I have been trying to wrap my head around cams for over a year now. One thing that seems to be a recurring point is "where do you plan to ride" relative to the RPM range.

I seem to ride in the 2500-3100 range. Am I shifting too early? I am just above lugging, so I think I am riding in the optimum range as far as engine health/efficiency, but I am not sure.

For example, at 70mph in 6th I am dead on at 2550rpms (stage 1 FatboyLo)

Do others ride in a higher range?

I do recognize that 5-speed trans will have a slightly higher cruising range on the freeway. But, where do you all prefer to shift?

Looking forward to comments

 

I run my 08 dyna so it has torque when I twist the throttle. So I ride in 5th til about 70mph then grab 6th. It sounds like you need torque cams such as the SE255s.

 

I normally shift around 2000 or so. I usually go by mph more then RPMs. For example I'll shift to 4th gear when I get over 35mph. 55 and up I'm in sixth gear.

 

I personally dont hit 6th until I am at least at 70mph. Below that speed engine feels like it is lugging in 6th. I normally cruise around 2500 rpm at whatever speed I am doing.

 

i have and older (04) so I dont have a tach and do have the 5 spd. I use the 25 for 2nd, 35 for shift to 3rd, 45 shift to 4th and 55 i shift to 5th....I wish I knew what the rpms were just because i am curious

 

I recently installed a Dakota Digital just so I do know what RPMs I'm at. Not sure why MoCo doesn't do it in the first place.
I usually ryde between 2500-2800. Maybe just a touch higher if I want more torque on demand.

 

Unless im going through twists and turns where I need the power, I keep the engine between 2-3000rpms while crusing, generally shifting between 3100-3500. Hell, I'm in 6th @ 55mph, and will drop it in to 5th or 4th if I really need to gain any speed.. Which is why i've decided when I do cams (I want more miles on my bike as it is though) i'm probably going with either the Andrews (i think it's the 37h's ..maybe 27's i forget.. or the Woods 555..or the SE-204's. probably the Wood's though, because I want to do the FuelMoto 107" kit

Oh, and there was a thread about tachometer's awhile back, and a bunch people started yelling and saying "You don't need a tach! Just use the feel of your butt! If you do it any other way, you're not riding right!".. to that i say.. bollocks. I like my tach.

 

I have a stage 3 kit with the 259e cams so I ride in a higher range. I'm usually around 3000 rpms cruising because anything below that the bike feels like it's begging for rpms. If I'm on the highway on long stretches I'll go to 6th at about 70 like others and I'm around that 2500 rpm mark. I don't normally shift tho unless I'm over 3500 rpms which gives me lots of range in the gear I am in. I may be completely wrong tho but my redline isn't until 6200 with the stage 3.

 

2500-3500 rpm for me with S&S 570g's.

 

If I'm hauling *** down the highway and trying to gain as much speed as possible I get out of 1st fairly quickly but the rest of the gears I to wind out to 5 grand at times.
I come from 2 stroke's and inline 4's so it's what I'm use to.
Short shifting seems to keep the engine out of the optimum rpm range.
With my hq500's I'm probably just getting into the power around 3k