Has any one else noticed that 6th gear seems to be a bit harsh. I have only been an a few other harleys, even at 120+ 5th seems smoother, and I realise more RPM = smoother........

when my bike was brand new i couldnt put it in 6th unless i was doing at least 120kph but now its up to about 13,000 ks and its run in a bit it all seems better i can sit in 6th at 100kph and everything is smooth

I rode all the demo bikes while they were here, only the CVO's and the Road King were smooth,

as they were demo bikes, they may have had a hard life!!!

i rode one a while back found it smooth as ......

remember that they dont like below 90 km i think or is it 100

yeah anything over a 100 seems to be ok...

recommended upshift min speed is 85kmh or 55mph (85k's is only about 51mph??), anyway, I have read a lot of people dont like changin to 6th unless their doin over 120kmh....me, I change around 100kmh depending on the road being flat or whatever.

 

Gibo

6th has always been really smooth at a 100+ for me, 5th gear is the one that makes a whine type noise but I believe that this is normal...

This has all been discussed before, but interesting to get new views. Don't exactly know what you mean by a bit harsh wingy? Shfunky I agree, the recommended upshift to 6th seems too bloody slow, would be lugging the motor that slow. I've often wondered if the speed has been misquoted in translation from USA to Australian conditions, ie miles to kilometres.
5th gear is the whiney one, and varies from bike to bike. You only have to read the US Forum and there is a thousand opinions on this subject.
Personally I change up about 105 to 110 Km/hr, but higher if I'm in the mood.
I feel sorry for the riders in the states with the 100kph limit. Must be frustrating to ride there, I would be tempted to speed all the time to make the bike run sweet in 6th.

Thanks everone, by harsh it seems to me like 6th gear is a different cut or angle or surface finish.

I can feel it through the foot pegs and handle bars, just not as smooth as 5th gear I am not worried

about the whine in 5th, I used to have jap bikes and we know what those gearboxes where like...

faulse neutrals everwhere....

I had a chat with the stealer about it and he recommended shifting up to 6 at 80 and giving it some while i'm riding it in, mines not chugging at 80 in 6 at all but 1k lower and i'm into 5th, still i tend not to go to 6th until 100 or so anyway.

Right on Rodders
By the time a motor starts to loosen up it all so starts to get modified which normally means a desent tune of the ECU which does allow smoother running at lower revs. I was told by the sales staff not to use 6th at less than 100 because its to low in the revs for proper function. Well 100 in 6th is 2.2*idle speed so it should be fine and is with a good tune (Deadly v1.9 map so far) and 16,000+ Ks on the donk. I still check somtimes to see if 5th needs less throttle into a head wind etc. and if so then in 5th we stay.

i believe i am right in saying that 6th is a straight cut gear [overdrive] where as all the others are cross cut,i think it aids in keeping the gearbox size down to.

I found 6th gear was no trouble from 90km up. Cruised and accelerated easy, but dropping back to 5th obviously gave better acceleration. My bike is a '07 FXDB with stage 1 kit and runs a Pro Tuner set to stage 1 kit. Smooth in all gears.

'07 FLHT with 20k on the clock. It's only been in the the last 5 thou or so that 6th has bedded in and has been ok to run at 100km. Before that it felt like the bike was being lugged.

Guess the ol' girls just get better with age

Getting interesting, Scotty is that diagram to scale ??? if it is look at the WIDTH of 6th

gear ,looks a lot wider than the rest...wider gear ??? may be thats giving a different feel.

before you get into me I havent even seen inside a HD gearbox,  just  my 2cents...Or

am I looking at 1st gear.

Thanks Scotty, that is great info.

My understanding is there has been some warranty claims, so Right from the get-go I've treated the 6 gear light as a warning light unless I'm over 120 and on the flat. I also have changed my oil to syn, and straight away found neutral !! Less whining from 5th, too. What I want to know more about this 7 speed and reverse I've seen offered. 7speed out of curiosity, the reverse interests me for future sidecar work, Cheers, Coxy

hey guys dont like my 07 kingy in 6th under 120kmh. 6th is smooth as, because it is 1:1 ratio(not overdrive)Most of the noise from 5th is because your spinning the whole gearbox not direct drive like 6th. Im swapping my 32 trans pulley for a 30 or 31 tooth once they arrive. This will give me a bit more speed off the mark and higher revs at lower speeds for 6th gear cruising. will keep you posted once changed over--may need a 1 tooth shorter belt--cheers Grimster

Hey Enforcer,

regarding economy, have a look at my topic:

www.hdforums.com.au/Default.aspx

5th was SIGNIFICANTLY more economical at 100 and MORE SO at 110. Not that I care too much about the cost, I just don't like running out of fuel too soon!

I've now decided that I'll only use 6th when doing ~120, or at lower speeds when I want to reduce the noise (eg  talking on the intercom)

Gonzo