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I hate 50 MPH

stevec314

stevec314

Member
I was reading a post a minute ago about the shifting of an elctraglide. I have an Ultra 07 and I have always shifted about 3000 rpms. Bike seems to love around 2200-2400. That is why I hate 50 mph. At 50 you are right on the edge 48 you lugg 52 your a little high. Cagers seem to know this for every evening on my way home I seem to get behind one that loves to go between 45 and 55. My left hand gets sore after awhile. hahaha

On the shifting thing it seems to me that I never hit 6th gear unless I am going to stay around 70 mph or higher. That is my soapbox for the day. Have a great one!!
 
Just my opinion but it's much better to stay one gear lower and keep the revs up than to lug the engine. More responsiveness if you need it and you're nowhere near the redline. I know it sounds kind of weird to be winding up a touring Harley over 3000 RPM but they do fine up there!
 
as said choose a lower gear and wind it up a little easiest way for ya .. you are not going to hurt it unless you are bouncing off the rev limiter all the time
 
I personally shift into 5th at 50 (unless I'm wanting to move on) and stay there until 62 to 65 before shifting into 6th. Seems to do just fine. I can tell thought that the bike likes 6th. better around 70) I do however ride with a group that involves a couple of Star motorcycles and the gearing is just enough different to give me the same headache your talking about. If one is in front of me they are usually at the top of one gear or the bottom of the other.
 
Just out of curiosity here....What RPMs would you all consider lugging?? I feel lugging under 2000 probably around 1800. Is that about right??
 
I'm glad you posted this stevec314. I've been pondering the same thing for awhile. It does seem that 50mph is kind of a no mans land. I have started doing what the others have suggested. Stay in 4th at a little higher rev, or I will back down a bit to the mid 40's so I don't feel like I need to shift. My experience is that if you shift to 5th, you will just end up down shifting to 4th again in a half mile or less. It seems the traffic pace is never consitant unless you can get out on the highway.
 
stevec314 said:
Just out of curiosity here....What RPMs would you all consider lugging?? I feel lugging under 2000 probably around 1800. Is that about right??
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That's about right but it's more of a feel thing. If the motor does not instantly respond when you roll on the throttle, you were lugging it. If the bike bucks or surges, you're lugging it. If it doesn't happily go uphill or pass someone (accelerate), you're probably lugging it.
 
That is interesting. I tried it yesterday when I got behind a car that was TOTALY convinced that his car would EXPLODE if it got over 50 MPH in a 55 zone. I will have to admit old habits die hard and its tough to think that it is better for the bike to run higher RPMs than lower. It does beat the heck out of shifting back and fourth 15 times. I do feel that for my bike anything under the 1800 rpm is pushing the lugging limit.

Great stuff guys.
 
I feel "lugging" any where under about 2,200 rpm, but the bike doesn't seem to really hum along until about 2,800 to 3,100 rpms. I agree with the other comments about always dropping down a gear and running at higher rpms.

We have some agressive local police in our neighborhood that will ticket for over 30 mph in the subdivision and at 25 in school zones. I run in 2nd at 3,000 rpms in these areas with no problem. On the highway, I've found that 6th gear loves 75 to 80 mph, and anything less is a bit shaky. I never shift into 6th until at least 65 mph

bj
 
What I know and what I have learned: If I have stock (quiet) pipes on my bike I tend to rev it higher. This comes from, sport bikes to motocrossers to cruisers. I will short shift (a loud bike) faster than a quiet bike. I tend to ride a quiet bike higher in the RPM range. JMO.
 
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