What's the slowest speed you'll shift into sixth?

[the Ferret]

I left out that that behavior occurs when I'm riding in Drive mode not Sport. The 2014 bikes only have Drive, Sport or Manual to choose from.

On yours at what speed does the DCT shift into 6th in sport ? (out of curiosity)

 

[GraniteState]

Any speed under 55 and it feels like it is lugging to me in 6th. In fact, the way I ride, my bike rarely sees 6th gear and my avg mileage is 69+ over the last 2000+ miles. But I ride for the fun of it and not to compete for the best MPGs.

Exactly my thoughts. It lugs way too much under 55 and frankly I'm surprised that people put up with the vibration. I'm happy with the 65-70 MPG it usually gets while I'm running around 3-3500 RPMS for daily driving. I live in the hills and mountains so shifting into 6th doesn't occur until I hit the highway. No matter what, it beats my truck which gets about 15 MPG. Besides, lugging around with low power and having to constantly shift to move isn't my version of riding. I want usable power right then and there. All for the sake of a couple sips of fuel and some bragging rights. Nope.

 

[itsmenc700]

There is no "set speed" to shift into a gear!!
Stop looking at the manual for this. If your going 30 no way should you be in 6th!
I can go up to 30 in 3rd or I can go up to 60 in 3rd, but 30 and be in 6th - no.
I'm not trying to be an a$$, but have you taken a riding course? That would help out a great deal if you dont know what gear to be in.

 

[670cc]

There is no "set speed" to shift into a gear!!
Stop looking at the manual for this. If your going 30 no way should you be in 6th!
I can go up to 30 in 3rd or I can go up to 60 in 3rd, but 30 and be in 6th - no.
I'm not trying to be an a$$, but have you taken a riding course? That would help out a great deal if you dont know what gear to be in.

The thread simply asked the question, “What's the slowest speed you'll shift into sixth?” The originator of the thread, who mentioned 6th gear at 30 mph, just passed riding 50,000 miles on his NC. I suspect he is quite familiar with the machine, and he‘s riding it the way he wants to ride. So yes, it is being a bit of an a$$ to recommend a riding course to learn what gear to be in.

 

[GraniteState]

Easy does it guys.......it's not worth fighting over. There are bigger fish to fry than 6th gear.

 

[itsmenc700]

WOW, your not the original poster and your yelling at me????

 

[hulkss]

On yours at what speed does the DCT shift into 6th in sport ? (out of curiosity)

Shifting rpm is mostly throttle dependent. I typically use enough throttle when accelerating so D mode shifts all gears at about 4000 rpm which is where I would shift normally. Light throttle will get you into 6th below 40 mph. Sport modes up shift at higher rpm and down shift earlier.

 

[the Ferret]

Shifting rpm is mostly throttle dependent. I typically use enough throttle when accelerating so D mode shifts all gears at about 4000 rpm which is where I would shift normally. Light throttle will get you into 6th below 40 mph. Sport modes up shift at higher rpm and down shift earlier.

Ok I'm confused. I thought in the DCT bikes, in D mode there was an algorithm that automatically shifted at pre determined rpm shifting points and that only changed if you changed modes into sport (and sport 2 & 3 on later bikes) with each algorithm selecting to hold rpms higher in each gear?

So if you are in D and give it lots of throttle, it too will move the shift points higher in the rpm zone?

 

[hulkss]

Ok I'm confused. I thought in the DCT bikes, in D mode there was an algorithm that automatically shifted at pre determined rpm shifting points and that only changed if you changed modes into sport (and sport 2 & 3 on later bikes) with each algorithm selecting to hold rpms higher in each gear?

So if you are in D and give it lots of throttle, it too will move the shift points higher in the rpm zone?

Absolutely. The transmission control is much more advanced and adaptive than that. Read the attachment.

 

[670cc]

Ok I'm confused. I thought in the DCT bikes, in D mode there was an algorithm that automatically shifted at pre determined rpm shifting points and that only changed if you changed modes into sport (and sport 2 & 3 on later bikes) with each algorithm selecting to hold rpms higher in each gear?

