What speed for what gear
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,167
Likes: 0
RE: What speed for what gear
What he said.
I rarely use 6 because I'm never going that fast that long before it feels like the motor is lugging.
If it's your cruising gears your more concerned with, I agree with AZ Rider.
I rarely use 6 because I'm never going that fast that long before it feels like the motor is lugging.
If it's your cruising gears your more concerned with, I agree with AZ Rider.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 307
Likes: 1
From: Right of Center
RE: What speed for what gear
It is not really about speed, it is about load. Extreme lugging is bad, as well as red-line or above shifts in every gear also.
I would suggest just riding it and not worrying too much about it. The bike will communicate to you when to shift it, and in this way you will become one with the bike. If you are like me, you are going to experiment with all kinds of different techniques anyway. Find what feels best.
I would suggest just riding it and not worrying too much about it. The bike will communicate to you when to shift it, and in this way you will become one with the bike. If you are like me, you are going to experiment with all kinds of different techniques anyway. Find what feels best.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 1
From: New Iberia, Louisiana
RE: What speed for what gear
ORIGINAL: watriff
Here's the Upshift Gear Speeds Chart (six speed) from the 06' Dyna Manual found on page 94:
Here's the Upshift Gear Speeds Chart (six speed) from the 06' Dyna Manual found on page 94:
4th gear sounds right for cruising at 45 mph. It is about 2300 to 2400 rpm.
Cruising overall seems to be right when the rpms are around 2400 to 2500.
Of course 70 mph on the interstate is 6th at about 2700 rpm.
All of this is from memory and may be a little off. I usually go by sound but I try to look every once in while just for questions like this.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,951
Likes: 33
From: Upstate NY
RE: What speed for what gear
I ride by sound and feel. If the road is flat, I can hit 6th around 60. If I have hills or rolling roads, I need to stay in 5th longer. The engine does seem to like to rev. I have problems trying to hold 30 in traffic. I have not found a comfortable gear for that yet, so I am still experimenting. That's the fun part of riding a new bike.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Novice
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From:
RE: What speed for what gear
If I'm solo I'll hit 5th at 45 if I'm cruising on a flat stretch. In that same case I'll click it into 6th at 55.
With a passenger and/or hilly terrain I'll add about 10 MPH to those speeds.
Once I threw the short shots on I started shifing earlier than when it had the stock pipes.
With a passenger and/or hilly terrain I'll add about 10 MPH to those speeds.
Once I threw the short shots on I started shifing earlier than when it had the stock pipes.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From:
RE: What speed for what gear
My feeling is the Charted shift points are minimums. In traffic I like to ride with slightly elevated RPM's so that if someone moves over on me or I feel that I need to be in a postion other thanthe one I am in I can make it happen instantly and without having to down shift first. After hitting the throttle the time that it takes to realize that you need more torqueand thus need to down shift and the time to actually do the shifting can be critical ifa cage is moving in on you abruptly/without notice. Running 500 or so RPM's higher than minimum revsprobably does little harm to the engine or MPG.Over the yearsthe elevated RPM's has given me the ability to move out of harms way more quickly and with less elevated blood presure. There have been times in my riding historythat I twisted the throttle and found that I was in to high a gearto move me as quickly as I felt I need to move out. I have an 06 BOB and feel that the engine is lugging if I shift to 6th gear prior to 75 MPH.