Does my Road king have a rev limiter?
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 901
Likes: 5
From: Springfield, MO
The rev limiter is there, and it's set at 5500 from the factory. This is controlled by the ECM. Most tuners, including Screaming Eagle tuners from Harley, Power Commanders, etc., give you the option of raising the rev limit to as high as 6200.
In the case of the Power Commanders, it's not in the "map," which is simply a table of numbers to adjust fuel delivery. It's a separate setting in the form of a check box... i.e., "Increase rev limit to 6200."
I wouldn't be afraid of raising the limit, since Harley engineers were obviously comfortable with a 6200 limit via their SERT & SESPT.
In the case of the Power Commanders, it's not in the "map," which is simply a table of numbers to adjust fuel delivery. It's a separate setting in the form of a check box... i.e., "Increase rev limit to 6200."
I wouldn't be afraid of raising the limit, since Harley engineers were obviously comfortable with a 6200 limit via their SERT & SESPT.
Thread Starter
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Banned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 275
Likes: 0
From: Maryland
thanks for all the info,,i dont want to try to hit the rev limiter,,just wanted to know if its there,,as the bike kinda stopped pulling for a second so I shifted,,I dont want to screw anything up
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 502
Likes: 0
From: Roads of Idaho
I have always wanted the bottom end to pull like an unloaded truck tractor with a bunch of gears and 600 ft lb tq. It pulls like that now with a full load of stuff board 
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,653
Likes: 18
From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
You'll know if you hit the limiter. Especially in 1st or 2nd gear. It will make a grinding type sound and the front end will feel like it fell into a sinkhole. What you felt was probably just the bike running out of power for that gear. I've ridden mine pretty hard and only hit the limiter once, in first gear (because my daughters boyfriend runs straight pipes and I couldn't hear my bike at all). I've never hit it in any of the higher gears.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,937
Likes: 320
From: Vancouver, WA
Also known as a piston kiss! LOL! Its when the RPMs are higher than the speed at which the valve springs can close the valves. One of two things can happen: RPMs will plateau or the motor will grenade itself when the piston and a valve hit each other.
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Joe Kucinski
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 423
Likes: 51
From: Central Illinois
What probably happened is not your rev limiter but instead your map simply wasn't delivering enough fuel at that particular throttle and RPM. I'm assuming it felt like a limiter but was probably just fuel starved...
