Lugging or not

[redrider]

Recent posts about vibration and all that had me watching my riding vids. I spend a fair amount of time below 3K! Granted, I do not gag it down there but it is a useful zone with very light throttle.

[Kiwi_Roy]

I agree, as long as you take it easy and change down or take your time accelerating it's fine to go below 3000, 2000 even.

[Triple Jim]

Same here.   Under light loads, the low 2,000s to 3,000-ish is fine with my "1000" cc Mille.  If I want to go up a hill or accelerate briskly, I get it above 3,000.  It's pretty obvious to me when the rpm is too low because the vibrations from the power pulses make themselves known.  I'm sure other engines behave differently.

[jackson]

I run my V7 Classic in the 3800 to 6000 rpm range most of the time.  The engine is very responsive and happy in that range.   I get 50 mpg using 93 octane, ethanol-free gas.  I used to have an 1100cc Griso but I sold it a couple of years ago; don't remember what rpm range was gave the best response.
If I open the throttle and have little to no response, I consider that "lugging" the engine.  Always rode my Beemer twins the same way since 1976.  Worked for me.

[charlie b]

I used to have 'trouble' below 3k.  Chugging and jerking.  Then I retuned the carbs and got them synched well.  Now I don't even notice if I am near 2k.  This morning I was idling through the parking lot (about 1k) and it was still 'smooth'.

And, yes, I can open the throttle, slowly, and have no 'lugging'.

But, 90% of the time I stay above 3k.  When on the highway I stay above 4k  :)

[LowRyter]

what Charlie B sez......

now kill the thread.

 :beat_horse :beat_horse :beat_horse :beat_horse :beat_horse :beat_horse :beat_horse

[bib]

Why???
There are more out there looking for other's opinions on how to cook ... I mean Ride ...their goose?  :pop

[redrider]

Agreed!  :BEER: If you come this way.

[oldbike54]

  Dunno , never operate at light throttle openings  ;D Isn't the thingie on the right grip an on/off switch  :o

  Dusty

[LowRyter]

Why???
There are more out there looking for other's opinions on how to cook ... I mean Ride ...their goose?  :pop

really?  you throttle it up and figure it out after the first ride.

[Wayne Orwig]

You will NOT get an answer. You would get better answers if you asked what oil to use.

Why, because it varies a LOT with the situation, and the bike being ridden.
For example, my hydraulic valve EV has spent a lot of DAYS riding up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway, at a mellow lower RPM close to 2000. Yet there are times that I'm on the same bike at highway speed, and downshift it to keep it over 4000 RPM to keep from 'lugging it'.

Do what feels right to you. If you think it is vibrating too much, you're doing it wrong.

[Guzzistajohn]

If you stay wfo, rpm's aren't really a big issue.

[guzzisteve]

If you stay wfo, rpm's aren't really a big issue.

+1

[krglorioso]

A lot depends on what Guzzi you have.  Like Wayne Orwig, I have hydro models and these appear to have better low-end pulling power than the non-hydro models, from my reading on this forum.   In the lower three gears, I'm sure I plod around at a bit over 2000, but that's on relatively level roads at a steady pace.  In any situation where the engine is "working", I use a gear that will pick up the revs, tho I doubt I'm ever over 4000.  An early riding life spent with British singles is hard to erase from my mind... I think in all cases that one has to learn to "feel" when the engine is under load and select a lower gear that will use the engine's power to counter that load and let it work at ease.

Ralph

[Vasco DG]

Try and give any machine with a manual transmission a fist, or boot full, at low RPM and it will punish you. As long as the machine is tuned correctly unless you are a cretin with the mechanical sympathy of an angry hammerhead shark it will be obvious if the machine is unhappy with what you are trying to get it to do.

If I want to I can run my Griso down to sub-2,000 RPM in top and then pull away cleanly but only if I use the lightest whiff of throttle until it clears the 3,000 rpm mark. Then gradually opening the throttle results in a decent gathering of momentum with no roughness or snatchiness. It requires a lot of care and attention below that point though. Much easier to just cog it down a few gears and keep the revs above 2,500. If 'Spirited Progress' needs to be made? Just wick it up to over 4.5 and don't change up until the light tells you you're about to hit the rev limiter. That is quite enough to ensure that any *Normal* traffic is only a rapidly vanishing dot in the mirrors.

Basically though if it feels wrong? It is wrong! If it feels good? It's good!

Pete

[redrider]

This seems to be a recurring theme in my travels. I get questioned on the range about "what gear should I be in?" and that leads to the ride with feeling discussion and matching engine speed to road speed. I have also noted the women tend to not use enough throttle-they want low rpm, no noise and short shifting and then get frustrated when the bike chugs to a halt.

[dilligaf]

This seems to be a recurring theme in my travels. I get questioned on the range about "what gear should I be in?" and that leads to the ride with feeling discussion and matching engine speed to road speed. I have also noted the women tend to not use enough throttle-they want low rpm, no noise and short shifting and then get frustrated when the bike chugs to a halt.

 ::)   :BEER:
Matt

[biking sailor]

Obviously never road with my wife.  She pretty much thinks Dusty's way, the throttle is an on/off switch.   :bike

[JeffOlson]

I am new to Moto Guzzis, but I am getting to know my Norge. It seems to be like all of the other bikes that I have ridden in that it will complain if I lug it.

The RPMs vary greatly with load, whether I am riding solo or two up, whether I am cruising on the highway or heading uphill, etc. However, all of my bikes, including the Norge, "tell" me when they are unhappy. I am learning to ignore the tachometer and ride more by feel...

[garbln]

My 70 Ambo doesn't even have a Tach. I have no Idea what rpm I'm running at, but It lets me know when I lug it.

[MotoGoosy]

Bingo that.  The least rattle and shake the better, regardless of rpm.

[Tobit]

Situational.  Even my LeMans IV doesn't mind puttering along in town in 2nd gear between 1 and 2k at very light throttle where being in 1st at higher revs results in a lot of tiresome accelerating and deceleration to average the same speed.

Out of town, it will cruise at 3k at moderate throttle but at interstate speeds and larger throttle openings it wants revs.  It's much more comfortable 4th gear at 70-75mph than it is 5th.  Changing up to 5th we unconsciously creep to and barge along at over 80 -85 to be in the sweet spot.

Then there was my dad, who learned on HDs in the 1940s, who got to high gear as soon as possible and left it there unless he had to stop. 

YVMV

Tobit.

[redrider]

Tobit, my dad did the same when showing me how to drive a 71 beetle. Holy crap, we were in 4th at 20mph. No wonder people hate manual shift-constantly rowing the lever just to flow with traffic.