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CB650R Can the revs in 6th gear be tamed

User8

2021
CBR650R ABS
Aug 14, 2021
Riding Since
2013
I find the revs in 6th are far to high in relation to the speed, when Iam hitting say 55mph if I didnt look at the clock I swear I would be doing 80mph from all the comotion the pick gives out - Can a bigger sprocket on the rear do anything to calm this or am I stuck with it.
 

Atucker

2019
CBR650R
Aug 18, 2020
Riding Since
2001
Check out the gearing commander website. You can certainly pull down the RPM with a sprocket change, but the bike accelerate like or even worse than a 500cc. There's always a trade off somewhere and in this case it would be acceleration.
 

JRinKtown

2018
CB650F
Jun 30, 2019
I find the revs in 6th are far to high in relation to the speed, when Iam hitting say 55mph if I didnt look at the clock I swear I would be doing 80mph from all the comotion the pick gives out - Can a bigger sprocket on the rear do anything to calm this or am I stuck with it.
You would need to 'lower' the final drive ratio to achieve what you want. That would mean a smaller rear sprocket or a larger countershaft sprocket. You'll sacrifice some acceleration in the process though. I would just get accustomed to the feel in 6th gear. The rpm isn't really too high at highway cruising speed. It sounds and feels higher than it is, if that makes sense to you :)
 

miweber929

2014
CBR650F
650 Alumnus
Staff
Feb 13, 2015
Woodbury, MN
Riding Since
1975
I find the revs in 6th are far to high in relation to the speed, when Iam hitting say 55mph if I didnt look at the clock I swear I would be doing 80mph from all the comotion the pick gives out - Can a bigger sprocket on the rear do anything to calm this or am I stuck with it.
As stated earlier, a gearing change will help lower the revs but know the bike is designed to spin and you are doing no harm to it to let it rev.

What bikes have you owned in the past? I’m just wondering if a 4cyl running is something you’re not used to.
 

trippy

2019
CB650R ABS
May 2, 2021
Riding Since
3000
The high revving nature of this engine is one of the strong points. Bike gets alive around 4500rpm and really fun above 8000rpm.

If you find the rpm high in 6th at 55mph the inline four might not be the architecture for you. Gearing changes won't do much so better use the money on the next bike.
 

TheMarkedOne

2021
CB650R ABS
Jan 11, 2022
Riding Since
2021
Yeah, I thought the revs in 6th gear were too high at 5000rpm I would go 68mph. So I went up +1 in the front sprocket, which is equivalent to knocking 2 teeth off the rear. The revs went down a noticeable bit, about 7%. For example, at 5000rpm, I would be sitting at 73mph. However, I reverted after a mere month since the acceleration was sluggish! It pretty much ruins all the other gears; 1st gear would reach 70mph, and 2nd, almost 90! It takes such a long time to wind out, and as others have said, the bike likes being revved. So currently, I find the stock gearing to be better. Plus, seeing all my other friends ride comfortably in their 600s cruising at 7000-8000 rpm sounds quite remarkable, haha.
 

Patent

2020
CB650R ABS
May 19, 2020
Riding Since
2020
I'd live with it a little longer and see if you can get comfortable with it - it took me about 6 months to stop riding the bike like it was a turbodiesel.

FWIW I'd suggest 6th is a gear (or two) too high at 50-55mph :cool:
 

Patent

2020
CB650R ABS
May 19, 2020
Riding Since
2020
It reads like a guide to making sure your new bike is always close to stalling!
 

Motojack

2019
CBR650R
May 26, 2019
It reads like a guide to making sure your new bike is always close to stalling!
When you read that you expect the next page to say. "When you arrive home park it indoors wrap it in cotton wool and sing it a lullaby to ensure maximum operating efficiency" :)
 
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