Trundling my way down the M42 today at a steady 70mph I suddenly noticed the revs were at 5k . instead of the normal 4400 .

Storm clouds hovered above me with thoughts of :


1. I know there is a slight oil mist at the exit hole under the clutch housing  so has the main seal gone and the clutch needs to come out.

2. Did I adjust the clutch correctly.

3. Do I carry on  to my destination or limp her home.

After riding some five miles at 60 mph to consider my options,  I glanced down at the gear indicator only to see I was still in 4th......

My usual trick is to try for 6th, its the first time I have ignored 5th

Should have gone to spec savers.....Those in the UK will understand..

You could give it a John Cleese good old thrashing

After riding some five miles at 60 mph to consider my options,  I glanced down at the gear indicator only to see I was still in 4th......

When I took my son to pick up his first 125cc, after some distance we pulled over so I could check he was OK and he asked if he should have got to 3rd at any point, must have been 5 miles or so!

Thank goodness that we have a gear position indicator. I had a Yamaha 175 Ag bike and neutral was the lowest point and you go up to get into first etc. Many a person attempted to go down into first and kept kicking at the lever. Neutral and 5 up.

audibob wrote:Should have gone to spec savers.....Those in the UK will understand..

As well, in OZ, though not a high-quality establishment in my estimation. Sign in their window some years back: "All major credit cards excepted." (sic) Someone needs glasses.

Too, they long ago advertised that they'd make your lenses in under an hour. A sign in the local competitor's window a few doors down. "We promise to take more than an hour on your lenses!"

I shop there for my specs.

As for leaving it in fourth gear on the motorway....it most often happens to me when I jam in my really good ear plugs.

I guess that you can now be considered an experienced brick rider now.  When I started riding them I was always looking for 6th gear.  50,000 miles later, I find myself in 4th on the expressway and 3rd around town.  The only issue I have with running in the lower gears is the amount of engine braking when I back off the throttle and the resultant front end diving.

ainsjac wrote:Thank goodness that we have a gear position indicator. I had a Yamaha 175 Ag bike and neutral was the lowest point and you go up to get into first etc. Many a person attempted to go down into first and kept kicking at the lever. Neutral and 5 up.

I recall one early Jap bike I rode about mid 60s and possibly a Kawasaki which had 1 down and three up but if you went past the third click you were back in first and holy shit there were a lot of riders came to grief with that.
It was sort of a farm bike and I think it had a high and low range, only ever rode it once and got very strict instructions from the farmer who was the father of a school friend.

Back in the 70's I used to compete in Enduros on Honda XL125's.  During the season we would strip the bikes to the minimum which included removing the tach. 

One winter I rode a frostbite enduro after I had replaced the tach.  About 20 miles in, while buzzing across a a hilltop field enjoying the ride, I looked down and saw that the engine was turning at over 12 grand.  That was when I realized that I had put over 8,000 miles on that little engine at well north of 11-12,000 rpm.

RicK G wrote:

ainsjac wrote:Thank goodness that we have a gear position indicator. I had a Yamaha 175 Ag bike and neutral was the lowest point and you go up to get into first etc. Many a person attempted to go down into first and kept kicking at the lever. Neutral and 5 up.

I recall one early Jap bike I rode about mid 60s and possibly a Kawasaki which had 1 down and three up but if you went past the third click you were back in first and holy shit there were a lot of riders came to grief with that.
It was sort of a farm bike and I think it had a high and low range, only ever rode it once and got very strict instructions from the farmer who was the father of a school friend.

I own a Suzuki K125 (twin port single) from that era. Yes it is exciting to go from 4th to 1st on the move. Much ringdingdingding!

Point-Seven-five wrote:Back in the 70's I used to compete in Enduros on Honda XL125's.  During the season we would strip the bikes to the minimum which included removing the tach. 

One winter I rode a frostbite enduro after I had replaced the tach.  About 20 miles in, while buzzing across a a hilltop field enjoying the ride, I looked down and saw that the engine was turning at over 12 grand.  That was when I realized that I had put over 8,000 miles on that little engine at well north of 11-12,000 rpm.

used to have a little twin 175 Honda, red line was 16 grand ///took if off the scale at 20 grand a few times , when missed gear
fitted with bikini fairing was clocked by a z1000 kwaka at a real 100 mph ...who turned to me and said those things cant do that !!!...was a big run up fortunately....giggles

RicK G wrote:
I recall one early Jap bike I rode about mid 60s and possibly a Kawasaki which had 1 down and three up but if you went past the third click you were back in first and holy shit there were a lot of riders came to grief with that.
It was sort of a farm bike and I think it had a high and low range, only ever rode it once and got very strict instructions from the farmer who was the father of a school friend.

I recall a Bridgestone 175 having a rotary gear lever action 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 just shift up and up and up and oops
Might have been one of those Rick.

That was it. Little thing with a fuel tank shaped like a wedge.

K75cster wrote:I recall a Bridgestone 175 having a rotary gear lever action 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 just shift up and up and up and oops

The Bridgestone 175 shift pattern is described in this article. To me it looks like the surprise comes if your foot jiggles on a downshift from 4th, or maybe 5th. Bingo—you're in 1st! On a closer look though, without engaging the fifth gear option, you can just toe your way through the gears and windup whiplashed by a screaming first gear as K75cster indicates. Nice!

I recall wanting one of those badly back in '67 but I got a CL77 instead and rode off to plaster myself with insect life from Miami to Naples along the Tamiami Trail as soon as I could.