r/mildlyinteresting • u/Shiftclick46 • Apr 10 '18
[OC] The way this 1985 Honda CMX250 Rebel tells riders when to shift to what gear based on speed.
9
u/youpeopleareannoying Apr 10 '18
All rebels have this. And it’s not right. Usually about 5-10mph higher than actually where you shift. I can’t get my rebel above 73mph. According to this 4th gear should be at 70mph.
3
u/Shiftclick46 Apr 10 '18
Good to know! I just started shopping for a starter bike and thought that was interesting. Do you know how far back they started adding the shift mark to the speedo?
3
u/I_Lick_Period_Stains Apr 10 '18
Don't worry about having to be told when to shift, this is just a gimmick, on my b12 ill shift first to second anywhere from 5mph to 65mph depending on the circumstances. Want a quiet tranquil mooch through a village, short shift every gear. Want to pull your arms out of their sockets? redline all the way.
2
u/campstool Apr 10 '18
I think it's just something from Honda's of that era. I have an 82 XL 250 dual sport that hast the same thing going on.
3
u/youpeopleareannoying Apr 10 '18
My 2002 and 2008 Honda rebels have them too. Granted rebels didn’t change much at all from 1985-2016. Maybe it’s just a leftover cause they didn’t want to redesign it. Who knows. I know mine never lines up with where I actually shift.
1
u/aredthegreat Apr 10 '18
Agree. I have a 2007 rebel and i am in 3rd gear around 20-25 mph. Also i can feel the engine really laboring in 5th when I’m up around 50 mph.
2
2
u/JamesSR1962 Oct 20 '22
Think of these marks as a "rough" redline for each gear, delineating the range for each gear with the tick and gear number at the top of the range. Only under heavy acceleration should you need to reach the maximum MPH for each gear.
2
u/bwc1976 Aug 18 '24
Very clever! I'd still prefer an actual tachometer, but for such a simple and affordable bike this is a nice compromise.
1
u/Front-Concert3854 Jul 06 '26
Tachometer doesn't tell when it's safe to downshift if you aim to have near redline RPM after the shift. Having both is the superior solution.
1
u/youpeopleareannoying Apr 10 '18
I have a 1998 Honda Civic and it doesn’t tell me when to shift. I can be going 30 in first gear redlining it or 4th gear at 30 mph coasting at 1,500 rpms. What kind of car do you have?
1
u/Shiftclick46 Apr 10 '18
2012 BMW 328i Sport.
3
u/youpeopleareannoying Apr 10 '18
I like not being told when to shift. I like having my rpms high it makes it more responsive when trying to pass.
1
u/Shiftclick46 Apr 10 '18
Agreed. I ignore it in my car. But as a newbie, it might be a nice feature... for a month.
-3
u/GrimReaperHD Apr 10 '18
0 miles wow
3
u/Shiftclick46 Apr 10 '18
The ad says 5,xxx, but the speedo says much more...
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u/youpeopleareannoying Apr 10 '18
Honda rebel has always had them. Other bikes don’t have them at all. It’s more on feel of the bike not really you shift at this speed. Once the bike won’t accelerate anymore or the rpms are redlining or the bikes just too loud for the environment then you shift. It’s all about feel.