UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
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Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 914
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
ORIGINAL: dabuckman
My dealer never said anything about 3000rpm, that's just where my bikesounds and feels like I need to shift at riding during a normal ride....Next time, I'll hook up a computer to the bike so I can copy and post speed/rpm/gear/miles/engine temp/tire pressure/etc and you can compare it to the BOOK. I think most of us are posting our general day-to-day driving on a new bike and how it feels to us....I wonder if all of these pre-1980 HD's were broken in according to the BOOK, or dealer suggested break in, or just taken out and ridden?
My dealer never said anything about 3000rpm, that's just where my bikesounds and feels like I need to shift at riding during a normal ride....Next time, I'll hook up a computer to the bike so I can copy and post speed/rpm/gear/miles/engine temp/tire pressure/etc and you can compare it to the BOOK. I think most of us are posting our general day-to-day driving on a new bike and how it feels to us....I wonder if all of these pre-1980 HD's were broken in according to the BOOK, or dealer suggested break in, or just taken out and ridden?
But I will say this, and you can take it to the bank, my friend:
These are some pretty expensive engines we're talking about. Anyone who buys one would do well to give due consideration to manufacturer recommendations on how to break them in. Any talk about just getting on it and riding it according to "what feels good" is rolling the dice. What "feels good" is subjective; what "feels good" to one rider may differ substantially from what "feels good" to another rider. There's only ONE way to break in a new engine properly, and it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with what the rider thinks "feels good". Break-in is not for the benefit of the rider - it's for the benefit of the engine.
In the last few years, I had the experience of replacing the engine on an airplane I owned. The replacement cost to me was in the neighborhood of $25K. I'm talking about just the cost to replace the engine in the plane. I did a major amount of research on the best way to break in that new engine, and running it according to "what felt good" was not even on the radar. The same principles apply to HD break-in, at least, if the owner has any concerns about how his new engine is going to perform over the life of the bike.
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Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 914
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
ORIGINAL: RainMaker
ROFL...
About all i can say...
I've seen posts here on this forum that make this assertion. It's BS, and it dang near made me decide against buying a new Ultra Classic. I'm posting this to alert potential other HD buyers that this simply is not the case.
If the deciding factor was the RPM range your 6th gear rides in, you need to sell it today and buy a ****ing bicycle...
ROFL...
About all i can say...
I've seen posts here on this forum that make this assertion. It's BS, and it dang near made me decide against buying a new Ultra Classic. I'm posting this to alert potential other HD buyers that this simply is not the case.
If the deciding factor was the RPM range your 6th gear rides in, you need to sell it today and buy a ****ing bicycle...
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 914
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
ORIGINAL: Lost1
The only relevent factual information that has been passed in this entire discussion has been that the manufacturer of the motorcycle in question has declared 55 mph the acceptable speed in which to shift to, and operate in, sixth gear.
The only relevent factual information that has been passed in this entire discussion has been that the manufacturer of the motorcycle in question has declared 55 mph the acceptable speed in which to shift to, and operate in, sixth gear.
I have yet to see, in all the threads this subject has been argued in, one instance in which any of the forum experts who declare this to be wrong back up the statement with factual data from the manufacturer stating it is "lugging the engine" or in any way harming the vehicle. For those who believe the H-D engineers to be in error, call (414) 343-4056 and ask for the Engineering Department. They will no doubt be happy to debate the issue. Please let us all know how it comes out...
Myself, I have to agree with the OP's first post in that "I'm just reading the Owner's Manual I got with the bike, and you can be sure I'll rely on that before I'll rely on clueless posts here. If it ever comes to a warranty claim based on vehicle operating practices, HD is going to rely on what they published in their Operator's Manual."
Lemme' buy you a beer.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 768
Likes: 1
From: sarasota, fl
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
dawson, don't have a recliner and don't have to "think up" smart *** comments- they just flow!
the point was/is if you don't operate a machine correctly because of ignorance or laziness then get on a machine suited to that mentality. unless of course you want to operate the machine incorrectly and then bitch and whine because it doesn't work right.
Have you seen the Ridley motorcycles?
the point was/is if you don't operate a machine correctly because of ignorance or laziness then get on a machine suited to that mentality. unless of course you want to operate the machine incorrectly and then bitch and whine because it doesn't work right.
