I've had my C50 at 80 mph or better on the highway and have plenty of throttle left to go!!?? You want to hear wound out you should have heard my Honda VLX at 75!! LOL :biglaugh: Four gears and SCREAMING turn me loose!! :shock:

 

Fifth gear on a Volusia/C50 is overdrive. One reason you don't have a 6th gear is to keep the cost down.

 

The c50 will run along at 80 - 90 all day long.

It's screaming for joy. Not in pain.


Ride Safe. Wear yor gear.
Dennis

 

I've had mine up to about 110, still had more throttle and power. I wasn't paying attention to any undo noise at that point, I was just holding on!

 

The motor is disigned to rev high. If they wanted to slow you down they would put a rev limitered on.....oh wait they have.

 

I've had mine up to about 110, still had more throttle and power.

During a hurricane going down a big hill?

 

JoeM, here is a good site to play around with...

http://www.gadgetjq.com/vulcan_speed_rpmcheck.htm

All of the gear ratios and drive reduction ratios are in the back of your owner's manual... the only other numbers you will need are the rev limit, which is 7800 rpm, and the rear tire Overall Diameter, which is 26.0

After you plug all those numbers in, you can enter the engine rpm, and it will tell you what speed in each gear, or you can enter a speed to see what the rpm will be in each gear.

70 mph in 5th comes to 4,361 rpm, which is 56 % of red line... as you can see, she's really not even working hard. An engine can run all day at 75% of red line (that's 5,850 rpm in this case), which would put you at 94 mph on the dial in 5th.

The C50 engine is designed as a high revving engine - even though it may sound like it is working hard, it really is not... consequently, it will never sound like a 1500cc engine... if you think it sounds like it's revving too high, drive around at 75 mph in 4th gear for a few miles (this is 75% of rev limit) and then shift to 5th and see what you think...

Ride Safe!

 

A 6th gear would only force you to downshift to pass on the highway. It would not accomplish much more.

 

During Hard accelerations I find myself shifting into 5th around 70 or 75 mph (Usually when I am getting onto the Interstates). Engine sounds fine to me.

It does sound like it is running hard at 100 mph but I have only been up there once or twice while passing a semi going down hill and did not stay there long.

 

I'd rather they invested in better brakes than a 6th gear.

 

I'd rather they invested in better brakes than a 6th gear.

I agree

 

I'd rather they invested in better brakes than a 6th gear.

+1 for the brakes.

 

IMHO, the reason Vol/C50 riders want a sixth gear is that we try to shift to 6 from time to time anyway. If we had six, we would try to shift to 7.......if we had 7........... :lol:

 

A member here complied an Excel sheet that calculates engine RPM for all gears at various speeds. Here is an excerpt of that sheet. The first col is MPH, assuming an accurate speedometer (mine is not) and the second col is RPM in 5th gear. 70 mph does not stress the engine.


60 4642
65 5028
70 5415
75 5802

 

The majority of my riding is on the interstate at speeds of 75 - 80 mph. I agree that it always feels like there should be one more gear to change to. I think it would probably help improve my fuel mileage also. My mileage drops by about 20 - 25 miles per tank fill when I use the interstate a lot.

 

100 mph but I have only been up there once or twice while passing a semi going down hill and did not stay there long.

LOL, that's cause you were going 100! :shock:

 

100 mph but I have only been up there once or twice while passing a semi going down hill and did not stay there long.

LOL, that's cause you were going 100! :shock:

 

Lots of help, thanks for all the input, especially Rushbass.

 

Lots of help, thanks for all the input, especially Rushbass.

Glad to help! Anytime...

 

A member here complied an Excel sheet that calculates engine RPM for all gears at various speeds. Here is an excerpt of that sheet. The first col is MPH, assuming an accurate speedometer (mine is not) and the second col is RPM in 5th gear. 70 mph does not stress the engine.


60 4642
65 5028
70 5415
75 5802

ummm... those numbers are off - the bike rpms are actually lower at those speeds (which is even better).