So if you are in D and give it lots of throttle, it too will move the shift points higher in the rpm zone?

Yes. It works just like an automatic transmission in a car. If you are opening the throttle more, the shift points are delayed. If you back off the throttle, you can induce an upshift. Again, it's just like you would expect when driving a car with an automatic transmission.

Changing modes just alters the program to favor higher RPMs by holding low gears longer, but shift points are still variable, subject to the throttle opening conditions.
Automatic cars have worked like this for a long, long time. It would be silly of Honda to regress to a simple RPM based shifting program.

 

[the Ferret]

Interesting. To be honest I rarely drive my car ( truck) 60,000 miles in 11 years, and I really dont pay attention to the transmission shift points. I just pull it into drive and drive lol. I did drive a buddy's new 5 liter Mustang today and noticed when I gave it increasingly more throttle it downshifts once and down shifted yet again, but I cant say I've noticed that in my truck. Then again I was getting on the Mustang a bit at his insistence.

 

[Janus]

There is no "set speed" to shift into a gear!!
Stop looking at the manual for this. If your going 30 no way should you be in 6th!
I can go up to 30 in 3rd or I can go up to 60 in 3rd, but 30 and be in 6th - no.
I'm not trying to be an a$$, but have you taken a riding course? That would help out a great deal if you dont know what gear to be in.

Have you ever taken an English class? You used "your" when you should have used "you're".

I'm not sure what a MSF course could ever teach me about shift points, engine load vs engine speed, or throttle control. I did indeed take a course and I passed with 100% on both the written and practical tests. As 670cc noted, I have ridden my NC for over 50,000 miles. I'm well acquainted with the bike and it's powerband. I've hit the rev limiter several times. I've gotten mileage as low as 51.92 and as high as 84.61mpg. I think I know how the bike behaves by now.

How tall 3rd gear is has practically nothing to do with how tall 6th gear is. I have gone as slow as 30 and as fast as ~125 in top gear. I'm not here to recommend either end. I just wanted to know how other people ride and what the results of their preferences are

 

[MZ5]

I shift into 6th at ~37mph for most of my 'normal' riding down the freeway or highway. I do that simply because that's what the manual recommends, and that's aimed at mpg. Since I'm fairly cheap, I want to save money on fuel. When I want to accelerate more briskly, I hold longer.
(-:

 

[dduelin]

Ok I'm confused. I thought in the DCT bikes, in D mode there was an algorithm that automatically shifted at pre determined rpm shifting points and that only changed if you changed modes into sport (and sport 2 & 3 on later bikes) with each algorithm selecting to hold rpms higher in each gear?

So if you are in D and give it lots of throttle, it too will move the shift points higher in the rpm zone?

In the 2012 to 2015s if you hold WOT in D or S it shifts each gear at red line in both modes. If you ask for less than wide open acceleration the modes then choose different shift points from each other.

 

[the Ferret]

In the 2012 to 2015s if you hold WOT in D or S it shifts each gear at red line in both modes. If you ask for less than wide open acceleration the modes then choose different shift points from each other.

That sounds a little different than what hulkss said in post 27

Cant wait for my 2021 to get here so I can play with it. Gonna be different that's for sure.

 

[potter0o]

I tend to ride 'spirited' so I don't usualy shift into 6th until I feel there is some appreciable pull. To my uncalibrattled throttle hand that is about 65 mph

 

[dduelin]

That sounds a little different than what hulkss said in post 27

Cant wait for my 2021 to get here so I can play with it. Gonna be different that's for sure.

There is no conflict between Hulks post and mine. I said at a wide open throttle setting, full throttle held from zero to 95 or 100 mph or so when 5th shifts to 6th, D and S both shift at redline. However, at less than WOT the shift points S and D will shift at different rpms with S holding higher up & down shift points than D.

