Are you bumping your Rev limiter or wasting time shifting too late.
For a Little over a Hundred bucks you can get a shift light.
Can you really look at your Tach on your tank or dash while that Gold wing is trying to pass you on the Right?
Here is a link : https://checkout.shopify.com/2552163...841b4e17339095
I have one on 5 different motorcycles.
How you mount it is up to you, but I fabbed up and polished some 1/8" aluminum for my FLXR. It is clamped in place by the handle bar clamps with plenty of space left to keep them tight.

On every m8 Harley it gets tied to switched power + and - and the Front coil trigger. this is Pin #2 GN/BE color on the Black connector of the ECU.

 

I have a stock shift light on my Yamaha FZ-10 which I set at 10K rather than the 12.5K red line. I'm sure it works, but I have never seen it blink, not even once...

 

On this mod you can knock yourself out. One thing my Harley has always done is given plenty of feedback on when the motor is ready to shift. Not even a tach needed by a far stretch honestly, more for curiosity/stats sake. In my experience you have to try pretty hard to shift outside of a useable powerband on a big twin.

 

Maybe it’s from my years of drag racing. I have mine set on my other bikes where the Dyno says my max HP is. On my FXLR it’s set @ 5k on my V2K 4200 on my ZX14r @ 11200. These new M8s are so quiet and different than my 120r Twinkie I need it.

 

Ha, well you're more of a surgeon it sounds like...I'd rate at "country doctor" on that scale. My problem with the M8 was shifting before the top end really lit up. I've stretched it to where I realize how strong it is, but generally my pleasure zone is more of a 4500 shift affair on this motor. I only see 5000 once in a while, although I did seat the rings early. I can imagine with your 120r and drag race history you're tapping the limits more regularly...and skillfully.

 

Uh, Ok.

I don't get it. After your first day of riding isn't the butt to brain to ear feedback loop closed? Shifting becomes subconscious pretty damn quickly I would think.

 

I too never understood "shift lights" for street use. I get it for racing and have used them when I roadraced. Shift points aren't critical. But street riding I can feel and hear when its time to shift...

I feel the same way about gear indicators. If the bike is bogging you're in too high a gear, if you're twisting the throttle and its not going any faster, time to grab a gear...

 

Must avoid smart *** commentary to avoid receiving an infraction......

 

Wow, thought this just might be interesting to some people. I’m a big boy with 4 kids probably older than most here and a few Grandchildren that ride. I’m just an Old Dog with too many different motorcycles on too many forums and too much time on my hands.
Well winter is here, time to teach some more kids how to shoot and reload Ammo.
LIVE FREE OR DIE !

 

I'd sooner **** that $100 away at the titty bar than on a shift you should have already learned the feel of after the first week.