This following list is closer to being accurate... http://www.therusks.com/HowTos/rpm list.pdf

For the most accurate of numbers, follow the link I listed in an earlier post to this thread, and enter the gear ratios from the back of the manual... the web page will do the math calculations for you - what speed at any given rpm in any gear, or what rpm at any given speed... its a great web page, and helped me get to know both my Suzukis a lot better.


Ride Safe.

 

I have seen lots of posts here regaurding a sixth gear for the C-50, and wife rides an S-50 which needs a sixth gear too. I've asked several times on this site what the rpm is for a stock C-50 running in 5th gear at 70 mph might be. Either way, I am thinking the reason we don't have a 6th gaer from the factory is to slow us down. And I would agree with that if the sports bikes had the same restrictions too.

We do need an "overdrive" gear. I wonder if it was simply bad engineering on Suzukis part or, like I said, an effort to target us, and slow us down.

I don't know about you all, but my C-50 sounds wound out at 70-75. I am reluctant to take it higher with no tach.

Any thoughts?????????????????

Actually, just some taller gears for the differential would be the easy ticket.

This is probably more of a viable solution and why some enterprising manufacturing company hasn't done it yet is disturbing!

 

I have seen lots of posts here regaurding a sixth gear for the C-50, and wife rides an S-50 which needs a sixth gear too. I've asked several times on this site what the rpm is for a stock C-50 running in 5th gear at 70 mph might be. Either way, I am thinking the reason we don't have a 6th gaer from the factory is to slow us down. And I would agree with that if the sports bikes had the same restrictions too.

We do need an "overdrive" gear. I wonder if it was simply bad engineering on Suzukis part or, like I said, an effort to target us, and slow us down.

I don't know about you all, but my C-50 sounds wound out at 70-75. I am reluctant to take it higher with no tach.

Any thoughts?????????????????

Actually, just some taller gears for the differential would be the easy ticket.

This is probably more of a viable solution and why some enterprising manufacturing company hasn't done it yet is disturbing!

Very good point Psyco, well taken...


However we nee shorter, not taller gearing, right?

 

Smaller numerically yes. But taller on the top end, Bro!

 

JoeM, here is a good site to play around with...

http://www.gadgetjq.com/vulcan_speed_rpmcheck.htm

All of the gear ratios and drive reduction ratios are in the back of your owner's manual... the only other numbers you will need are the rev limit, which is 7800 rpm, and the rear tire Overall Diameter, which is 26.0

After you plug all those numbers in, you can enter the engine rpm, and it will tell you what speed in each gear, or you can enter a speed to see what the rpm will be in each gear.

70 mph in 5th comes to 4,361 rpm, which is 56 % of red line... as you can see, she's really not even working hard. An engine can run all day at 75% of red line (that's 5,850 rpm in this case), which would put you at 94 mph on the dial in 5th.

The C50 engine is designed as a high revving engine - even though it may sound like it is working hard, it really is not... consequently, it will never sound like a 1500cc engine... if you think it sounds like it's revving too high, drive around at 75 mph in 4th gear for a few miles (this is 75% of rev limit) and then shift to 5th and see what you think...


But is red line really the rev limiter setting? It seems to me that
most tachometers show red line well below the actual rev limiter.

Ride Safe!

 

It is interesting to note the rpms, frequently I try to shift into 6th. Motor sounds like it is working so I speed up 10 mph and drop back to 70-75, somehow it sounds better.

I have wondered whether someone could not develop a taller 5th gear. Currently 4th is 1.000 (25/25) and 5th is .814 (22/27), I'd love to have seen a .76 (22/29) as I think a .710 (22/31) would be too great of a jump.

Hate to hijack the 6th gear chatter, but if I had one stock change I'd love to have had a 5 gallon tank. Seems I am always stopping to fill up, especially when I am riding with my HD buddies. This is despite the bladder pull overs. Out West, sometimes good gas is more than 100 miles a away. Means I have to fill up at 60-70 miles in some areas. Creates a big laugh amoungst the 5 gallon 200 mile range of the HD riders.

But a taller 5th would be a great help. Maybe somebody can develop a 22/29 set to rebuild all those highway cruisers. Clint