Your bike will different choices and programming than the 2012-2015 and 2016-2020 models do, plus a higher red line and power output. It will indeed be very cool for you to explore and let us know. Several years ago I talked a friend into buying a DCT Africa Twin when his desire was really for a manual box AT. He was DCT curious but worried what if he did not like it. At 8000 miles in he told me that he did not hold it against me but he regretted buying DCT but not long later as he really became to understand how to ride the choices he came to love it. When he totaled that bike he went out and bought a new Africa Twin DCT to replace it.

 

[the Ferret]

There is no conflict between Hulks post and mine. I said at a wide open throttle setting, full throttle held from zero to 95 or 100 mph or so when 5th shifts to 6th, D and S both shift at redline. However, at less than WOT the shift points S and D will shift at different rpms with S holding higher up & down shift points than D.

Your bike will different choices and programming than the 2012-2015 and 2016-2020 models do, plus a higher red line and power output. It will indeed be very cool for you to explore and let us know. Several years ago I talked a friend into buying a DCT Africa Twin when his desire was really for a manual box AT. He was DCT curious but worried what if he did not like it. At 8000 miles in he told me that he did not hold it against me but he regretted buying DCT but not long later as he really became to understand how to ride the choices he came to love it. When he totaled that bike he went out and bought a new Africa Twin DCT to replace it.

See here's how I read hulkss post..." in D mode I can open up my throttle more (not wot) and make it shift at 4,000 rpms, my preferred shift point".

And what I thought I understood about DCT trans.: "in D mode the trans selects shift points and gets into 6th way too fast and at way too low of rpm, as early as 37 mph. Hence the need for Sport modes to force the trans to hold out for more rpms and more acceleration therefore arriving at 6th gear at a higher rpms than in D mode."

So I guess that begs the question, if holding the throttle open more, encourages the trans to shift later, and at a higher rpm, what is the need for sport modes? Why not just throttle more aggressively in D mode?

 

[670cc]

See here's how I read hulkss post..." in D mode I can open up my throttle more (not wot) and make it shift at 4,000 rpms, my preferred shift point".

And what I thought I understood about DCT trans.: "in D mode the trans selects shift points and gets into 6th way too fast and at way too low of rpm, as early as 37 mph. Hence the need for Sport modes to force the trans to hold out for more rpms and more acceleration therefore arriving at 6th gear at a higher rpms than in D mode."

So I guess that begs the question, if holding the throttle open more, encourages the trans to shift later, and at a higher rpm, what is the need for sport modes? Why not just throttle more aggressively in D mode?

Or, why not go to M mode? What I found was after becoming frustrated over the DCT D or S shift points that I didn’t always like, I just switched to manual mode and shifted it when I wanted it to shift. You’ll always have the M mode option if you don’t like what D or S does. M mode still downshifts automatically at stops, and also will ignore your command at times to prevent under or over reving the engine. So, the system is quite versatile.

One of our members, GregC, says he runs in manual mode 99% of the time.

 

[the Ferret]

Or, why not go to M mode? What I found was after becoming frustrated over the DCT D or S shift points that I didn’t always like, I just switched to manual mode and shifted it when I wanted it to shift. You’ll always have the M mode option if you don’t like what D or S does. M mode still downshifts automatically at stops, and also will ignore your command at times to prevent under or over reving the engine. So, the system is quite versatile.

One of our members, GregC, says he runs in manual mode 99% of the time.

Sorry.... I'm just trying to understand the dynamics of the DCT trans. I have no interest in manually shifting it. Trying to get away from that lol. Just want to relax and ride. I'm sure I will be able to find an automatic shift mode among the 4 that pleases me when I finally get to ride it. I'm not that demanding or hard to please, and not that aggressive of a rider anymore. If I feel like shifting I will take out my CB 1100.

Heard complimentary things about the DCT, read moto journo reviews, have watched You tube vids and there is a lot of stuff being said here on the forum that is not in any of those 3 sources of information. So I'm just trying to comprehend it all. Every time I think I have it figured out, someone says something new and different about it I have to absorb.