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Jun 1, 2007 | 01:31 AM

RiderX

Thread Starter

Road Master

Joined: Apr 2007

Posts: 1,021

Likes: 304

From: Providence Forge, VA

Newbie Question

I have been reading through my owner's manual for my Road King Classic and found a little blurb that is puzzling me. On page 128 themanual reads:

Do notrun the engine at extremely highRPM with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral. Running an engine at high RPM can result in engine damage.

-The maximum recommended safe engine speed is 5500 RPM
-Do not idle engine necessarily for more than a few minutes with motorcyle standing still

Now I know this is obviously intended to warn you not to over rev your engine by doing what is mentioned above. However, this brngs a question to mind that some of you more experienced riders can address.

If I am coasting along a large, secondary road at about 45 mph and see a red light or stopped traffic ahead, what I typically do is just squeeze the clutch, gently hit both brakes (if necessary), and coast to a stop with the clutch fully disengaged while gradually downshifting. Am I causing any harm to the engine by doing this? Should I be trying to downshift one gear at a time and riding each one as far as I can before having to come toa complete stop?

I am curious to know what the rest of you do. Thanks in advance for the information.

Jun 1, 2007 | 01:45 AM

harley0711

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Sep 2005

Posts: 5,072

Likes: 104

From: Prescott, AZ

RE: Newbie Question

talke to your HD dealer or other bike dealers in youre area - find a Motorcycle Saftey Foundation course MSF - take the full class - it will answer all your questions + make you a much better rider...

you are headed in the right direction - Really - take the class - you WILL Learn a lot..

http://www.msf-usa.org/

Jun 1, 2007 | 01:45 AM

Bryan1724

Road Warrior

Joined: Nov 2006

Posts: 1,439

Likes: 2

From: Lancaster, PA

RE: Newbie Question

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Bounty_Hunter

I have been reading through my owner's manual for my Road King Classic and found a little blurb that is puzzling me. On page 128 themanual reads:

Do notrun the engine at extremely highRPM with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral. Running an engine at high RPM can result in engine damage.

-The maximum recommended safe engine speed is 5500 RPM
-Do not idle engine necessarily for more than a few minutes with motorcyle standing still

Now I know this is obviously intended to warn you not to over rev your engine by doing what is mentioned above. However, this brngs a question to mind that some of you more experienced riders can address.

If I am coast along a large, secondary road at about 45 mph and see a red light or stopped traffic ahead, what I typically do is just squeeze the clutch, gently hit both brakes (if necessary), and coast to a stop with the clutch fully disengaged while gradually downshifting. Am I causing any harm to the engine by doing this? Should I be trying to downshift one gear at a time and riding each one as far as I can before having to come toa complete stop?

I am curious to know what the rest of you do. Thanks in advance for the information.

You're fine. You are not overrevving the engine in neutral or sitting still. It's good to let em warm up a bit before riding, but if you start it up and pass out, wake up 3 hrs later you'll find that your motor has melted togeter and has become one single mass. Yes there's a post here on the forumabout that. [

]Downshifting is part of the game, and just one of the cycles that the motor goes through. Now if your pulling in the clutch and opening the throttle wide open, then that's a problem when they are new.
Do notrun the engine at extremely highRPM with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral. Running an engine at high RPM can result in engine damage.
You are not doing this, you are fine.

Jun 1, 2007 | 02:00 AM

SoCal_Pappy

Elite HDF Member

Joined: Oct 2006

Posts: 4,602

Likes: 5

From: Southern California - Palm Springs Area

RE: Newbie Question

MSF Course... "IS" a Great Tool for Any Rider no matter how long you've been riding... And you get an insurance break (most of the time that can off-sets the cost of the course)

But "NO" you're not going to over rev the motor.. It has a REV LIMITER!

Jun 1, 2007 | 02:01 AM

RiderX

Thread Starter

Road Master

Joined: Apr 2007

Posts: 1,021

Likes: 304

From: Providence Forge, VA

RE: Newbie Question

Quote:

ORIGINAL: harley0711

talke to your HD dealer or other bike dealers in youre area - find a Motorcycle Saftey Foundation course MSF - take the full class - it will answer all your questions + make you a much better rider...

you are headed in the right direction - Really - take the class - you WILL Learn a lot..

http://www.msf-usa.org/

Thanks for the information. However, I took the class last summer and have been riding for about a year now. Not that I think I am an expert by any means but I am pretty comfortable riding. You have to learn fast when you live ten minutes outside of DC. Traffic around here is ALWAYS horrible. I asked the question above so that i could get a better sense of how other people handle similar situations. Riding styles vary greatly from person to persona and I am trying to get a sense of what other people do to compare it to my riding style. If I am lucky, maybe I can learn something along the way. Also, because of the blurb in the owner's manual for the Road King and how it differs from what I read in my Kawasaki manual, I want to make sure that my particular riding style isn't causing any unnecessary stress on my engine.