4500rpm confusion
 

ok. i am confused about the 4500rpm minimum to keep the load off the gearbox. it seems that is the rpm that the secondary likes to kick in too. Does fuel mileage suffer accordingly. i am about to go to mexico and i have always given the bike the gear it seems to pull with ease (on pavement). is it ok to cruise in the flats less than 4500 and goto 4th when approaching a hill or grade? i have an 84 xt. the way i ride it now, i get 65 miles to the gallon and really need to be able to get 40mpg to make it between stops.

i guess im going to put in heavier oil too. the bike has 3900miles on it, is there anything else i should check? Ive torn apart suspension and checked it all out. new tires, brakes ect. i will be carrying myself 180 lb and 30lb of gear.

If I was to ride above 4500rpm all the time my bike would be doing 110km/h in top and be returning 16-17 km/l. I now have 34000km's on my XT with only regular servicing and no real special treatment. I don't lug it under 2500 rpm in top and believe that someone has the wrong end of the stick if they think you need to keep the bike above 4500rpm at all times.

The idea is to protect the "weak" 5th gear in the early XT gearboxes. On flat ground, I see no problem going to lower RPMs due to the low load (flat cruising requires much less power than climbing a hill). The main thing is to protect the gear from the distinct power pulses that you get at low RPMs, so no lugging.

450 revs
 

hi guys

I run a 2001 xt600e. i run 14 front sprocket and 45 rear sprocket on 17" rear wheel, 450 rpm i'm doing 110 klm an hour. no stress on any thing vibration free. i have a 23 lt tank and get 450 klm to the tankfull :thumbup1:.

it all depends on the ratio of the fith gear. as the later xt's run a higher ratio
than the early ones, acorden to the workshop manuel

my best advise is to run the engine in any gear which makes it free running
and not to labour it to much,hope that helps.

norm

happy new year, and good luck