Why engine speeds do you generally try to maintain? 2500-3000? 3000-4000?

 

you can feel it and hear it. On my motor, a good range is above 2000 rpm and above without a hard pull. Under that, I can feel "lugging". I generally ride between 2000 through 3800 rpm's. I will bring my bike which has 1500 miles up to 4500-5000 with a little stress ( not a hard pull) as break-in once in a while. Eventually I will not even do that. Just ride with the engine being "happy".
During break-in, I generally did a moderate pull up to 4500 rpm's in 3-4-5-6 gear. Over the years this seems to have helped. Just what I do.
These are push rod engines so they are not really designed to rev very high (5k-6k rpm's) such as overhead cam type engines for long periods. So just try to stay in the power bands.

 

Page 114 and 115, it should come right up in the link. I try to stay in the 2500-3000 rpm.

http://books.google.com/books?id=XgS...damage&f=false

 

Sorry, didn't mean to offend your delicate sensibilities. And I certainly didn't intend to bash anyone or anything.
But this question comes up almost as often as oil threads. And you'll get so many different answers....some misleading, some fairly accurate, and some purely unadulterated BS. It can't help but be confusing to anyone looking for an answer they can understand.
Thus my offering that you'll know lugging when you experience it. I did and I never needed anyone to explain it to me (and I never asked).

 

I read in the manual recently to upshift at like 15,25,35, etc. When I do this I notice the RPM is around 2,000. It almost feels like I'm about to lug it, but I'm not. I do now realize why rear tires only last me 6 to 7k miles because I'm used to shifting at much higher RPM's.

 

I run around 3000 RPM most of the time except local slow speed limit streets around 2500 RPM and bike has close to 85K miles on it and still hauls *** like new.

 

No worries, you do not offend me in any way. My own sensitivities are far from delicate !
There is nothing that comes up as much as oil threads !

I know exactly what lugging is and if I did not after reading all the terrific responses I sure as heck would now, for certain.
These twincams sure do not react like the old carb bikes to too low rpm.

Some of the newer people I have been riding with are afraid of asking "dumb" questions here because they get made fun of or see others getting bashed have. responses like do a search or not again or whatever.

Do a search on" lugging the motor " how many pop up on the first page? Not even this one !! Try what type oil and see what you get.
The search feature is ok but but it ain't great.

So what are forums for? Share like interest, learn and maybe ask questions. Not everyone has mechanical backgrounds, even enough to change oil but maybe they want to learn. Maybe they are real new to the whole Harley thing and no zip.Whatever.
Maybe they do not have 50 years worth of racing and riding motorcycles.

Those of us that have been here a while have seen the repeat subjects and might get tired of them so we snipe or make a smart *** comment, I am guilty of this one myself.
I have turned several other new riders on to this site and most of them quit after being here only a little bit because of the negative crap.

I do not have a problem asking questions, posting my experiences or whatever.

I really dig this forum and it is a lot of fun and I continue to learn new things, see new things and share stuff as well and hope to continue to do so. Regardless of any comments from others.

Leftcoaster your posts are frequently laced with smart *** comments, insults and unnecessary crap, why is that ?

 

That IS the definition. The key word there is "immediate".

 

Originally Posted by bigheadted
One definition I got from a well trained HD man was lugging is when you crack the throttle a little and the engine does not respond with an immediate increase in rpm/speed, regardless of what RPM you are turning. Makes sense to me.

I would lightly dispute that.

Lugging is bad basically because you can sheer through the oil and get direct metal to metal contact on the bearings. That's a bad thing, tears engines up.

When puttering through town at low rpms, there is no lugging. Crack the throttle, feel the engine strain but not accelerate the bike, now you might be lugging the engine. Roll back off the throttle and the lugging ends. Or, downshift and stay on the throttle, again the lugging ends.

But, cruising at 70 into a strong headwind, crack the throttle and get no response, that isn't lugging. You're just up at the max load for the engine, and it's got no more available power to provide. You're not lugging the engine, you're simply working the engine to its maximum. Oil is still on the bearing surfaces, so no damage is happening.

 

As with anything it depends.... How much torque does your motor make/ How he4avy is the load on the bike? What kind of terrain are you riding in? What is the ambient temperature? You will know you are lugging when you start hearing clunkity clunk clunk coming out of the front of your primary chain case. That sound is made when the compensating sprocket starts riding upand down the ramps of the assembly absorbing shock from the power pulses of the V Twin, which is why it is in there....