OK, brand new to the Harley thing...changed over from the Hondas and Yamahas.. With these engines red-lining so low, what is the max safe cruising speed ya'll have been doing? Can she sustain 90 without blowing up or throwing a belt?

Just had to ask the forum since I can't find anywhere what the top end on these bikes is...I know they aren't made for top end speed but hey, driving 55 sucks on anything!

New bike is an 07 deluxe...hopefully the new tranny can give me a few more MPH.

 

sometimes i cruise at 70 and never had a problem and i got a 06 Deluxe.

 

The speedo goes to 120 mph.

The owner's manual, you know that doorstop you got when you bought the bike, will list some warning about "death and / or serious injury" at speeds above 90.

The reality has to do with the road conditions, weather, your fitness, and the load the bike is carrying.

I like to run my Ultra between 80 and 90 depending on the above, but she will spend time at 110 if I got the road for it.

 

I understand all the driving safety stuff...and no I don't plan on friving at 100+ MPH for hours on end. I was just curious about what the bike's mechanical limitations are...say if it was running on a treadmill with a cooling fan. What is the strength of the belt drive?

 

I think it's less a question of road speed and more a question of engine rpm. It's pretty unlikely that you'll over-rev the engine in top gear at any [sane] highway speed. I'm not sure you could even pull redline with a stock motor in top gear (maybe that's a topic for another thread...). The motors and gearboxes on Harleys are pretty solid and if the final drive belt can handle the stress of banging through the gears it can certainly handle high speed cruising. It's hard to imagine you could break anything just by riding fast. If you read some of the trades you'll hear about the potential of puking some oil out of the breathers and into the air cleaner and onto your motor and right leg after sustained high speed cruising. But if that's going to happen it could just as well be at 60 mph as at 90 mph. Although the theoretical chances of this happening increase with speed & distance. I guess it's just a matter of how comfortable you are at a given speed and how willing you are to accept the inherent risks of same. That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

As long as you don't get a slice in the belt you will be fine.

At the HOG reception at Sturgis 06 Harley had an Ultra Classic they suspended by the drive belt.

Eventually though it will need to be replaced.

 

I personally many times i have have burned a full tank holding 85. Iride my bike fairly hard and have no problems after a year and 14,000 miles. I don't see why running at a higherthan 55would cause a problem. And if it did, its just a good reason to break it down and get some more HP.[/align]

 

At sustained speeds of 88 MPH I always see some serious ****

and it's usually around that speed that the wife falls asleep on the p-pad

 

Interstate I generally run 75 to 80, 75mph in 6th gear is supposed to be around 2800 rpm, 70 I think is about 2500, I think that would make 80 about 3000 or 3100.I could be wrong about theexact numbers but I know it's close.

 

I have cruised for miles above 85mph, I mean the speed limit is 70 on most highways now and I have over 13000 miles on an 05 Road King Classic. I was riding into work one morning a about 75 mph and a ricer came up on me and we did about 110mph for about 15 minutes. it does spit some oil out the airbreather...but that was an easy fix also.