smoother upshifting tips?
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 680
Likes: 3
From: Upstate New York
smoother upshifting tips?
I have been using the speeds listed in the owners manual as a guide when to upshift on my 07 lowrider. I'am also getting to the point I don't look at the tach or speedo and know by feel when its feels right to upshift. 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 is what the manual has. I see alot of guys shifting higher in the RPM range than these recommendations. Whats best for the 07 6-speed bikes?
Cruiser
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 107
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From:
RE: smoother upshifting tips?
I can't tell you what's best but I have an 07 Super Glide and I've been riding for a few years on another bike and I never look at the speedo. I can hear and feel when it needs to be shifted. I don't know how many miles you have on it right now but I'm still in my break in on my 07 and it's better to be running in the high RPM's than in the low right now. You don't want to bog the engine while in break in.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 307
Likes: 1
From: Right of Center
RE: smoother upshifting tips?
Funny how many quesitons there are regarding shift points. I never have looked at the speedo when deciding when to shift. Just do it by sound and feel. Guess if I had a tach, I might pay a little more attention.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 11,317
Likes: 11
From: Tucson, Az
RE: smoother upshifting tips?
I do it by sound and feel. That translates to the fact that I tend to shift just a little later than the owners manual recommends. The speed listed in the owners manual is good for flat and level and if you're not accelerating.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,728
Likes: 1
From: Olympia, Washington
RE: smoother upshifting tips?
I'll take higher rpms on my 07 than I will lugging the engine. Besides, if I need to bust a move for some reason, damn hard if you're lugging the engine.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,199
Likes: 1
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
RE: smoother upshifting tips?
IMHO the shifting speeds listed in the manual are too low by about 7 to 10 MPH. I agree with the previous posts use sound and feel to shift your bike.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,015
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From:
RE: smoother upshifting tips?
I have a feeling that the shift points in the manual are geared towards the best MPG and not performance.
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2007
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From:
RE: smoother upshifting tips?
Other than the 1st to 2nd shiftpoint, I'd add 10 mph to each of those you listed. Shifting to 4th at 35, 5th at 45, and 6th at 55 is crazy. You want to keep your rpm around 2500 in the higher gears.
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 278
Likes: 1
From: NY
RE: smoother upshifting tips?
It also depends on where I am riding. If I am in a residential area I tend to be conservative in shifting. I don't want to blow out people with my pipes, and you get better gas mileage. When getting on a highway, however, I tend to wind out the gears alot more for faster acceleration and performance. Most people around here don't realize that the enterance and exit ramps are for getting up to speed or slowing down. They tend to come around the ramp and merge into traffic that is going 65 while they are doing 20-30. A dangerous proposition when in a cage. Can be fatal on a bike. Wind your gears out and merge. Around town I tend to shift somewhere in between the two.
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Banned
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 17,265
Likes: 21
From: Los Angeles, CA
RE: smoother upshifting tips?
I think this is a personal issue. Wherever you feel comfy shifting. I jsut realized the other day I can shift far lower in the rev range than I realized and not lug at all. I was kinda surprised. It must be obvious that before my harley I rode rice rockets, and they rev high. I don't really think that 10 mph here or there is going to harm your bike, but you may burn more gas shifting later in the rev range...