I am 73 years old and sometimes ride well over 200 miles at a time although much of it at 65 rather than 80. My 99 Softail Custom is reasonably smooth up through 80 and my mirrors are always solid. That might be because of my stock buckhorn bars. I think part of it for me was riding an 84 Iron Head Sporty for 23 years. When I got the Softail I thought it was almost to smooth. I have ridden the rubber mounts and the balanced Twin Cams, and nothing feels as good to me as my Softy. But then I don't tour accross country either. Different strokes.

 

I ride alot of long distance stuff on my new to me 1989 Electraglide Ultra Classic which is bone stock. I do most of my riding at high speed around 80-85 mph for full tanks of gas and it is smooth as can be. I actually prefer to run it at this speed 'cause the engine really zips along and just feels right at home there around 3700-3900 rpm.

I rode a 2013 Electraglide 103 that was also stock before I bought my Evo at those speeds on the same type of roads and it was very smooth as well. It was easier to ride and handled better but I didn't like the 6 speed transmission personally, just too many gears for what you need IMHO. I can go 100mph on my Evo w/o vibration being noticeable and I don't run out of gears yet either with a standard 5 speed. Seems like a marketing thing to have the 6 gear tranny. Especially when you consider sportbikes and race bikes don't need more than 5 and make over 180hp stock now and go over 200mph. Just my thoughts.

The other thing was the TC burned my leg a couple of times the way the pipes are located and how hot it gets.

My overall opinion in the contrast of the two is that the Evo is the bike I prefer to ride for enjoyment of the riding experience for motor (more torquey and a bit more personality), the TC would be my preference if I had to really put in some hard miles under difficult conditions and get there as quickly as possibly. That TC just gobbles up the miles, it just does it in a fairly uninspiring fashion I suppose.

 

Ah, FlashPrez, you made the lights go on. Add a 6 speed tranny to the evo softy. That way you can keep all the goodness of the evo and lower the freeway vibes. I was actually thinking about doing that to my sportster for the same reason so I'm a little surprised I didn't think of it myself. I upgraded to the 95 Road King instead.

CB, my RK cruises nice at 80 plus, but it's a rubber mounted engine. All the softtails are solid mounted so it's a different ballgame as the revs increase. I, too, think the 5 speed is fine, but here is a good reason for the 6. A lot of the twinkie owners rave about the 6 speed. I wasn't as impressed with that as I was the difference in power between an 88 and a 96 inch engine.

 

6 speed is there to get the bike through the EPA regs, its also designed so that Hillibillies can count the gears on the fingers of one hand....

Personally I prefer the 5 speed too.

 

You crack me up man... that is too funny!

 

[QUOTE=Spanners39;11904698]6 speed is there to get the bike through the EPA regs, its also designed so that Hillibillies can count the gears on the fingers of one hand....

You mean their wife's, sorry their sisters hand....

 

The six speed has the same final ratio as the five speed just another gear in there. It is not an over drive transmission like a Baker. I bet my '93 would do well over 130 with a od six.

 

Recent Harley 6-speeds do indeed have a direct top internal ratio, same as the 5-speeds, however overall gearing is higher, so sixth is just like an overdrive gear. Early Harley 6-speeds were an overdrive top and that SE conversion is available for our Evos, with a .885:1 sixth. Baker make a choice of two different 6-speeds, both overdrive and direct drive.

As for your or anyone's Harley doing 130mph, with or without a sixth gear, only in your dreams! It will run out of power to punch a bl**dy great hole through the air, long before it gets that fast! Probably needs at least one HP for every mph at those speeds, at sea level.

On my 1990 bike, which started life as an International spec model, original gearing gave 25.5mph/1,000rpm, a theoretical speed of 128mph at 5,000rpm. I now have US spec gearing of 22.2mph/1,000rpm, which is more sensible and corresponds to 111mph at 5k rpm. My S&S 107", with 101HP could probably achieve that. It will actually rev to 6,500rpm, or 144mph, but no way will it go that fast! An S&S 145" with 160+HP might get there.......

 

Bike is bone stock, except ac and drag pipes. It's done 120mph in Wyoming for miles and miles, with the stock 5 speed. Pretty sure it'll do 130 with an overdrive. Like you said it's in the gearing, and that is stock also.

My 94 Springer will barely break 100.

 

I have been 137mph on a 130HP 120R-motored Wide Glide and it was still pulling.....maybe your bike needs to go on a diet