as you may or may not know i am new to riding. this is my first bike my firstharley. anyways i shift according to the sound of the motor and i kinda lean towards the manual. but i always read people are running there bikes at60 in 4th or 100 in 5th and that 6th is for cruising. well when i ride it feels like i need to shift into 6th around 60-65mph. it doesnt feel like it drags at all but if im in fifth and i get to 60 it definatly feels like its reving to high and i need to shift. can anyone explain if im doing anything wrong. i def. dont want to screw up my motor

 

You are not doing anything wrong. I also shift with the motor sounds. This is ok as long as you do not ref to high. I shift into 6th around 60 or 65 also. I approx. 15 miles on open road to and from work everyday and this type of shifting gets me into the flow of traffic without really pushing the bike.

 

well at least im doing it right then. but then again how do i know im revving it to high? do harleys like high rpms or is it better to have lower rpms?

 

And I thought you shift when you hit the rev limiter[sm=yikesomg.gif]

 

bobber, since this is your first sickle, take your time,
work your way up, if you want to.

Keep the rpms up a little in each gear.
Lugging the motor at toolow rpm will damage the motor.

You can't hardly hurt these motors.
Valve train is designed for below about 6500 rpms.
You'll never see 6500 because there is a rev limit set
a few hundred rpms below that.

I am an aggressive rider and hit the limiter in all gears
every now and then.
Haven't hit the limiter in 6th, don't know if the gearing allows that.

Don't worry about the shiftguidelines in the owner's manual,
ride it where your skill level is comfortable.

Main thing be careful while you learn the machine.

Myownself, the machine does not go into 6th until above 70 mph.

mud

 

i know for a fact i ve let i lug before but not a lot. what kind of damage would lugging it do?

 

Lugging will score the cylinders. I have a 4 speed shovel. The person before me would always be lugging it in 4th. In a four speed, you SHOULD NOT be in 4th gear at 35 mph. I always believe in not upshifting to a higher gear if it lowers the RPM to less than 4 K. I had to get new cylinders for the shovel after only 2 K miles....lugging was so bad. I have a six speed now in addition. I shift into 6 at 70 MPH. Most of my driving is in 4 or 5. My bike likes 60 MPH, 5th gear, turning 3K RPM


That's why I like a tach...just my own $.02

 

For a six speed 60 in sixth is to low for my taste. No power to move past that big rig. You may think its their, but if you were in fifth, you'd have twice the power

 

i see what your sayin DYNAMITE but 5th gear at 60 it just seems like its revving to high especially around 65

 

I can't imagine this is reving too high???
I have a 5 speed, but depending on the type of riding I'm doing, I'm sometimes still in 3rd at 65mph, and everything is fine, not even bumping into the rev limiter.