Ignoring 1st Gear

[azuryn]

Remember someone saying something about not even using 1st gear anymore and tried it the last few days and it feels so much better, at least for driving around in urban areas. As fun and torquey first is, it just feels so impractical when commuting. Now I don't have to shift as much and that feels good.

[sorkyah]

Remember someone saying something about not even using 1st gear anymore and tried it the last few days and it feels so much better, at least for driving around in urban areas. As fun and torquey first is, it just feels so impractical when commuting. Now I don't have to shift as much and that feels good.

Going -2 teeth on the rear gave me the same feeling of a more useable torque band

[azuryn]

I'll have to consider that for the future, is it something you notice in the higher gears as well?

[sorkyah]

I'll have to consider that for the future, is it something you notice in the higher gears as well?

yep, dropped my ~80mph cruising speed by about 350-400 rpm in 6th
 

[michaelcly]

I'll have to consider that for the future, is it something you notice in the higher gears as well?

yep, dropped my ~80mph cruising speed by about 350-400 rpm in 6th

Have you noticed any downside to this change? I was thinking about this myself—I just quick shift out of first now. Is this a hard change to make doing it yourself?
 
There's a Ducati Scrambler rider who gave an unbiased review of his bike and he changed his front sprocket, adding a tooth.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wthDLIfwPQk.
 
 
 
He has another video where he rides his friend's FZ 07.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQpVZaqbhdQ. 
 
 
 
It's interesting enough. Not trying to change this to a Ducati vs FZ 07 thread.

[rmdet]

I havent been using 1st gear this year. Works great for me.

[rick]

I havent been using 1st gear this year. Works great for me.

are you pulling away from a stop in 2nd gear?  
If so, in the long run, starting out in 2nd will he hard on the clutch. 
 
Gearing is a tad low, imo. A 2 tooth drop on the back sprocket might be a good thing. But the fuel mileage of this thing is already so good, I'm not sure it's worth losing some oomph in 2nd and up. For me, 1st is just to get going from a stop or crawling in stop-go traffic, and I've shifted to 2nd by 15mph. 

[weazsel]

I use 1st gear all the time! Especially after launching from a red light after a long filter.
 
I tried it once or twice and it just felt really soft, almost a lug. I'll try it again with a little more throttle.
 
It might be just me, but I like when even though I'm leaning all the way forward the front wheel still hovers above the pavement for a little bit during hard acceleration.

[motomeek]

I havent been using 1st gear this year. Works great for me.

are you pulling away from a stop in 2nd gear?  
If so, in the long run, starting out in 2nd will he hard on the clutch. 
 
Gearing is a tad low, imo. A 2 tooth drop on the back sprocket might be a good thing. But the fuel mileage of this thing is already so good, I'm not sure it's worth losing some oomph in 2nd and up. For me, 1st is just to get going from a stop or crawling in stop-go traffic, and I've shifted to 2nd by 15mph. 

This.  
I'd only be pulling out of 2nd if I still had momentum.
 

[Guest ChicagoAJ]

1st goes to 52mph... How is 0-52 unusable? If it's too torquey you need to learn better wrist control or feather the clutch more. I start in 2nd only if I'm coming to stop and the light changes before I downshift into 1st.
 

Remember someone saying something about not even using 1st gear anymore and tried it the last few days and it feels so much better, at least for driving around in urban areas. As fun and torquey first is, it just feels so impractical when commuting. Now I don't have to shift as much and that feels good.

Going -2 teeth on the rear gave me the same feeling of a more useable torque band

 
 
Can you hit 60mph in 1st with that sprocket? Also, what (if any) speedo-correction device did you use?

[Motorboat McGoat]

When I'm in town I skip 1st quite often, more convenient not having to shift as often.

[azuryn]

Mainly I did because it didn't seem practical to use 1st in traffic, I don't think it is wrist control or too much torque I just don't like getting high revs while just commuting and shifting a little less was convenient but if this actually does wear down the clutch I'll stop. First is fun when I want to screw around but starting from second felt so smooth, guess I will look into that tooth drop soon.

[Guest Ralph]

You will know you have it sorted when you don't have a clue
as to what gear your in but know instinctively it's the right one
it all becomes automatic after a good few miles don't waste time
thinking about it get out n ride the thing.

[sorkyah]

1st goes to 52mph... How is 0-52 unusable? If it's too torquey you need to learn better wrist control or feather the clutch more. I start in 2nd only if I'm coming to stop and the light changes before I downshift into 1st. 

