is everyone happy with the new smaller transmission pulley on the new trikes? it sure seems it would rise your rpm's at cruising speed.

 

I'm coming from BMW boxers to the trike; basically both enhanced pre-WWII designed, high-torque, low RPM air cooled big twins. (It's really interesting that they both finally went with wet heads for the 2014 year!) So that's all I can compare it to.

And I like the gearing on my '14.

Low enough to make starting off relatively easy with this heavy of a beast, and with the six speed it's plenty tall enough on the highway not to be too buzzy in most states. But I very rarely do much cruising at over 75mph, and there's a real sweet spot on mine at 72 that I'll stick with regardless of faster traffic unless I feel like I'm getting run over.

The gear spacing and overall ratio are actually better than what I've been used to. Shifting is definitely easier and more positive. Clutch life should be good.

 

I really like the new gearing on our 2015 freewheeler.
It did raise the rpm's around 500 rpm's but I don't do the 80-90mph thing anymore.
I can still cruise around 70mph and stay under 3 grand.
I'm digging the 37-38 mpg

 

Very happy with the new gearing, the 09 - 10's are a pig at anything below 75 mph when in 6th gear. I did this swap a handful of years back https://www.hdforums.com/forum/tri-g...ge-begins.html It didn't cost any gas mileage, if anything it improved it a touch. It made taking off easier, and made 6th gear more useful. The sweet spot on the Twin Cam is 3,000 - 3,500 rpm, why not run where the peak torque is.

 

Funny, not so many years ago the complaint was the other way, gearing too tall. Guess the pendulum just keeps swinging

 

I like the gearing on the new freewheeler just fine. You can cruise at 80 just fine and still has good off the line power. Gas mileage does not seem to suffer too much. I get 35 MPG and I do not baby the throttle in any way.

 

There are some who think lower rpm will equal better fuel mileage, it will at times. With the Trikes I've found pushing that big brick through the wind in 6th gear @70 - 75mph and a 32 tooth trans sprocket, took more fuel. The same trike under the same conditions with the 30 tooth sprocket had about 1 mpg better fuel mileage.

The 32 tooth sprocket took more throttle opening to maintain that speed vs the 30 tooth. Its not always about RPM's, these v-twins are not the most powerful beast for pushing an aerodynamic brick through the wind and peak torque isn't until the 3,000 - 3,500 rpm range.