Bill Blue 331 safe engine RPM?
#11
Whew glad it isnt just me!!! Same situation only high rpm lots of throttle. Could be anything on the front end of the bike, no necessarily the gnone (as you said). I like the big vibes at idle, makes me feel like a I have a big thumper lol
Bike has 16k now, big bore at 3000 or 4000 (so done at 12 or 13k i have to confirm though)
Bike has 16k now, big bore at 3000 or 4000 (so done at 12 or 13k i have to confirm though)
Well it's good to hear that you've got 12k on yours with no issues! Makes me feel better ;D.
#13
Yea I know the bike makes power down low and agree there wouldn't usually ever be any point in revving it past 7,500, or even past about 5 or 6 thousand as far as power output is concerned. However, there will be times off road when revving to the moon will definitely be beneficial. There will be situations when doing gnarly hill climbs where second gear (even with the big bore) is too tall to get going at the base of the hill (example big ruts, rocks in the way...), but where you have to be able to go reasonably fast to make it up the latter parts of the hill, in which case first gear would need to be used. I know there is a clutch lol but sometimes having to slip the clutch can take away from your ability to keep your momentum and stability/tracking in order as well as you could with a solid grip on the bar and not being on the clutch. In these cases, first gear will be low enough to do the super tough, really low speed stuff at the bottom, and if you rev it to the moon, can still get up enough speed to do the latter part of such a hill. As in, being able to go 30 mph in first gear, vs like 24 mph if you don't totally rev it out... By the way I don't like doing down shifting from second to first half way through a hill climb, either. Bad things happen, if you know what I mean lol. Of course the same basic concept applies to second/third gear. Second gear power with ~45 mph if you rev, vs ~35 mph if you don't (where third gear is too tall at the base, but you need to HAUL the freakin mail to make the whole hill). I know these situations will be a.) very rare, and b.) for the most part possible to work around. I know second gear has plenty of torque and should be workable for 99% of hill climbs. I just think of every possibility.
#14
kj, I'm not sure about your description on the use of first gear on a big/long hill climb. If you're in first gear and have the rpm at a fairly high level, you're very likely to bust the rear wheel loose. Yes, you often need first gear for a climb, but it's still a careful modulation of throttle to keep the rear wheel hooked up. Revving to redline in first gear will commonly result in the rear tire breaking loose on a climb...unless you're riding on a traction rich slickrock surface found in Utah and such. In many technical climbs with poor traction, I'm often in first gear to insure that I get to the top. In other cases where I can keep speed up, of course I stay in as high a gear as possible. Riding the bike in most off road situations at redline usually doesn't yield very good results unless traction is extremely good or a lot of speed is already achieved.
#15
Plus we have to remember that, in the case of this particular motor at least, the motor actually makes less torque and horsepower at say, 9,000 rpm, than it does at like 6,000 rpm. So in theory id say you'd be less likely to get wheelspin at 9,500 rpm than at 7,500.
#16
I think my entire idea here can be summed up by saying that, to me at least, being able to rev the motor higher will make my bike more versatile for extreme situations, more options/possibilities...lol. That's why I asked about safe engine rpm in the first place, just want to know what is possible with my machine. I'm used to doing a lot of hill climbs revving the living **** out of the motor on my dr200 for a lot of hills, because even if you have momentum, its second gear still doesn't pull for **** lol. All positive feedback is appreciated
#18
I think my entire idea here can be summed up by saying that, to me at least, being able to rev the motor higher will make my bike more versatile for extreme situations, more options/possibilities...lol. That's why I asked about safe engine rpm in the first place, just want to know what is possible with my machine. I'm used to doing a lot of hill climbs revving the living **** out of the motor on my dr200 for a lot of hills, because even if you have momentum, its second gear still doesn't pull for **** lol. All positive feedback is appreciated
#19
im in the same boat as you, mate. i just got a 331 Bill Blue Kit installed as well but im afraid to take it to higher rpm. when i first got it, when the RPM reaches around 7000, i can feel a slight vibration down at the engine (like it feels tight), so i didnt dare go past 7000. Now that i have clocked slightly more than 1000 miles, the vibration is less but there is still a bit but i dare to take it to 8000 but not beyond that. i still maintain my rpm around 6000-7000 but occasionally bring it up to 8000. yesterday when riding it in the afternoon when the temperature was around 92F, when i the bike was moving slow or coming to a stop, the high temp light on the bike turned on. not sure if i should be worried about it. also, the oil level also drops a bit when i ride it, is this normal?
#20
Yes, if you check the oil right after riding, it should read lower than if you check it after the bike has been sitting for a long time (like overnight). Just make sure that when the engine cold, the oil level is well within the bubble. The temp light to me would be a bit worrying to be honest. I don't think it should really come on during any kind of normal operation like that. I've had mine at a stop for 3 or 4 minutes, when the engine is hot, in 95+ degrees so far with no light, and I'm still running conventional oil for break in. As far as your temp light coming on, I would suggest a.) switch to synthetic oil (I personally Recommend Royal Purple Max Cycle synthetic) if you haven't already, and b.) use Engine Ice coolant in your radiator. When you change your coolant (to Engine Ice), make sure you pour the new coolant into the radiator SLOWLY, so that air doesn't get trapped in the system, as that can also cause heat buildup. Also don't forget to change the coolant in the reservoir as well. I would ask about your jetting but I'm guessing you have the fuel injected version - and I assume you're running the proper electronics/injector upgrades to work with the 331? Running Engine Ice in your radiator and Royal Purple in the engine should significantly reduce operating temperature. Also, as far as the safe RPM goes, I've come to the conclusion that 9,000 RPM is the "red line" of this motor. I came to this conclusion by listening to engine/exhaust noise and feeling how the power builds and then declines. It really seems to quite sharply decline from about 8,500 to 9,500. I generally always try to keep my motors a little below red line, except for a blast all the way up to it once in a while. So with my bike, I will keep it under 8,000 RPM whenever possible.
Actually, i converted my fuel injection to the tm-33 carb because i wanted to fit the IMS tank but im not sure how to check the jetting, im not too good with mechanical stuff so the bike shop installed everything for me. can you advise on the jetting or other setting? i'll test ride the bike again this weekend and feedback.