Going -2 teeth on the rear gave me the same feeling of a more useable torque band

Can you hit 60mph in 1st with that sprocket? Also, what (if any) speedo-correction device did you use?

Didnt need any speedo correction... my speedo reads the same as the cops lidar
 
It isnt more than 3mph off at 80.... so yeah

[Beemer]

I hope that no one that is used to using 2nd to start out in never has to get out of the way of a car that is coming up behind them too fast or from some other direction because they may have an "OOPS" moment when they can't bolt fast enough. When speed is involved, fractions of a second matter. The chances of that scenario happening may be slim so you decide for yourself, do I feel lucky? Will I see them in time? Will I give it enough gas to get out of the danger zone quick enough? Will it make a difference since it's starting in 2nd gear?
 
wait a minute..... since a lot of my riding is done at about 40 MPH. in town and around my neighborhood why not just give it even more gas and start out in 4th so I don't have to shift at all??? Great idea, right!? 

[Lildrumr]

I hope that no one that is used to using 2nd to start out in never has to get out of the way of a car that is coming up behind them too fast or from some other direction because they may have an "OOPS" moment when they can't bolt fast enough. When speed is involved, fractions of a second matter. The chances of that scenario happening may be slim so you decide for yourself, do I feel lucky? Will I see them in time? Will I give it enough gas to get out of the danger zone quick enough? Will it make a difference since it's starting in 2nd gear? 
wait a minute..... since a lot of my riding is done at about 40 MPH. in town and around my neighborhood why not just give it even more gas and start out in 4th so I don't have to shift at all??? Great idea, right!? 

 
Or you can just stay on 1st gear all day!

[Guest ChicagoAJ]

I hope that no one that is used to using 2nd to start out in never has to get out of the way of a car that is coming up behind them too fast or from some other direction because they may have an "OOPS" moment when they can't bolt fast enough. When speed is involved, fractions of a second matter. The chances of that scenario happening may be slim so you decide for yourself, do I feel lucky? Will I see them in time? Will I give it enough gas to get out of the danger zone quick enough? Will it make a difference since it's starting in 2nd gear? 
wait a minute..... since a lot of my riding is done at about 40 MPH. in town and around my neighborhood why not just give it even more gas and start out in 4th so I don't have to shift at all??? Great idea, right!? 

Can't remember who it was on here, but they were running 12.4's at the track starting in 2nd every run which is pretty impressive but not surprising if you launch in the mid range. Less chance of a wheelie and you skip a shift. 

[sorkyah]

I hope that no one that is used to using 2nd to start out in never has to get out of the way of a car that is coming up behind them too fast or from some other direction because they may have an "OOPS" moment when they can't bolt fast enough. When speed is involved, fractions of a second matter. The chances of that scenario happening may be slim so you decide for yourself, do I feel lucky? Will I see them in time? Will I give it enough gas to get out of the danger zone quick enough? Will it make a difference since it's starting in 2nd gear? 
wait a minute..... since a lot of my riding is done at about 40 MPH. in town and around my neighborhood why not just give it even more gas and start out in 4th so I don't have to shift at all??? Great idea, right!? 

if you actually tried... i'm sure you could start out in 4th...
it would be hell on the clutch though

[Beemer]

I hope that no one that is used to using 2nd to start out in never has to get out of the way of a car that is coming up behind them too fast or from some other direction because they may have an "OOPS" moment when they can't bolt fast enough. When speed is involved, fractions of a second matter. The chances of that scenario happening may be slim so you decide for yourself, do I feel lucky? Will I see them in time? Will I give it enough gas to get out of the danger zone quick enough? Will it make a difference since it's starting in 2nd gear? 
wait a minute..... since a lot of my riding is done at about 40 MPH. in town and around my neighborhood why not just give it even more gas and start out in 4th so I don't have to shift at all??? Great idea, right!? 

Can't remember who it was on here, but they were running 12.4's at the track starting in 2nd every run which is pretty impressive but not surprising if you launch in the mid range. Less chance of a wheelie and you skip a shift. 

That makes perfect sense and I'm not saying you couldn't pull it off in 2nd but that guy probably practiced it till he got it just right. Not enough gas in 2nd and it may bog or simply take off too slow if you haven't practiced launching fast with it. 
 
sorkyah I can't find it now, there's so many videos on the FZ07 but I saw one on you tube before I bought mine over a year ago of some older guy that was a damn good rider start out in 6th gear on a steep grade. Don't remember the degree of grade in the road but it was steep. He kept remarking that the name "Master of Torque" was very appropriate for the FZ-07.

