I'll accept that... ignition works too, esp. on carb'd engines.

I'm new to H-D's and am still learning the landscape.

Pretty sure about the stock rev limit on the OP's bike. Different H-D motors seem to have different rev limits, and there are upgrade packages that raise the rev limits.

 

Correct. I think the "Stage one" download from the dealer raises it to 6200 (or somewhere in that neighborhood).

 

A stock TwinCam will stop making power long before it hits the rev limiter. This circumstance is what prompted me to do a 95" build on my '04 RK, and I still don't go near the rev limit.

 

Not sure about now, but earlier SE ignition modules eliminated the rev-limiter.
In that case, you would flatten out one or more of the valve seals. Afterwards, you would see it puff a little oil smoke when coming off idle. Did it once when I had the throttle rolled all the way back and the drive belt snapped.

 

Not true. The stock motor can hit the rev limiter in a lower gear. Easy to do actually pulling quickly away from a stop. Have hit it in 2nd but not something I intend to do.

 

Since you asked this question and you got the answer --rev limiter. The hardest thing I observe being done to HD's by either the I don't care, I can rebuild it or pay to get it rebuilt, or the stupid. It is when they get a cold engine and take it to the rev limiter. I have actually got the pleasure of hearing a valve float and get slapped twice by two different engines.

 

Of course the the stock "motor" can hit the rev limiter in the low gears because there's no way in hell that it's going to hit the limiter in the top gears. What I mean is that by the time the stock engine hits the rev limiter, it has revved past its torque peak and past the optimum time to shift - that's old gearhead slang for "not making power (torque) any more". If you're over-revving your bike by missing shifts, you need to rethink your riding style.

 

I probably should have added that I don't expect to ever come remotely close to redline but was just curious. My hero was the tortoise not the hare but even though it won't happen it's still something to learn about.

 

Guess I should have said engine , not motor. Never said anything about missing shifts, said it's easy to do while accelerating in a lower gear. If it's still accelerating, it's "still making power".

 

Not quite. The rev limiter only protects the motor from revving too high while accellerating. It does nothing to prevent a mechanical overrev, like happens when you downshift at too high an RPM.