Manual transmission shifting on the Rocket vs other bikes with smaller engines

A1A Rider

A1A Rider

Go big and go broke
Joined
Dec 26, 2024
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246
Ride
Rocket 3 Storm GT 2025
Curious if the largest production engine somehow influences what gears you use when driving, say, vs some other motorcycle. Like, more using higher or lower gears... Low cruising speed vs highway cruising.. For example, I find myself at times just taking off from a stop in 3rd gear..

What is your strategy at shifting gears on this monster? Do you think Rocket shifting is somehow different due to its engine capabilities?
 
Any gear where it is not lugging the engine. Yes, it has tons of torque but I try to stay around/above 2.5-3k.
 
I can't see the point of labouring an engine or stressing a clutch. I use the gears as normal whatever the engine size. I do sometimes change up a gear to overtake and use the torque because it's quicker than revving, but I do that on my KTM as well which has an engine half the size. But it does have a big wave of torque in the midrange that comes in quite early, so depending where I am in the rev range when the need for an overtake arises determines my use of the gears.
 
i have the good old rocket
when i am just mossing along i shift from 1st to 3rd then into 5th
over the last ten years i have done a lot of shifting and always enjoy when the tach hits that 6500 mark
 
I think most vehicles with 6 gears are geared around the same general minimum shift points to avoid engine lugging. For slow acceleration that would be approx. 20,30,40,50, and 60 MPH (32, 48, 64, 80, and 97 km/h). Ever vehicle I've owned, regardless of mass and engine size, has struggled to some extent below those points. This makes sense since the intended purpose is to get up to freeway speeds and then, if not going even faster, to cruise along at relatively low and non-annoying RPMs.
 
Long straight roads are one thing, but chucking it around twisty Welsh mountain roads is quite another. I've found lots of gear changes and keeping the engine in the 2-3.5k rev range where all the torque is - is the best way to make rapid progress in the twisties. On big long straights, well - like drag racing, that's all about sheer revs & bhp ! 😎 Fortunately, the Rocket does both very well ! 😉
 

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