KZ550 Tach Question

I've been doin some inter city highway ridin on my '81 KZ 550 A2 and around 65-70 mph the rpm are sittin in the 5500-6000 range. is this normal for this bike? I'm curious if the sprocket was changed before i got it. Any comparisons? Thanks
Joe

Hello: Those readings look to be spot on for stock OEM sprockets.

My 1983 KZ550 revs about 5,000RPM at 62mph. It took some getting used to after riding V-twins previously, but was less aggravating after I patched a few holes in the crossover pipe.

if i was to find an aftermarket sprocket, should i invest in one to lower the rpm's? isn't that hard on the engine to run at those rpm's?

Hard on the engine? Not unless you're running it really lean or low on oil or in 110* temps. You'd get better mileage with a taller front sprocket or if you manage to find a rear sprocket smaller than 38t, and the bike will handle passing and headwinds better, but you're not likely to see much noticeable difference in engine longevity unless you intend to put 200k miles on it.

If you are thinking that you'd like to lower RPMs at highway spped it is doable. I think in the KZ info link,above, if you navigate into the filebase into the "not model specific" files there is a page in there on sprocket ratios and what to pick if you want to change for different styles of riding. See guys, I have been paying attention and NOT sleeping in class.

On my bike, 5000 RPM is 64 mph.