When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Was just wondering if anyone has put a 6 speed on their twin cam 88 motor? Likes? Dislikes? Was also wondering what a good brand to go with is that won't break the bank but still good quality, thanks
What are you trying to accomplish? If your goal is lower cruise rpm, you will need to address the final gear ratio or get an overdrive tranny, that will narrow your choices some.
My brother did it on his 2005 Road Glide. He also had the engine built into a 103 with lots of HP. I am pretty sure he used the Screamin Eagle 6 speed conversion. A 6 speed will always be a better thing than the 5 speeds, but there is nothing wrong with the 5's either.
i might be mistaken, but i vaguely recall reading that the the final gear ratio in 6th on a six speed is same as the final ratio in 5th on the old 5 speeds.
...... that was on the diff. btwn the 4 & 5 speeds on the FLT's introduced in 1980
>> The biggest complaint about the 4-speed was universal throughout the years — most everybody thought the bike needed another gear.
In 1980, Harley introduced the FLT series motorcycle, a fairly revolutionary bike in Harley history. A rubber-mounted engine with a 5-speed gearbox was the major design change. For many years, riders thought an additional gear in the transmission would be ideal. Harley listened, but what many riders didn’t understand is that the final drive ratio of the 4-speed and the 5-speed was the same 1 to 1. Many erroneously believed that the 5th gear was an overdrive. The lower gear ratios in 1st, 2nd, & 3rd allowed the engineers to raise the overall gear ratio to achieve the same off-the-line performance with a higher top speed.
Today’s higher road speeds have prompted requests for yet another gear. Harley introduced its 6-speed cruise drive transmission in 2006. The changes in the overall gear ratio are what made this unit a positive upgrade to the Harley gearbox. However, it’s not as refined as some of the aftermarket transmissions that are available today. Baker, Jim’s Machine, RevTech and Milwaukee Twins all produce overdrive gearboxes. These new transmissions feature a high gear that is .86 to 1 or .80 to 1 — less than the stock 1 to 1, resulting in a reduction in engine rpm at a given speed, or a faster speed at the same rpm.
what bugs me about the 4 speeds is the jump from 3rd to 4th, hit a hill in 4th and your lugging, drop to 3rd and the rpm is to high. The 5 that replaced the 4 addressed that issue.
A 6 without OD will do nothing for your top gear cruise rpm unless you address the final drive ratio like the newer bikes have, but they have the cubes to pull that ratio, an 88 inch not so much. make sure you do your homework when playing with gear ratios.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.