Since 80 mph down main st seems to be the norm. Cams that kick in at 3200 and up are pretty much a waste of money....

 

My 03 RKC with an all bore 107" doing 130 TQ 120 HP........spins like a **** and is quick. So plenty up to 4500-5500 RPM. Highway cruising, I am a believer that the 4" stroke motors should usually be run 2700-3300 RPM. For me, mine likes around 3100 RPM cruising.

My stock 15 RGS runs outta steam around 4K. So usually not much over that when running thru the gears. Highway cruising, it usually likes around 2600-2900 RPM.

Many in the HD world though are obsessed with lugging their motors and run cruising RPM's around 2000-2200. Now is that RPM always lugging, maybe not on a desert salt flat, but.......

Don't be afraid of RPM's. Twin cams like them.

 

Given the 5,500 redline, most of us have 60% = 3,300 and 40% = 2250. At 3,000 I am doing just a tad over 80 on flat ground and no wind. That is only going to happen out on the interstate and my 2010 Stage One 96 Twin Cam will run there all day long without even breathing hard.

On my Iron Butt last October I ran at 3,000 +/- about 90% of the 18.5-hour ride. Checked the oil when I got home and it had not burned a drop. Almost half of that ride involved 25 - 35 mph headwinds which increased my fuel consumption {down to 30} big time but was still able to maintain 75 mph for most of it.

Cruising the two lanes here in southern Arizona I am usually at 2,250 to 2,700 which gives me 60 to 70 mph.

 

Am I missing something or did I misunderstand your post? I’d think the speed at a specific RPM would remain constant with the same gearing regardless of any engine work, wouldn’t it? I don’t see how a Stage 1 would have any affect on road speed at a given engine speed...

 

Most of the time, at least when I'm riding to work, I typically run about 2500 rpms, though I sometimes drop closer to 2200-2300 rpms, or rev up to 3500-4000 rpms before shifting gears. This gets me decent gas mileage out of a tank, but also leaves me in a good range for cranking the throttle if needed to get around or away from some idiot/distracted cager on their cell phone, though 2200 might be a tad on the low side, nearing bogging down too low. My friend who has a shop that works exclusively on HD bikes warned me to keep the rpms between 2-4k usually, and if it drops below 2k, to definitely NEVER "crank" that throttle hard and fast, as it will cause troubles in the engine. He said that he gets bikes in his shop all the time that have troubles because the owner/rider likes to crank that throttle when the rpms are too low. He told me I could slowly bring the throttle up from below 2k rpms, but just DON'T crank it hard and fast. The bike seems to run smoothest at about 2500-3800 rpms, so far. However, I'm not riding like a Speed Demon, either, though I do tend to like to take off from a stop rather quickly, but once I'm at or slightly above the speed limit, I'm fine with cruising along.

 

I have no idea. Mine don't have tachs. Been riding long enough that I don't need one!

 

Must be a misunderstanding because a stage 1 definitely would have no impact on the RPMs to MPH.

Personally I dont give any thought to what RPMs I'm turning... maybe with the exception of that gray area where I can't decide if I want to be in 5th or 6th. Its all dependent on the situation. But if im "in a rush" I dont just park my RPMs at 3700 and cruise down the road... I'll cruise at a comfortable RPM and downshift as necessary. Heavy with the hand up to whatever MPH I want to be at and then back down off of it.

If I HAD to throw a number out there...my cruising RPMs could be anywhere from 24-3400 I would think. On acceleration, who knows. Anywhere from 3500 to redline.

 

I run 60 mph in 5th gear, around 2800 rpm if I recall correctly, on two lane 55 mph roads.

I run 80 to 90 on the interstate, depending on the posted speed limit, in 6th gear...don't care what the rpm is at that point, since I don't have another gear...lol.

 

Don't want to open a can of worms, but it seems that some of you are awful hard on a big twin. After 44 years, I seldom see the need to exceed 3200 even in passing. I don't think I have had my '16 over 3800 even once. Going down the freeway at 3400 rpm's is just wearing out your motor prematurely, for what purpose, to hear your pipes ? I easily cruise on the freeway at 2600 and either of my 103's pull fine at that rpm. I do care about gas mileage, especially on a trip. Why waste time looking for gas because you want to run 3200 plus rpm's all the time when 6th gear will lower your rpm's several hundred and increase your mileage considerably. Look in your owners manual, it gives a table for recommended upshifts. H-D says 4th to 5th at 45, 5th to 6th at 55mph. I know this sounds very low, but with 38 pound flywheels, H-D says it is their recommended upshifts. These are low rpm bikes, you can't change that, why try. This doesn't work for me where I live, but I seldom need to exceed 3000. The harder you run them , the more problems you will have. If you want a high reving, fast bike, go buy one, cause a Harley ridden hard is just asking for trouble.

 

Your bike will tell you when you need to upshift or downshift. I would not upshift to 6th at 55, will not do it at 65, if there's traffic, or a grade. I need to be able to move the throttle and get immediate acceleration or deceleration, so I'll run about 2800 or better for steady speed in traffic, or where the road goes up and down. Get your RPM too low, and you may not have response when you really need it.

I'll run higher RPM before shifting to 6th, since it's so close to direct drive, and it's easier to lug the engine. On the rural Interstate, I often run 80-85, whatever RPM that takes in 6th.