Well, I am a squid when it comes to harleys so take that into consideration before answering this question.

I feel like I am a bit high in the RPM's on my DWG at the highway. It's an '04 so I have the 5 speed.

1. Is that harder on the motor? Intuition for me says that the bike would be a little happier 1000-1500 rpms less at 75 MPH. Then again I am a desert rat, that rode mainly dirt bikes up to this point.

2. In dirt bikes, you can change gearing by the sprockets. Do many of you change out the front or rear pulley to make the bike run a little wider ratio, or will it trash the powerband?

3. Anyone with a pre '05 ever put a 6 speed in? Are the first 5 the same? is it worth the dough?


Cheers guys!

 

Scotch-I'll try and answer this, with out a tach you might be turning the motor at a higher rpm than if you had a six speed. I use to experience the same thing with my 01 sporty. I almost put a six speed in which would have dropped the freeway rpms by about 500-600 rpms per Baker trannys. Also it looks like you have a thunderheader? My sporty and my 06 Wg have the thunderheader and I think that's the way the power band is with this exhaust. Just my .02

 

I don't know if it's true or not but a salesman told me that the '06 final gear is the same ratio as the 5 speed. Said the MoCo thought they needed to have more pulling power in the lower gear. I think that we all assume that the 6 speed has a taller 6th gear, I know I did.

 

That salesman is ignorant. He forgot to learn about the different primary gearing on the 6-speed bikes. They changed the primary ratio, so the effect is the same as an overdrive, but without all the stress being put on the transmission gears. The engine spins lower rpms at highway speed - that's what counts.

 

Baker explains it very well.

They have a 1:1 direct drive 6 speed kit along with a primary reduction similiar to what HD did with the cruise drive.
Also, the traditional over-drive gear set with a .86 6th gear with no change to the primary.

http://www.bakerdrivetrain.com/dialup/dd6/index.html Direct drive
http://www.bakerdrivetrain.com/dialup/od6/index.html Over-drive