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On the highway, the tach is now showing about 300 rpm lower in all gears.
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This is impossible unless your clutch was slipping 300 rpms worth then- and is not now..., or your tach was or is reading incorrectly.
There is a direct mathematical relationship between the speed of the motor ( RPMs) and the turning of the wheels ( MPH) based on gearing ratios- the only room for "slop" would be if the clutch was slipping.
Normal idle speeds when warmed fully will be around 1100rpms --- my manual specs 1000 rpms +/- 50, but is usually higher than that, which is fine as oil pressure and volume is dependent on RPMs--- more than 1300 RPMs is a drag for low speed parking lot manouvering
I might question the accuracy of your tachometer.
Andrews cams has a rpm/mph/gear chart you can use to check your readings- google this: 28_RatiosMPG-pg28
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Apr 17, 2013 at 05:52 PM.
As everybody else said, take her in. This is not right. Mine idles warm at 1100 rpm. I would have to say that you have a tach problem as you should NOT see a difference in the relation of RPM to MPH as others have stated. If you had just an idle problem, then that is where you would see it - only at idle, then it would be normal during riding = RPM vs MPH. IMHO you have a tach issue. Let the dealer sort that out via warranty.
In my experience with new Harley's, I have found there are all sorts of little things that seem odd in the first 1,000 miles. Your bike is covered under warranty, you are expected to take it back at 1,000 miles to have all the fluids dumped and the bike looked over. You can spend the forst 1,000 miles worrying about everything and taking it back for every little issue, or you can get a notebook out and keep a ledger of what seems odd at what miles under what conditions.
I prefer to keep a record and hand it to the tech at the 1,000 mile service, never had it happen but if the bike stops running or blows up before the 1,000 mile mark it is under warranty and I really didn't weant that defective part anyway.
Stay close to home, ride short trips often varying your speed, put her through her paces a little harder as you get closer to 1,000 miles, and why not give her a little hell just to shake loose any new bugs right before you take it in for the 1k mi service.
Recently upgraded from carbureted 2000 FLHR, and the 2012 idles at around 1000-1100. It has less than 16,000kms on the dial. The issue I'm seeing is that when i shift into 1st gear at a stop, it just friggin SLAMS into gear. I thought it was that the engine is idling too fast. I'm like... Daaaaamn that CAN'T be good, it slams that hard. The 2000 never went into gear like this. It feels as if something's going to bust. Bike does not lurch ahead or anything, so the clutch seems ok, but it feels more of a violent shift than the 2000 FLHR.
Also when riding down the road, when i shift, i completely let off the throttle, clutch, and i hear/feel a slight clunk. The same thing happens when i slowly let the clutch out, i feel that clunk. If it were a car, I'd definitely diagnose a faulty U-joint. It's that kind of clunk.
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