Shift points
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Stage I
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: nj
Shift points
New to riding Harley’s. I have a 23 streetbob 114 and was wondering what the best rpm’s to shift at are after the break in period. Trying to stay in the powerband. Also does this bike have a rev limiter? Thanks
HDF Community Team
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 4,347
Likes: 3,392
From: Seattle
Rev limiter on the stock 114 should be Software set to 5500RPM.
2000~2200 RPM is a pretty good low RPM cruising range, 3000RPM is peak torque.
Shifting after 3000RPM is fine.
When it comes to riding pretty much any motorcycle I've found that the engine will "tell" you when it wants to shift by how it feels. It's the exact same with harleys.
I can hop on a Nighster, a CFMoto 450SS, Versys650, RE SuperMetero, back to my Fat Boy and I just learn when to shift on the fly.
It's not something you really have to worry about staying in the powerband. Because you'll get good pull from 2000RPM out to 4000+ and it doesnt feel like a narrow powerband, it feels broad.
2000~2200 RPM is a pretty good low RPM cruising range, 3000RPM is peak torque.
Shifting after 3000RPM is fine.
When it comes to riding pretty much any motorcycle I've found that the engine will "tell" you when it wants to shift by how it feels. It's the exact same with harleys.
I can hop on a Nighster, a CFMoto 450SS, Versys650, RE SuperMetero, back to my Fat Boy and I just learn when to shift on the fly.
It's not something you really have to worry about staying in the powerband. Because you'll get good pull from 2000RPM out to 4000+ and it doesnt feel like a narrow powerband, it feels broad.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 251
Likes: 164
From: Ontario, Canada
Building on what Fran said, you feel and hear it. You'll start to get a feel for when the torque "falls off" or "rolls over" and this happens before redline and you'll develop an ear for how your engine sounds as it approaches this point just from riding more. I keep my gauge set on the clock, I don't pay attention to the rpm and just have an idea of what gear I should be in for a given speed. You'll be in the meat of the powerband if you run between 3000-4700rpm and that's where you'll get that freight train pull of torque. I've never felt the need to take it to redline and generally speaking the power tends to fall off before redline anyways if you were to look at a dyno graph on a stock bike.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 303
Likes: 146
From: Az
Seems there are several camps on this. I have always shifted my bikes a couple hundred over max torque rpm. Max torque is around 3000 on these motors stock. I live in the 3 to 4000 range. Never been a lugger. There are a lot of luggers out there though.
Find your happy place but know that lugging to much is hard on them. Also, take harley recommendations with a big grain of salt.
Find your happy place but know that lugging to much is hard on them. Also, take harley recommendations with a big grain of salt.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 518
Likes: 593
From: Central Iowa
Yet another reply solidly in the intuitive "sound and feel" camp. Very few of the many manual transmission motorcycles, cars, and trucks I've operated in my lifetime have even had tachometers to know what the RPM is and I was able to easily shift them all intuitively.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 4,251
Likes: 3,132
From: Texas
A stock 114 delivers over 100 ft/lbs from 2000 to about 4000 RPM. So not a lot to worry about. Shift such that the new gear's RPM is above 2000, you definitely don't want to be trying to accelerate full throttle at 1500 RPM in a high gear. And obviously, for any given RPM, a lower gear will deliver faster acceleration than a higher gear will. So to stay in the power band, don't shift too soon.
For maximum acceleration, you want to shift such that the total rear wheel torque in the new gear at the new RPM is higher than the old gear's was at the old RPM. With pretty much any bike on the road nowadays, the transmissions are mated so that optimum acceleration is usually at or near redline. But don't run into the rev limiter, that'll cut the gas off to the engine and squash your momentum.
For maximum acceleration, you want to shift such that the total rear wheel torque in the new gear at the new RPM is higher than the old gear's was at the old RPM. With pretty much any bike on the road nowadays, the transmissions are mated so that optimum acceleration is usually at or near redline. But don't run into the rev limiter, that'll cut the gas off to the engine and squash your momentum.
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HDF Community Team
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,189
Likes: 2,419
From: USA
Seriously, why are you trying to always stay in the powerband (presuming you mean peak power)?
If you're cruising down the highway, it's a hell of lot nicer to be in 6th gear with the engine at a lower, calmer, rpm. Similar if you're just puttering through town or such.
No need for all the noise and franticness of always having the engine wound up.
There's no rule that say's you can't quickly downshift when you need to.
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Supporter
Joined: Sep 2023
Posts: 42
Likes: 20
From: MO
I got my 1st HD SportGlide last year when I was 67. Could never stand the paint shaker look at an idle but the M8 engines are smooth so I picked one up. My other bikes are inline 4 ricers so HD and ricer rpm shift points differ. Took me 3 or 4 stoplites to figure out the HD since like all bikes the engine sound plus whether you are feeling happy or not is your shift point. No different than your other bikes for shift points.
Congrats on the new ride !!!
Congrats on the new ride !!!
