Which Gear At 30 Mph ?

I appreciate this may sound a strange question but I am one of those weird people who like to stick to the speed limit.

When traveling at 30 mph, I can't decide if I should select 3rd gear or 4th gear. 3rd takes it at about 2000 rpm and 4th sounds as if the engine is labouring but between 1000 and 2000 rpm. As the T120 has a low revving engine which gear should I use to maintain a healthy engine.

I'm riding a 2016 T120

Glen

 

I’d stick with 3rd gear so the engine isn’t labouring too much.

 

Lower gear and higher revs gives you more options and control. Need a quick overtake or acceleration and it's there, need to slow slightly and engine braking is better.

Slugging any motor does it no favours and places more strain on the gearbox.

 

Thanks for your advice, I agree 3rg gear is the more logical for the reasons stated

 

Even at only 30mph I wear all the GEAR just in case I get knocked off my bike

 

And the Gimp Mask?!?

 

Yes i knew this problem well, but 3rd gear is the way to go as 4th takes you to 35 or more with an almost closed throttle.

 

Surely the terrain and work being done in the engine makes a difference. 3rd at thirty going up a steep hill fully loaded might strain the engine, 5th at thirty going down a hill might be fine.

I thought these (ultra clever) automatic boxes in modern cars took a variety of inputs (work done, road speed, engine speed, air temp/pressure, fuel burn efficiency, etc, etc) into account to select the optimal gear.

 

I got all the gear and no idea

 

Ok I think I may have worded my original post wrong, the original query just occurred to me while riding at 30 mph down a long flat side road.

What I was trying to say was I am surprised my T120 felt as though it was struggling at about 1500 rpm in 4th gear on a flat road, I just happened to be doing a constant 30 mph. Having ridden motorcycles since I was 16 starting with a BSA Bantam D3 I'm now 67, I certainly don't need flaming 'one to one' training - it was a comment not a cry for help

 

What's your engine's top comfortable speed in 2nd?
I've a T100 which begs for 3rd gear over 35mph.

 

Funny thing - today's vehicles have an idiot light to tell you when to change gear. Strange thing is - I coped for years just using my own judgement as to when to change up or down. We will soon all be fitted with lights that flash when it's time to eat.

 

I generally drop to 3rd entering 30mph zone bits on my Street Twin, sits about right and sort of reminds me of the limit.

 

Sorry, i have to comment. Your orig question and your latest question, comment, leads one to think you are a beginner.

 

If accelerating hard away from the lights, I’d have to say 1st is my preferred gear at thirty (and beyond)!