[Beemer]

I hope that no one that is used to using 2nd to start out in never has to get out of the way of a car that is coming up behind them too fast or from some other direction because they may have an "OOPS" moment when they can't bolt fast enough. When speed is involved, fractions of a second matter. The chances of that scenario happening may be slim so you decide for yourself, do I feel lucky? Will I see them in time? Will I give it enough gas to get out of the danger zone quick enough? Will it make a difference since it's starting in 2nd gear? 
wait a minute..... since a lot of my riding is done at about 40 MPH. in town and around my neighborhood why not just give it even more gas and start out in 4th so I don't have to shift at all??? Great idea, right!? 

Or you can just stay on 1st gear all day!

Ha! I don't know which idea is sillier.

[Guest Ralph]

It's got that much torque and remember the ECU will turn up the
tickover to try to keep it at 1100 rpm that you can set off in
any gear at tickover but though I have tried it it's not something
I would normally do, the 07 is about the only bike I ever had that
seems to have the right gearing out the box.

[norcal616]

I hope that no one that is used to using 2nd to start out in never has to get out of the way of a car that is coming up behind them too fast or from some other direction because they may have an "OOPS" moment when they can't bolt fast enough. When speed is involved, fractions of a second matter. The chances of that scenario happening may be slim so you decide for yourself, do I feel lucky? Will I see them in time? Will I give it enough gas to get out of the danger zone quick enough? Will it make a difference since it's starting in 2nd gear? 
wait a minute..... since a lot of my riding is done at about 40 MPH. in town and around my neighborhood why not just give it even more gas and start out in 4th so I don't have to shift at all??? Great idea, right!? 

Can't remember who it was on here, but they were running 12.4's at the track starting in 2nd every run which is pretty impressive but not surprising if you launch in the mid range. Less chance of a wheelie and you skip a shift. 

That would be me...it's no sweat to start in 2nd gear from stand still at idle... now I got a quick shifter that works on up shifts and down shifts

[Beemer]

Can't remember who it was on here, but they were running 12.4's at the track starting in 2nd every run which is pretty impressive but not surprising if you launch in the mid range. Less chance of a wheelie and you skip a shift. 

That would be me...it's no sweat to start in 2nd gear from stand still at idle... now I got a quick shifter that works on up shifts and down shifts

How you liking that quick shifter? I've read some negative things about them as far as not being able to up-shift until you reached a certain rpm. Is yours that way and if it is does it give you any grief?

[norcal616]

That would be me...it's no sweat to start in 2nd gear from stand still at idle... now I got a quick shifter that works on up shifts and down shifts

How you liking that quick shifter? I've read some negative things about them as far as not being able to up-shift until you reached a certain rpm. Is yours that way and if it is does it give you any grief? 
It. Gave me a little grief at first cuz I needed to unlearn not to the little throttle twitch we do to shift gears...gotta learn to keep the throttle going while using a QS and you CANNOT do them half ass upshifs we could get away with by shifting normally or you will miss the gear... I have the antori (sp?) Kit... I shift around 7.5k ... Going from 2nd to third is a tad tad tad clunkier that going into 4, 5 or 6th gear...I rarely use the downshift feature...I will admit on my test 1/4 mile road I gained 3-5mph in speed using the QS...I will always use a QS now...

[gregjet]

I felt from the start that the 07 was undergeared for the road. But quickly came to the conclusion that I have to go to 520 chain and sprockets to go to the gearing I want ( +1 CS sprocket, -1 rear sprocket. keeps the same chain run length although going stock CS and -2 on the rear might get a little weight on the front). I WILL change to 520 and higher gearing when the chain needs replacing. This is the first road bike I have ever owned that I wanted to go higher rather than lower gearing. Had to do it on some dirt to road bikes though, noteably the DRZ400SM.
 
It is common on road bikes for the ratio gap between 1st and 2nd to be huge, then the rest to be more even and closer ratio. On the track we would often gear down on tight tracks enough to not have to use first because the neutral danger going through and the giant rev jump makes gear/rev matching difficult ( on a vtr250 impossible).
Not sure it is necessary on the road though. Won't hurt anything if you do.