Have you seen the Ridley motorcycles?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
ORIGINAL: racklefratz
Anyone who wants to debate this - contact HD and fight it out with them. Flaming me is pointless. I'm just reading the Owner's Manual I got with the bike, and you can be sure I'll rely on that before I'll rely on clueless posts here. If it ever comes to a warranty claim based on vehicle operating practices, HD is going to rely on what they published in their Operator's Manual. Anything anyone said in some internet forum will be just someone's opinion. Take it as such.
Anyone who wants to debate this - contact HD and fight it out with them. Flaming me is pointless. I'm just reading the Owner's Manual I got with the bike, and you can be sure I'll rely on that before I'll rely on clueless posts here. If it ever comes to a warranty claim based on vehicle operating practices, HD is going to rely on what they published in their Operator's Manual. Anything anyone said in some internet forum will be just someone's opinion. Take it as such.
i would rely on what my bike is telling me before anything else. if it doesn't complain at 55 in 6th, then you're good to go. my bike, however, does not like anything less than 70, and it tells me that.....
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 243
Likes: 0
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
ORIGINAL: racklefratz
But the thing is, people don't care a whit what the manufacturer has to say about how their product should be operated - they know better than the engineers.
But the thing is, people don't care a whit what the manufacturer has to say about how their product should be operated - they know better than the engineers.
this is one of the most ridiculous statements i've ever heard around here (and i've seen similar statements made on other forums as well, a common myth that HD - or ford, or polaris, or chevy, or etc... - is always right)... that's why there's such a huge aftermarket supply of fixes out on the market huh??? [sm=loser.gif]
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
ORIGINAL: racklefratz
Learn how to make quote attributions. That third line was mine, not yours - and I stand by it. If you think you saw ANYTHING I've posted about any "deciding factors" you need to get some reading glasses.
ORIGINAL: RainMaker
ROFL...
About all i can say...
I've seen posts here on this forum that make this assertion. It's BS, and it dang near made me decide against buying a new Ultra Classic. I'm posting this to alert potential other HD buyers that this simply is not the case.
If the deciding factor was the RPM range your 6th gear rides in, you need to sell it today and buy a ****ing bicycle...
ROFL...
About all i can say...
I've seen posts here on this forum that make this assertion. It's BS, and it dang near made me decide against buying a new Ultra Classic. I'm posting this to alert potential other HD buyers that this simply is not the case.
If the deciding factor was the RPM range your 6th gear rides in, you need to sell it today and buy a ****ing bicycle...
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70. I've seen posts here on this forum that make this assertion. It's BS, and it dang near made me decide against buying a new Ultra Classic.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,032
Likes: 9
From: Alabama
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
ORIGINAL: bonz50
...and of course the engineers are never wrong, correct??? they never make decisions based on what the marketing or accounting dept's say, right???
this is one of the most ridiculous statements i've ever heard around here (and i've seen similar statements made on other forums as well, a common myth that HD - or ford, or polaris, or chevy, or etc... - is always right)...
...and of course the engineers are never wrong, correct??? they never make decisions based on what the marketing or accounting dept's say, right???
this is one of the most ridiculous statements i've ever heard around here (and i've seen similar statements made on other forums as well, a common myth that HD - or ford, or polaris, or chevy, or etc... - is always right)...
So in this case, I'll trust what the H-D engineers say rather than what Billy Bob in the internet forum says...
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Joe Kucinski
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,183
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From: Burbank, CA
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
I'm wondering how much of a difference the IDS system is making in the 08's vs the 07's which don't have it. Maybe this is why some of us have a differing "clueless" opinion?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,977
Likes: 85
From: Nevada
RE: UltraClassic 6th Gear Useless Below 70
[quote]ORIGINAL: alexcue
I'm wondering how much of a difference the IDS system is making in the 08's vs the 07's which don't have it. Maybe this is why some of us have a differing "clueless" opinion?
I'm not sure I understand your first statement. Are you suggesting the 08s (if they didn't have the IDS) might not make the clanking noises? That there may be other changes made that fixed the problem?
I'm wondering how much of a difference the IDS system is making in the 08's vs the 07's which don't have it. Maybe this is why some of us have a differing "clueless" opinion?
I'm not sure I understand your first statement. Are you suggesting the 08s (if they didn't have the IDS) might not make the clanking noises? That there may be other changes made that fixed the problem?