I think a seven-speed would add some weight to the package, not to mention the need for new, wider cases to contain those gears, and the weight of extra oil to lubricate this bigger engine. But, as I've said before, I think every bike needs at least six gears. When I rode my dad's '77 Maico, there were only two things I didn't like. One was that it lacked the low-end of my Husky, which is largely because it's got a '75 cylinder on it, and there was a lot of advancement in two-strokes during that time, because it had only been in the mainstream for a short time. That was easily cured with throttle and a snap of the clutch, though, at which point the motor was faultless. But what really let it down was the lack of a sixth gear. Compared to the Husky, on the long gravel roads it felt like I was doing ten miles per hour. I could get it to go actually quite fast just by revving it, but at a certain point, it started vibrating so much my ass went instantly numb, so I had to tone it down a little bit. That particular bike, which was ported for big-time motocross competition, has a rich history of revving so high that people think it's going to explode.
