Almost all motorbikes in the 150cc and above category come equipped with a Tachometer. We all know that tachometer shows the engine RPM and we all have witnessed how it fluctuates with changing gears. But do we really understand the impact it has on the bike and on our ride? To put it in short, the impact is too huge, but we seldom take notice. The differences of the RPM of the engine for the ride have a major role to play in the comfort of the ride as well as the toll it takes on the bike and its engine. So let us check out the importance of the RPM and how it affects our ride.What is Engine RPM?
RPM is an abbreviation of "Rotations/Revolutions Per Minute". This is the rotation speed of the engine crank shaft which is delivering power to the rear wheel via the gearbox. The rotation of the crankshaft moves the gears which translate into speed for the engine. The more the rotational speed of the crankshaft, the more the engine RPM and more is the speed of the bike. Do note that with the increase in engine RPM, the fuel consumption of the bike also increases. Also, when we change the gears, the speed of the bike increases owing to the bigger gears resulting in a drop in engine RPM and hence fuel consumption, but the rate of pulling, i.e. torque level decreases.
Significance of Engine RPM
Now do understand when I say that the engine RPM has a major role to play when it comes to the comfort levels of the ride. This is because high engine RPM results in a faster ride, but a high vibrating ride which is in due time going to affect your comfort by numbing your feet, back, and hands. It is always better to ride the bike in the medium RPM range for a smoother ride. The lower the RPM of the bike, the better comfort you get as well as the higher fuel efficiency you can extract from the bike.
High engine RPM also results in increasing stress on the bike that could be dangerous for the engine and the bike in the long run. It is always safer to run the bike on higher RPMs only for a limited period of time; else the deterioration of the engine oil and the shortening of the life of the engine happens at a quick pace. Unless you own a motorcycle made for the track which is designed to be run at higher RPMs on a constant basis, running your bike designed for the road on higher RPMs for prolonged periods is not healthy.
Controlling Your Engine RPMMaking sure you are riding your bike at the correct engine speed is very important. It not only gives you the satisfaction of a good ride, but also keeps your bike healthy. Thrashing your bike at higher RPMs at all times gives you short terms satisfaction but ends up a capital intensive affair in terms of increased maintenance of the bike. The ideal RPM for the bike to cruise along is always half of the RPM at which your bike makes peak torque and peak power. In case you have a bike which produces its peak power and torque between 7000 and 8000 RPM, then the comfort zone for the bike lies between 4000-6000 RPM in case of cruising on the highway or else 3000-5000 RPM in the city limits. Also make sure to change gears before hitting the 4000-5000 RPM mark on any bike for a smooth ride as well as a non-jerky and safe ride.
This not only helps increase the life of the bike and give you comfort, but also helps extract the most fuel economy from the bike as well. Also make sure to not ride your bike in near idling speeds as the engine with jerk about and there are chances of the bike stalling as well which could be dangerous on the road with the moving traffic. The trick is to know the perfect gear to be in for any speeds your bike is doing, and that you will only learn with practice and experience.
Effect on Performance
The engine RPM of your bike has a major effect on performance of the bikes. If you happen to be running your motorbike on lower RPM, it results in a relaxed performance with power available on tap whenever you need it at the tug of the accelerator as you are running the bike on the meat of the power band. On the other hand if you are running your bike on the higher RPMs, then the bike will have a lot of vibrations and in case of a move on, you will need to shift up the gear and still struggle with the moving of the bike due to you running towards the top end of the power band resulting in extinguishing of the power available for the bike. Also, running the bike on higher RPMs results in the bike being a lot vibey as well as you having to make frequent visits to the fuel station for a refill.
So now that we know the effects of engine RPM on the bike and your ride and performance, make sure to take good care of your motorcycle and always run it in the comfortable RPM zone to get the best of your bike and that too for longer periods of time. Do get back to us in the comments section below for any further queries as well as share the article with your rider buddies so that even they can ride better and enjoy to the fullest.
By: Pratik Patole