The 2003 883R I picked up seems to need to be revving pretty well in each gear to "sound" comfortable. I roughly need to be over 40 MPH to go into 4th and over 30 MPH to go into 3rd. Does this sound right?
I've opened up the back of the airbox & rejetted. It pulls great and runs perfect up top and on the highway
It just seem to make a lot of puffing and chugging if I up shift too soon
thanks
-Smokin

 

Run it a little harder it's an 883 you aren't going to hurt it. Nice looking bike.

 

My owner's manual says....

1. 15mph - 1st to 2nd
2. 25mph - 2nd to 3rd
3. 35mph - 3rd to 4th
4. 45mph - 4th to 5th

That's about how it feels on my 48. The 883R is probably geared a little higher, which jives with the experience you've described.

 

Kept mine in third till I needed to go over 40 then I shifted... Sounds about right. I've heard too that the 883's run fine a little higher too. My .02.......

 

Sounds about right to me. Sportsters like to run at higher RPM. You won't hurt it at all. Think of 5th as more of an overdrive gear. You can easily do at least 55 in 4th if necessary.

Beautiful bike, take good care of her. They are fairly unique, considering the low/poor cornering models today. Not a big fan of the orange scheme, but I would not change if I had it.

John

 

Heck...sounds like you all are riding big twins vice a Sportster. I shift into 3rd at 40-45 mph, I shift into 4th at 60 mph, and don't shift to 5th until around 70-75 mph. Of course, I have a 1200 so the gearing is higher than on a 883. I ride in the 3200-3400 RPM range. That's where Sportsters generate their power. A lot of Sportster riders ride in 3500-4000 RPM range. If you all are riding your Sportsters below that, you all are not riding the bike where it loves to run.

 

I have an 07 1200, and on a level road, it feels just fine going into 5th at 45 or a little faster. I can then roll the throttle open and it pulls right away, no chugging or lugging, it just pulls hard right on away....as it should.


I'm just not buying that you have to run these things like an old two stroke bike!


And yes, the 883's are geared "lower"... (higher number = lower gearing)


SR

 

In top gear your bike is geared for around 21mph per 1,000rpm. So at 4,000rpm (a gentle stroll in the park for an 883) you will be doing a little over 80mph in top gear, just under 70mph in 4th, mid-50s in 3rd, just over 40mph in 2nd, and 30mph in 1st. Ride it at those road speeds and you will have plenty in reserve and get a better measure of what your bike rides like, without distressing it.

1. 30
2. 40
3. 55
4. 70
5. 80.

 

I've got an '02 883. For general riding, I'll shift into 2nd at 20mph, into 3rd at 35mph, and into 4th at 45mph. I'll stretch those out for quicker acceleration. I generally don't even go into 5th till well after 60mph.

She just seems to like it there.

I learned long ago not to argue with my machinery. I never win those arguments.
Ever.

 

Yes, stretch the gearing out more. Yes, I have the 1250 kit in mine, but I still never shifted that low even with the 883 piston/jugs. Maybe you should find the speed where your rev limiter kicks in in the first couple gears, and then you know you'll need to shift a little sooner than those speeds. Mine hits the rev limiter at right around 50 mph in 1st gear, and I regularly cruise the highway at 70mph in 4th gear all the time.