Using The Transmission; Riding On Hills; Stopping And Parking; Shifting Up/Down Schedule - Suzuki GSF1250 Owner's Manual

USING THE TRANSMISSION
The transmission is provided to keep
the engine operating smoothly in its
normal operating speed range. The
gear ratios have been carefully cho-
sen to meet the characteristics of the
engine. The rider should always
select the most suitable gear for the
prevailing conditions. Never slip the
clutch to control road speed, but
rather downshift to allow the engine to
run within its normal operational
range.
(For Canada)
The table below shows the approxi-
mate speed range for each gear.
Shifting up schedule
Gear position
km/h
rniles/h
1st~ 2nd
20
12
2nd ~3rd
30
19
3rd ~4th
40
25
4th ~5th
50
31
5th~ 6th
60
37
Shifting down schedule
Gear position
km/h miles/h
6th~ 5th
50
31
5th ~4th
40
25
4th~ 3rd
30
19
Disengage the clutch when the motor-
cycle speed drops below 25 km/h (15
miles/h).
A.
WARNING
Downshifting when engine speed
is too high can:
• cause the rear wheel to skid and
lose traction due to increased
engine braking, resulting in an
accident; or
• force the engine to overrev in
the lower gear, resulting in
engine damage.
Reduce speed before downshift-
ing.
A
WARNING
Downshifting while the motorcycle
is leaned over in a corner may
cause rear wheel skid and loss of
control.
Reduce your speed and down-
shift before entering a corner.
CAUTION
Revving the engine into the red
zone can cause severe engine
damage.
Never allow the engine to rev into
the red zone in any gear.
5-4
RIDING ON HILLS
• When climbing steep hills, the
motorcycle may begin to slow
down and show lack of power. At
this point, you should shift to a
lower gear so that the engine will
again be operating in its normal
power range. Shift rapidly to pre-
vent the motorcycle from losing
momentum.
• When descending a long, steep
slope, use engine compression to
assist the brakes by shifting to a
lower gear. Continuous brake
application can overheat the
brakes and reduce their effective-
ness.
• Be careful, however, not to allow
the engine to overrev.
STOPPING AND PARKING
1.
Turn the throttle grip away from
you to close the throttle com-
pletely.
2. Apply the front and rear brakes
evenly and at the same time.
3. Downshift through the gears as
road speed decreases.
4. Select neutral with the clutch lever
squeezed toward the grip (disen-
gaged position) just before the
motorcycle stops. The neutral
position can be confirmed by
observing the neutral indicator
light.
A.
WARNING
Inexperienced riders tend to
underutilize the front brake. This
can cause excessive stopping dis-
tance and lead to a collision.
Using only the front or rear brake
can cause skidding and loss of
control.
Apply both brakes evenly and. at
the same time.
A.
WARNING
Hard braking while turning may
cause wheel skid and loss of con-
trol.
Brake before you begin to turn.
5-5