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Usable Rpm range?

15K views 17 replies 8 participants last post by  pls1911 
#1 ·
I'd like to know the RPM range on these 500s. Mines a 2014, I installed a tach so I can see when to shift when I have my helmet on, I cant hear it. On a full out go, I've been shifting at 6,000 RPMs, I'm wonderin if that's about where peak power is or not.

 
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#3 ·
Well usually no, I don't run it max rpm all the time, usually iTs a nice easy ride. I think the highest I've ran it on a full throttle is about 6,500 RPMs.

I'd like to know where peak power is though, so I have a "target zone" to keep it in climbing hills and what not... This is my first manual shift ATV, so it's a bit of learning curve.. My old Cat I had the clutch tuned so it stayed in the power all the time.
 
#5 ·
these things are tuned for bottom end torque and less for horsepower. they have a quite flat torque curve. my personal opinion is they can be lugged all the way down to a little above idle and dont mind it much. they are very easy to ride. without looking at a tach I would guess around 2500 I would be downshifting and I certainly wouldnt flog it above 5000 on a regular basis. there is very little to be gained. dont overthink things and worry less about the rpm. just concentrate on how it feels. vibration.... the signs are all there. if you insist on using your tach, try keeping it in the 3000-3800 rpm range as much as possible. there is a reason honda never bothered to put tachs on these. they arent needed. my 2 cents.

http://hmfracing.com/files/exhausts/resources/2012foreman.jpg
 
#6 ·
Appreciate the input guys! I like this little Honda, it feels a lot more responsive, and more powerful in a lot of situations than my Cat did. But there's some stuff(mud/water) that make this Honda seem like a dog. Haven't been out in the hills yet, so not sure how it does there.

Some of the places I ride have some long, steep climbs, my old 650H1 would bog in high range 4x4 on some of them, it's a sad feeling when you think you might not make the climb, and your half way up. Lol.
 
#10 ·
i agree
driving a manual shift what ever, you learn to feel your shiftd more than rely on tach
and thats how you should learn to drive them
as terrian and traction can dictate how much throttle is needed or not
more than rom's will tell you
running any motor all the time at the top of its rpm's
say 4k in 5th gear
is adding wear and tear to a motor
reason you can shift to a higher or lower gear BEFORE need be many times, is to make that motor work less, as higher rpm's make heat, heat makes wear on parts
a foreman, sadly is more of a work atv, that what many other companys make
they tend to make more trail like atv's, than work atv's IMO
and as such, there NOT meant for long periods of time at high speeds
oR high rpm's for long periods
as you put time driving the atv, it /you should develop a feel for when to shift, and what gear you need to be in to do"x"
long hill can be harder for folks NOT used to shifting gears
as many just want to put it in one gear and go
and that doesn'r work all the time
all the more so on Long steep one's, where you go at them at speed, and then have to down shift as need be
and down shifting can cause loss of forward momentium
its a skill , that comes in time, IF you want to learn to do it right
not hard, just takes practice and desire to do so, and not just scream a motor to **** and go lol
 
#11 ·
That newer one will only hit 50? My 06 and 09's will hit 57-58 on flat ground, not that I ever go much over about 25. When I first started riding I (foolishly) opened mine up to see what the top end held.

I rarely hit 30MPH nowadays.
 
#12 ·
I'm sure I'll learn the ATVs capabilities this winter. I'm putting my snow plow on it.. On a "normal" ride, I usually run it the highest gear possible without bogging the engine down too much. (5th gear by 20 mph. Lol)

As for the top speed, I'm 220lbs, and the absolute fastest I've had this ATV is 54 mph. But there's really no need to go that fast. I just like to know the top speed of everything I drive. Lol. My old 650H1 Cat topped out right about the same too, so that's no big deal to me, not like I use to own a Polaris or Canned Ham. Lol. Usually fastest we go on a ride is 30-40 mph anyways.
 
#13 ·
I think all my rubicon will do is about 94kmh (58mph) and that takes a tailwind and a bloody long and flat straightaway to hit. it hits 55 pretty easy but those last few mph are slow coming along. I dont spend much time riding above 25mph either.... just usually the odd access road to whatever trail I am headed to...
 
#17 · (Edited)
I'm new to ATV's, and unaccustomed to not having a tachometer on my ride. I feel pretty comfortable knowing when to shift by the sound, power delivery, and feel of back-pressure of the engine when I let off the throttle, but I'm also curious about what speed ranges you guys run in various gears. FYI, I have a 2015 Foreman with Electric Shift (TRX500FE2 - solid rear axle) and I ride at pretty casual speeds due to the nature of Colorado's trails (rocky, snowy) and my purpose for being out in the woods (hunting, scouting, and exploring, not racing or trying to push the limits).

Here's what I've been generally running:
1st gear: never more than 5 mph, using it mostly like a "low" gear when rock crawling, starting up a hill, or plowing snow
2nd: 0-2 mph to 10 mph, frequently using it as a starting gear if on level ground or downhill start, and for slow, rugged/technical downhills (1st feels quite low, and I have to use the throttle to keep moving forward if I'm in 1st
3rd: 10 mph to 15 mph, though I've really lugged the machine in 3rd gear at too-slow speed a time or two when climbing up an icy hill and I forget to shift because of the rugged terrain
4th: 15 mph to 20 mph
5th: 20+ mph, but I've only been in 5th gear a time or two because I haven't gotten the machine above 25 mph yet (haven't even done the break-in service)

For comparison, I also ride a 2007 Kawasaki KLR; that engine really "tractors" well when you lug the engine, and doesn't need high rpm's unless your really gettin' after it! My new Foreman provides that same tractor-like feel, so I don't feel the need to wind it up.
 
#18 ·
geez... mine are driven more like a grandma....quiet being an imperative condition, I have an extra muffler on it too...dang near silent. Foremen and Rubicons have enough torque that my needs rarely call for much more than mid range RPM.
 
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