Cruising speed

Wardy · Dec 5, 2020

Hi gents, if all goes well I've got the opportunity to do some Scandinavian adventures next year, dependant on covid etc, but it's a long way from France, and might involve motorways, so was wondering as the x has no rev counter, and I'm crap at maths, what would be a realistic cruising speed, for economy, and not thrashing the nuts off her?
Thanks in advance and apologies if its already been covered

Davey Bee · Dec 5, 2020

Comfortable speed is indicated 60-75 mph, at least on my shortish trips, Enfield to Nigerian border

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Micky · Dec 5, 2020

Yup .... 60 to 75 would easily be comfortable, maybe 80.

If you're going to be doing regular long hauls you can, I believe, up the gearbox sprocket by a tooth!

I've had mine Hilltopped and an Akrapovic Titanium exhaust fitted. Standard sprocket. She's sweet at 80mph :thumb2

Wardy · Dec 5, 2020

Brilliant, cheers guys roughly as I thought. Now I've got some idea of possible daily road mileages.
Have a nice weekend ya al.

nicholsonj2252 · Dec 5, 2020

Agree with the 70 figure , we did Germany last year as part of a longer European trip and we regularly did autobahn sections and the XC's performed great at 70mph and sat there no problem until you either needed to fill up or stretch your legs

King Rat · Dec 5, 2020

Challenge or Country?

For some reason my Challenge is 'faster' than the Country - despite both being on 19 and 17 wheels. My Country is on a 16 front 47 rear and pulls happily in top, loaded with some gear, on the flat from 43 / 44mph on the speedo. Happily sits at 70mph without breaking sweat, but bimbling at 60ish extends the tank range considerably. The most I have got was 166,? (forgotten the .) and there was fuel to spare, put in 8.4 litres, so only another 10 miles or so.

The Challenege will scamper along quite happily at 80mph and isn't being thrashed at 85mph, with soft panniers on. I managed to squeeze 106mph out of her the other day! It was a long, slight downhill, in the land of makebelief, but the speedo reading was correct - I have erased it from the GPS Max Speed memory!

chrisjk · Dec 13, 2020

Across France to Luxembourg at 75-80 on motorway no problems. Tyres were Mitas E07s. Sidebags were Advspec Magadans with clothes for a week and a few tools. Solo rider.

I felt bad thrashing it like this but it was OK and hasn't complained since.

bowser · Dec 13, 2020

chrisjk said:
Across France to Luxembourg at 75-80 on motorway no problems. Tyres were Mitas E07s. Sidebags were Advspec Magadans with clothes for a week and a few tools. Solo rider.

I felt bad thrashing it like this but it was OK and hasn't complained since.

I was just reading this, for a bit of a comparison with my KTM 640, and the comment above struck me.
These are 650 cc single built in the 22nd century, and it was considered thrashing it going 75-80 on the Autobhan in Germany obviously.
Just struck me as odd when I first stared riding, the Honda RS 250 was all the rage, single, twin exhaust port, would just get to the ton, and everybody trolled up and down the motorways at 70+ without a thought or care or even any idea that it was thrashing it??
the same went for the gn250/gn400, xt500 or SR500 we used to just get on get to motorway speed and crack on, I had a mate went all over Europe on his SR.

How have we got to the point where bikes so much more advanced 150 cc or more bigger displacement, supposedly better built and designed are perceived to be so delicate that genuine questions are asked about them maintaining motorway speeds? Just strikes me as bizzare thats all

King Rat · Dec 14, 2020

bowser said:
I was just reading this, for a bit of a comparison with my KTM 640, and the comment above struck me.
These are 650 cc single built in the 22nd century, and it was considered thrashing it going 75-80 on the Autobhan in Germany obviously.
Just struck me as odd when I first stared riding, the Honda RS 250 was all the rage, single, twin exhaust port, would just get to the ton, and everybody trolled up and down the motorways at 70+ without a thought or care or even any idea that it was thrashing it??
the same went for the gn250/gn400, xt500 or SR500 we used to just get on get to motorway speed and crack on, I had a mate went all over Europe on his SR.

