I concur exactly.

 

My bike shakes too much at 55 in 6th. If I fall below 60, I shift to 5th and the bike smooths right out.

 

I usually don't use 6th until at 75mph...don't use 5th gear until 60 mph, which is 2500-2600 rpms. Oh, and 4th gear not less than 50 mph, which is also 2500 rpms.

Anything less and I feel like I'm luggin' the engine.

Of course, your results may vary...

 

Perhaps you were riding a 1200 sportster, and just didn't know it.... 'cause it don't sound like you've ridden a big twin ever.

This isn't a ricer engine... cruising 4th gear at 70 while completely within the capabilities of the bike, is not where you 'cruise' at. I call BS when you say 75 is lugging the 96 in 6th gear. If it is stock, you won't be lugging it till you drop below 65mph. Hell, even not stock... you're not lugging till you drop below 65.

I think maybe you need to go for another ride....

Just an opinion....

 

I'm pretty sure 6th gear is for going downhill when you're hitting 85mph. It pulls real good then.

 

I RUN IN 6TH AROUND TOWN ALL THE TIME, I ALMOST ALWAYS GO THRU ALL THE GEARS WHEN IM ON ANY MOVING HWY. I CAN RUN 6TH AT 50 AND ACCELERATE TO 100 WITHOUT SHIFTING IF I WANT TO, NOT LIKE A ROCKET BUT ITS NOT LUGGING EITHER, i DONT START LUGGING TILL IM DOWN TO ABOUT 40/45.
I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT ANYBODY IS DOING THAT I ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT LUGGING AT 60, MAYBE WOT BUT EVEN THERE I DONT REMEMBER LUGGING AT 60.
EITHER MINE JUST PLAIN RUNS BETTER THAN ALL THE REST OR IM THE MOST TALENTED RIDER EVER KNOWN TO MAN, BUT I REALLY DOUBT EITHER IS THE CASE. WHAT I REALLY MEAN TO SAY IS "I HAVENT A CLUE"-AN ALL TO OFTEN FEELING THESE DAZE

 

With the exception of rush hour, if your not going at least 80mph in SoCal, your gonna get run over!

 

Ditto

 

Nobody has answered your question! Sixth gear is there to reduce noise levels at the road speeds vehicles are tested at, to get them past current noise regulations. In recent years these regulations have got even more strict, so every vehicle manufacturer, including Harley, have had to take more extreme measures to pass the tests. They achieved this by adding an overdrive gear to the five speed box, lowering engine speed for those tests.

The gearing on Harleys has been progressively increased over the last twenty years or so. It is not a good thing, but has encouraged many riders to think it is cool to run their bikes at very low engine speeds. I am with you in running them at higher speeds to give them an easy time! At 5,000rpm in sixth gear a 2010 Fatbob would be travelling at 138mph, if it could get itself there. In fifth at the same rpm it would be doing 116mph, which is more like it, if you can hang on!

On my 03 Dyna I fitted a SE kit to replace the 25T crank sprocket for a 21T. This reduced its theoretical top speed at peak rpm from 140mph to 120mph, which is more like it! The bike now rides in top gear like a Harley should, rolling on with gusto. That change in gearing increases torque at the rear wheel by 19%, which is the cheapest way of tuning a Harley.

I understand from another thread on HDF that recent bikes have different primary sprocket sizes and that smaller crank sprocket/compensators are not available, which is a bummer. Good enough reason not to buy one!

If there is an economical alternative way of reducing overall gearing so sixth is similar to fifth the bike would benefit a great deal and be far more rideable. The alternative is to buy an earlier model which smaller compensators are available for (Baker make them in several sizes, but I haven't seen any for late bikes).

We all talk of making Stage 1 mods to a new bike. IMHO the very first part of that should be reducing gearing. Think how much it costs to tune an engine to get 19% more torque from it!

 

I don't even think about using 6th Gear unless at 70+ and going to stay at it for a while .. Can cruise up to 80-90 MPH in 5th with no worries for a short bit such as passing...