog it, & the RMP would drop to maybe 2,500. Then when speeding up coming out of a town, I would just crank it on. The bike accelerated OK like that, but I now believe it put too much stress on the input shaft. If I would have back shifted a gear or two, & spun the motor up some. It would have put a lot less stress on everything, the input shaft especially. It was just easer to be lazy, & leave in a higher gear. But now, this time… when I finish putting my rig back together I plan on keeping the RPM up.
On the other hand, I have killed TWO gear boxes
in my '02 K1200LT/ Hannigan 2+2. Both times it was the bearing on the front of the input shaft. The first time I thought it might be lubricant related, like maybe the lube I was using got past the seals on the sealed bearing & washed its grease out. Now after having a second gear box fail, I think maybe I need to learn to drive stick. I should keep the RPM up to at least 3,250 - 3,500 under a light load, & 4,000 or more under harder acceleration. My LT is a fulltime sidecar rig, & that extra 500 lbs on the side puts a lot strain on the drive train. In town I would tend to dog it, & the RMP would drop to maybe 2,500. Then when speeding up coming out of a town, I would just crank it on. The bike accelerated OK like that, but I now believe it put too much stress on the input shaft. If I would have back shifted a gear or two, & spun the motor up some. It would have put a lot less stress on everything, the input shaft especially. It was just easer to be lazy, & leave in a higher gear. But now, this time… when I finish putting my rig back together I plan on keeping the RPM up.
Patric said:Interesting discussion, I have been thinking about this very thing. I don't think the motor really cares what RPM you're at, as long as it isn't knocking.
On the other hand, I have killed TWO gear boxes
In town I would tend to dog it, & the RMP would drop to maybe 2,500. Then when speeding up coming out of a town, I would just crank it on. The bike accelerated OK like that, but I now believe it put too much stress on the input shaft. If I would have back shifted a gear or two, & spun the motor up some. It would have put a lot less stress on everything, the input shaft especially. It was just easer to be lazy, & leave in a higher gear. But now, this time… when I finish putting my rig back together I plan on keeping the RPM up.
altho there is no comparison between your LT sidecar rig or mine, in the city I shift at very low rpms but if I have to accelerate fast as in going onto the HWY I run very high rpms going thru the gears - no tach but they tell me it has a rev limiter, Yamaha seems to have a very robust motor
3,000 is nothing for the LT. However, it isn't just RPM, it is how much load you have on the engine. If I am just cruising along on the level, I will shift into 5th as slow as 45 MPH as the engine is just loafing along. No reason to run at 5,000 in 2nd just to be at 5,000 RPM. However, if you are pulling a steep grade or accelerating up an on ramp to blend in with 70 MPH traffic, then crank up to to 6 grand and get on with business.SteveW said:I’ve had my 03 LT for close to a year and have been a watching this site daily to learn things about this beast. I keep reading here about how these machines like to be run at much higher rev’s than my other bikes so I just have to ask, do they really?
I’m talking about normal everyday riding here. As an example, at 50mph in fourth gear the engine runs at around 3k RPM’s, and compared to my other bikes except the Triumph that’s screaming. I’d like this LT to last me for a lifetime, so should I continue cruising around in lower gears and higher rev’s, or should I shift?
As with most things in life, there is no precise formual for all situations. I just try to match the RPM to the load. High load = high RPM, low load = low RPM. That is my style.
Very low RPM will wear out crank and rod bearings faster than higher, especially if you routinely are at high throttle settings at low speed. That is commonly called "lugging" the engine. Lubrication of the bearings is based on the "hydrodynamic wedge" principle, where the oil being "sheared" between the bearing surfaces creats a wedge between the surfaces. At lower RPM this wedge is much shorter, beginning where the oil is introduced between them (at the oil hole in the crank, and somewhat at the edge of the bearing insert that is beveled). This can allow the bearing surfaces to touch, where at higher RPM the wedge is much longer, and the wedge creates higher pressure between the surfaces. As the crank rotates, the oil introduction hole moves around the bearing, and when it is approaching the non load side, the pressure created by the shearing action of the oil will not reach the other side of the bearing where it is really needed. There will usually be a microscopic film of oil there, hopefully keeping the bearings from touching, but this can be tenous. Best to keep the high pressure shear wedge as far around the bearing as you can to keep the bearings seperated as much as possible.
Low RPM engines, like V-Twins, normally have much larger crank journals, so that the surface speed of the bearing surfaces is still reasonably high at lower RPM. The crank journals on higher performance engines are typically much smaller so that the pearing surface speed at their normally higher RPM stays in a reasonable range at red-line. They do NOT like high power settings at low RPM.
If you want to expect the best life of the LT crank bearings, do not do high throttle at under 3,000-3,500 RPM! It is perfectly fine to loaf along on the highway at low RPM, but if you need to use high power, as to pass, DOWNSHIFT! You will pass much faster, and be doing the engine a big favor.
When accellerating at high throttle settings, keep the RPM high enough so that when you shift to the next higher gear it does not drop below 3,500. Better for the engine, and a heck of a lot more fun.
About the only time my LT ever saw below 3,000 RPM was on start from stopped. Never did that at high throttle, waited until the RPM was up a little before the "big twist". Even on the highway, I did not use 5th gear until I could do so at above 3,500. I would downshift at above 3,000.
When you have a basic understanding of mechanical engineering and engine design principles, you tend to drive/ride differently. Others do it because it is more fun.
Low RPM engines, like V-Twins, normally have much larger crank journals, so that the surface speed of the bearing surfaces is still reasonably high at lower RPM. The crank journals on higher performance engines are typically much smaller so that the pearing surface speed at their normally higher RPM stays in a reasonable range at red-line. They do NOT like high power settings at low RPM.
If you want to expect the best life of the LT crank bearings, do not do high throttle at under 3,000-3,500 RPM! It is perfectly fine to loaf along on the highway at low RPM, but if you need to use high power, as to pass, DOWNSHIFT! You will pass much faster, and be doing the engine a big favor.
When accellerating at high throttle settings, keep the RPM high enough so that when you shift to the next higher gear it does not drop below 3,500. Better for the engine, and a heck of a lot more fun.
About the only time my LT ever saw below 3,000 RPM was on start from stopped. Never did that at high throttle, waited until the RPM was up a little before the "big twist". Even on the highway, I did not use 5th gear until I could do so at above 3,500. I would downshift at above 3,000.
When you have a basic understanding of mechanical engineering and engine design principles, you tend to drive/ride differently. Others do it because it is more fun.
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
