"lugging"
Banned
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 67
Lugging means it struggles to accelerate, whatever gear you happen to be in. If you dial on the throttle and the bike hesitates you are lugging it. Usually something above 2,000 rpm will be in the power range. It really is not about rpms so much as too tall a gear for the motor to easily accelerate. The HD V-Twin is a low rpm motor but the selected gear has to be appropriate to the speed of the bike. Too high a gear at too low a speed is where I see lugging as a problem. ymmv
Tourer
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 266
Likes: 1
From: Boynton Beach, FL
I spend most of my time above 3000 rpm un less I am cruising on flat level ground at 65 mph.
Lugging the motor or pulling it hard below 2500 rpm, leads to increased cylinder temps which leads to predetination, ping etc.
These motors will happily rev to above 5000 rpm and not even think twice about it. It is much harder on the motor to short shift it keeping below 3000 rpm then it is to let it sing a little.
Lugging the motor or pulling it hard below 2500 rpm, leads to increased cylinder temps which leads to predetination, ping etc.
These motors will happily rev to above 5000 rpm and not even think twice about it. It is much harder on the motor to short shift it keeping below 3000 rpm then it is to let it sing a little.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,928
Likes: 285
From: Edmond Oklahoma
Lugging is when the pressure on the piston is almost not enough to push the the weight of the bike. It can happen at any rpm. A fully loaded Ultra with big daddy and big momma trying to climb over some of the passes in the Rocky Mountains will likely be lugging below 4000 rpms. If lugging is such a problem below 2500 rpms, how do we go from a stop to cruising speed without lugging?
If you like riding at a lower Rpm but are afraid of lugging, mod your engine a bit to get the low end torque up. Wouldnt take much in most cases.
Beary
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Nice looking bike - how do you like those SE255 cams (thinking of getting them with the Stage II kit), is your engine a 96 or up to a 103, and do you have pinging issues? I heard that can be a problem, but they you have some controller that I presume adjusts fuel and timing.
Anyway I`ve been told 2100 rpm is too low and my broken piston were kind of carboned up over by the fracture so I`m wondering if lugging led to carboning up which led to hot spots which led to.....looking for SE255 cams to go with my 103 big bore since mechanics were elbow deep in my engine anyway replacing one 96 ci piston and cylinder!
I would definitely do a Stage II while your engine is apart, or at least upgrade the cams. If you go Stage II (103/255) have them also install ACR's, but this isn't necessary with a 96/255 combo.
Last edited by iclick; Aug 4, 2011 at 12:05 PM.
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Atlantic Canada
I have a 96 and is stock except for the 255 cams, AC, Jackpot mufflers, and Power Vision. I call it a Stage 1˝. It's a great combo and I have no plans or even a hint of a desire to make further performance upgrades, as the bike runs very well now. I rarely need to apply more than half-throttle at any time, even passing a truck, but YMMV as to what provides adequate power for your needs.
I don't believe 2100 rpm is going to break a piston, and if it did HD wouldn't specify it as an acceptable RPM to operate. Many ride in this range and you're the first case I've heard about a broken piston, not that it doesn't happen in nature from time to time.
I would definitely do a Stage II while your engine is apart, or at least upgrade the cams. If you go Stage II (103/255) have them also install ACR's, but this isn't necessary with a 96/255 combo.
I don't believe 2100 rpm is going to break a piston, and if it did HD wouldn't specify it as an acceptable RPM to operate. Many ride in this range and you're the first case I've heard about a broken piston, not that it doesn't happen in nature from time to time.
I would definitely do a Stage II while your engine is apart, or at least upgrade the cams. If you go Stage II (103/255) have them also install ACR's, but this isn't necessary with a 96/255 combo.
The pinging I had was without a passenger and though it pinged mostly in Yellowstone at elevation, it did elsewhere even when it was pretty flat, so not like it was hugely loaded down (though I`m rather hefty by myself and I did have all bags filled). I don`t know if 2100 rpm did it by itself, but maybe that led to detonation, since it was definately pinging off and on. The damage is pretty much identical to what was described in an excellent article I read on detonation, which was different than what you`d get with pre-ignition. Broken by the ring land and no hole burned or melting, just fractured by the top and middle ring land like a beaver went at it with a passion. I find it strange that it`s so rare, and what did I do so different than these others running 2100 rpm that didn`t break a piston, but I did go about 20,000 km like that in one trip, and didn`t think I had a problem either until this spring. So maybe their bikes are being damaged little by little and they don`t even know it? Only if they`re hearing pinging though. If not then I`d say they have no damage occurring. Hopefully my Stage II with the Fuelpack prevent any future pinging for me.....
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,341
Likes: 9
From: Woodinville, WA
If you can't easily accelerate from the rpm that you are at in the gear that you are at then you are running at too low an rpm.
The concern I have with 6th is when riding with the cruise control on - because you don't have that connection to the response to the throttle that you get when riding without cruise. Be careful then, when approaching a hill, to drop down a gear when using cruise control - or your cruise control may just "lug" your engine for you.
The concern I have with 6th is when riding with the cruise control on - because you don't have that connection to the response to the throttle that you get when riding without cruise. Be careful then, when approaching a hill, to drop down a gear when using cruise control - or your cruise control may just "lug" your engine for you.
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 811
Likes: 10
From: Oklahoma
Very good advice from these replies. I can feel and hear the "sweet spot" between 2800 and 3200. When you bump the throttle, the bike springs to life like it was eagerly waiting for that; below 2500 and it has to work it's way up. It just sounds happier in that upper range. When it's happy, I'm happy.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
The pinging I had was without a passenger and though it pinged mostly in Yellowstone at elevation, it did elsewhere even when it was pretty flat, so not like it was hugely loaded down (though I`m rather hefty by myself and I did have all bags filled). I don`t know if 2100 rpm did it by itself, but maybe that led to detonation, since it was definately pinging off and on. The damage is pretty much identical to what was described in an excellent article I read on detonation, which was different than what you`d get with pre-ignition.
Last edited by iclick; Aug 15, 2011 at 10:30 AM.