Hey guys i ride a 100km round trip to and from work each day and have been getting numerous speeding tickets for the mare fact that as soon as i click into 6th im pulling 120/130 k,s as i feel that anything under that i will be lugging my engine.To compensate this now im staying in 5th cruising at about 110k,s will this have any adverse effect on the engine or am i being paranoid about lugging it at 110 k,s in 6th any feed back would be great.Thanks and regards Kiwi.
I ride around in 5th all the time and only use 6th if I'm over 110km hr. And yes, you are being paranoid.
I ride about the same distance to work and on the highway I find 110 kmh in 5th gear is nice. The mirrors on my 06 Dyna a nice and clear.
Rob
Canada
Kiwi, should try to lower your gear ratio, i can't say if you would be lugging it going under 110 in 6th as i don't know what rev that would be, it's not the speed it's engine rev's. if you ride them in top gear below 2,500rev no matter what your riding or how your riding your lugging it.
the biggest killer of those rollers at the bottom of your rods, is lugging riding in top gear or overdrive at below 2,500 rev. forget the drive side bearing thats easy you can replace that, if you hammer those rollers that are at the big end of your rods and stuff them its a throw away bottom end so your up for a new bottom end new rods.reving the motor over 3,000 does less damage that riding it at 2,000 in top gear for long periods. Harleys are not Cars or Truck they all use a different big end bearing , the V-Rods use Car type bearings so do the Top Fuel Nitro Harleys as if you try to run rollers at the big end of the rods on Nitro Harleys they would just destroy them from the shock load, roller bearings can't take high shockloads, riding slow in top gear puts a high shock load no matter what cam or engine size.
cheers
ps. 3:37 primary ratio is best for your motor, if your a greenie stick to stock primary ratio and care for the enviroment. cheers
The only advantage in SA (110kph) we have over the states with 100kph speed limits. Must be frustrating to be in no mans land with your gears. Yep better to ride in 5th, and no it won't hurt your gears.
Interesting to see the 2010 models now have helical cut gear for 5th. Re the whine issue and the fact that a lot of people can only use 6th occasionally.
My 09 has a helical cut 5th gear as well and I've never found that I am riding around in no mans land, I just ride around in the gear thats suits the speed I'm travelling at "simple" ?? I've never understood the concerns about what gear to be in with the 6th speed box, and it is a vast improvement on the 5 speed I owned in terms of how the gears are spaced and it's also great to have a 6th gear so you can sit on 140km hr all day without feeling like you are ringing the bikes neck. I must admit I never thought I would have said having 6 gear on a Harley is good but, It is.