What's Sixth Gear For?
 

I finally got out and test drove a Steet Bob and a Fat Bob last week! Personal opinion, but the Street Bob felt like a big Sportster, which I currently own. The Fat Bob was MUCH better and I enjoyed it tremendously! I'm thinking of making it my next purchase.

Anyway, when I took both bikes out on the highway, I noticed I could cruise comfortably at 70mph in 4th gear...75 could hold 5th, but it was REALLY lugging it to try to go into 6th gear. That's even near 80mph! So, what's it for? I am unaware of any state that allows 90 on the interstate, and I'm not certain that would even be fast enough to do 6th comfortably?

Thanks!

-DrJ

I never used 6th until i dropped my sprocket 2 teeth went to a 30 tooth instead of the stock 32. Now 6th is nice on the interstate

When I have used sixth gear I thought my bike was going to rattle apart!

Your used to a Sportster and it's vibes at highway speeds.


I use 6th after 60mph or 65mph. I hit a hill, a simple downshift and the engine sings along.



I might do a 30T pully change as I don't spend much if any time over 75mph anymore. I like to just cruise.

At what RPM were you at when you were running it at 70mph in 4th gear? My bikes runs fine in 6th when at 75+ mph. I don't feel like I'm being shot out of a cannon when I open up the throttle in 6th, but it's a nice gear to cruise at on an open highway. If I want to pass, or get on it, it's just one click down and I'm off to the races. :)

I don't know what bikes you guys are riding but I usually shift without any lugging to 6th anywhere over 55 that I feel like I'm ready to settle in and cruise for a while without immediate need for slowing down or accelerating quickly. And I think that's fairly close to, if not right on, what the owners manual recommends. 70 does seem to be the sweet spot for my bike but I don't get much chance to ride very long at that speed in the rural area I live in - not legally anyway. Can I run 70 in 4th gear, sure, but it, by no means, feels like that's where it should be.

And that's how it is designed. It's not meant for acceleration and passing. It's basically an overdrive.

This actually brings up a question I've been meaning to ask. I should probably start a thread, but here goes.

For those of you who did a 30T sprocket change, what are your shift points in MPH now? I ride a Fat Bob, so no tach. Right now in basically stock form mine are:

2nd at about 20-25MPH
3rd at about 35-40MPH
4th at about 50MPH
5th at about 65MPH
6th at 75-80MPH for cruising on the highway or never...

And those shift points are when I'm just taking it easy. Keep in mind, no tach so I'm going by engine noise.

I ride up a 7% grade from work for 7 miles and I cruise up it at 65-70 in 6th gear and I can accelerate to 75-80 if I wanted to staying in 6th. It's not the quickest way, but had to test it. It seems when it's colder out I get the bogging on the hill, but when it's hot outside it flies just fine with no bogging in 6th. Once I get to the top the 25 miles left to get home it's in 6th all the way till I get into town and that's going 65mph. I don't have anything performance wise done to my bike either other then V&H slip ons with the standard baffles. When I get into the 60mph zone I sit at 60mph in 6th till I hit a hill and drop it to 5th. Once I'm at 65mph though it's good to go in 6th.

What's Sixth Gear For?
 

Ditto.