The Honda PCX / Forza / ADV150 / SH Forums

I've been wondering what's the point of having a RPM gauge on a gearless bike is - you twist, go, judge your speed or acceleration - so what use is the RPM gauge? It must have a purpose other than decoration, but with a twist 'n' go - why?

It can give you an indication of transmission belt wear or clutch slippage plus it allows you to sit at the most economical rpm on a long run.

Whilst riding a maxi scooter RPM awareness is important for the reasons Gn2 states and is especially so in the case of smaller capacity maxi scoots such as the F125.

Whilst riding you need to be able to take advantage of the max torque and or power available, as and when required, depending upon requirements and riding conditions e.g. Hills, headwind, two up, overtakes, engine braking / avoiding free wheeling etc.

Without a rev counter this can of course be learned through experience, familiarity with your ride and the engine / exhaust sounds and however the most efficient and effective method to maximise performance is by way of the Rev counter.

Still find that strange, you can only use less or more throttle to go slower/faster - and you can or should be able to judge if the bike is straining or your going to slow/fast. But hey, not experienced it, no appreciation of it.

It can also tell you if there's a headwind which is useful if you're in fuel saving mode.

I don't necessarily look at my tach often while I'm riding but it is indispensible to know the rpm versus speed if you ever want to make any drive train changes such as changing the roller weights so that you know what the effect was. Or if you start having problems or noises to help figure out what might be wrong.