How have we got to the point where bikes so much more advanced 150 cc or more bigger displacement, supposedly better built and designed are perceived to be so delicate that genuine questions are asked about them maintaining motorway speeds? Just strikes me as bizzare thats all

In the same way that we used to travel all over Europe for weeks at a time on 650 and under.... and never thought anything of it. Now, with better roads, more power from the engines, better tyres those same journies need a bike of at least 1200cc..... 1600cc better. How I ever managed the 4000 mile trip from Blighty through France to south of Spain, across on the ferry and along the N African route and back through Greece on a mere Morini 350 is a mystery. I seem to remember I just threw a leg over and thought nothing more about it and concentrated on where I was going and enjoying myself. i think that is why I am enjoying going about on the lightweight 650 more than on the behemoth 1150.

bowser · Dec 15, 2020

King Rat said:
In the same way that we used to travel all over Europe for weeks at a time on 650 and under.... and never thought anything of it. Now, with better roads, more power from the engines, better tyres those same journies need a bike of at least 1200cc..... 1600cc better. How I ever managed the 4000 mile trip from Blighty through France to south of Spain, across on the ferry and along the N African route and back through Greece on a mere Morini 350 is a mystery. I seem to remember I just threw a leg over and thought nothing more about it and concentrated on where I was going and enjoying myself. i think that is why I am enjoying going about on the lightweight 650 more than on the behemoth 1150.

Had a mate with a Z650 which at the time was a reasonable sized bike and did over 70,000 in a year.
Pretty much thought it was the ideal touring bike, I did stuff up and down the country on a GT250 Ram Air !!! never thought anything about it, 250 was big enough and fast enough for just about anything you wanted to do, loads never bothered with a test as never needed one a 250 on L plates was fine.
I fully understand that with loads of crap to take, a bigger engine is lazier and probably a bit less effort but that does not mean that the smaller one is not capable.
To be fair I am riding the 640 more and more as its a hoot to ride, handles well, compared to the 990 or 1100 weighs next to nothing, and its got an aftermarket seat, heated grips, plug for jacket and a satnav so all the bells and whistles I need

Wardy · Dec 15, 2020

Yep it's weird, years ago just used to ride everywhere never gave it a thought. Maybe it's an age thing, one of the reasons I started the thread was the x challenge has no rev counter so you can't tell if your ringing it's neck.....apart from rev limiter of course

King Rat · Dec 15, 2020

Wardy said:
Yep it's weird, years ago just used to ride everywhere never gave it a thought. Maybe it's an age thing, one of the reasons I started the thread was the x challenge has no rev counter so you can't tell if your ringing it's neck.....apart from rev limiter of course

EARS... use your ears! They tell you when an engine is sweet or straining.

Micky · Dec 15, 2020

King Rat said:
EARS... use your ears! They tell you when an engine is sweet or straining.

Coupled with the feel through the handlebars and footrests ....

If it feels sweet it is sweet

Davey Bee · Dec 15, 2020

bowser said:
Had a mate with a Z650 which at the time was a reasonable sized bike and did over 70,000 in a year.
Pretty much thought it was the ideal touring bike, I did stuff up and down the country on a GT250 Ram Air !!! never thought anything about it, 250 was big enough and fast enough for just about anything you wanted to do, loads never bothered with a test as never needed one a 250 on L plates was fine.
I fully understand that with loads of crap to take, a bigger engine is lazier and probably a bit less effort but that does not mean that the smaller one is not capable.
To be fair I am riding the 640 more and more as its a hoot to ride, handles well, compared to the 990 or 1100 weighs next to nothing, and its got an aftermarket seat, heated grips, plug for jacket and a satnav so all the bells and whistles I need

Strange you mentioned the 640 is more fun than the 990. I have a 950 Super Enduro but I’m seriously thinking of selling and replacing it with the 690 or even better the 701. You got me thinking even more now.

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bowser · Dec 16, 2020

Davey Bee said:
Strange you mentioned the 640 is more fun than the 990. I have a 950 Super Enduro but I’m seriously thinking of selling and replacing it with the 690 or even better the 701. You got me thinking even more now.

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have a look at the thread on here Arsey in Jersey his 701 LR with the long distance fairing kit ect, I would do that in a heartbeat if I could afford to although, I really really like the 640 its a keeper and I think it would always be my go to of choice for everything bar very long distance touring, i am hopfully off to Faro next year and then october fest in Munich later in the year I wont be doing that on the 640, however if I had two weeks to get there and two weeks to get back then hell yes

Cruising speed

Wardy

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Davey Bee

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Micky

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Wardy

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nicholsonj2252

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King Rat

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chrisjk

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bowser

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King Rat

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bowser

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Wardy

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King Rat

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Micky

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