Transmissions... What's the Attraction?

[dr evo1]

I would like to see a automatic 5-7 with a manual override and a adjustable shift kit. then you would need new tires bigger engines and so on.

[PoorUB]

About the radio thing, reminds me of a few years ago at Sturgis and there was some douche riding down the main drag where all the bikes are parked with his radio cranked to obnoxious. The temps were pushing 100F and it was miserable riding that day.  He was a pretty boy, all muscles and sun tan, no shirt, pretty sure the radio was screaming " look at me!" I thought it was weird when he rode through, when he rode by 3-4 times more then I knew the boy had mommy issues or some other psychosis.

[pumpguy68]

I put the six speed in to compliment my larger more HP engine.

I also dropped my final drive to 3.47 so when running in 5th or 6th gear at any thing over 2900rpm you just give it a twist and it pulls like a freight train no need to drop down a gear.

I ride a lot of tight curvy roads speeds from 15-45 mph so the option of having more gears to keep the rpm where I like it works for me.

As Gryphon said we all ride different and on different kinds of roads. I set my bike up for my kind of ridding and the roads I ride someone else may not like my set up for where they live.

JMO

Ray m

Add radios are for cars boats etc not 

[Admiral Akbar]

Well I've had them all(4,5,6,7)and the 7speed Baker is the best.  Guess I like to shift though I don't need to much with my 124.  rbabos was right on with the stock 96 and a 6speed.  Like useless as tits on a boar.  But...now that it's upgraded to the 124 I use all 7 and think it's great.  Would probably do the tranny upgrade before the engine upgrade if I knew then what I do now.

You haven't had em all.. Don't see a 3 to 2 or 1..   I've have owned 3-6 and for HDs I like the 5 the best.. My 131 and 116 have 5 speed gear boxes and I think they are great..

[FLTRI]

Or just get yerself a Boss Hog and forget about shifting altogether.
Bob

[76shuvlinoff]

I really like the 5 speed inna 4 speed case I put in my shovel approx 13 years ago. It allows me to play with rear sprockets depending on  configuration. I've had it back and forth from apehangered bar hopper to loaded family station wagon several times in that 13 years. Coupled with the 93" mill it has a can-do attitude. I could never cover that range with the 74"er and still be able to roll hard on the highway.

On my 103 TC EG, factory gearing, I find myself in 6th too early or holding it too long. Not a huge deal solo but you really feel it two up.

Mark

[Oclaf]

the attraction? cause everyone is doing it...thats why...

[Eglider05]

Just bought a used SE 6 speed for my 05 120" Glide and I'm very happy with it. I kept my same 1-5 gearing (3.27) and just use the 6th gear for any steady cruising above 65-70 mph. The extra gear I've always been going for is now there, I like it.

Rick

[Hossamania]

I liked my 4 speed in my old Shadow. I like the 5 speeds I've had in my last few bikes, rock solid. The 6 speed in the Ultra is fine. I shift a lot to stay in the power band, especially 2up. I have also argued against a gear indicator, but realize that it actually would be kind of nice.
As far as radios, I feel they have no place on a motorcycle. Yet, I love mine. I just don't understand guys pulling up with a commercial cranking on the speakers. I also don't like group rides with seven different radios blasting, I keep mine off when riding with others until we get some space between us, even then, it's at a lower volume.

[ndmp40]

I think the six speed is a perfect match to the TC.  Harley got it right.

The modern bikes are WAY more useful than the old 4 speeds. 

[strokerjlk]

I think the six speed is a perfect match to the TC.  Harley got it right.

The modern bikes are WAY more useful than the old 4 speeds.

[Just Nick]

I think the six speed is a perfect match to the TC.  Harley got it right.

The modern bikes are WAY more useful than the old 4 speeds.

The six speed with a stock or stage 1 96 or 103 is useless, sixth gear around here anyway is unusable. On every motor I build one of the first things the customers always tell me after getting some miles on it is finally I can actually use my sixth gear then they love the sixth gear. I ask customers with stock bikes what they think about 6th and they all say useless, of coarse the guys that ride in 6th at 50 mph trying to get there millage over 50 love it but they are always the ones with problems from lugging.

[76shuvlinoff]

I dunno, for me on a stock 96" FX with a PC 6th at 60+ was ok. On my 103 garbage barge I am good with 6th at 60-65 and up if flat land no head wind. Two up I stay out of 6th until 65+, flat land.  The EG 103 has 48s and a PV.

Mark

[strokerjlk]

I think the six speed is a perfect match to the TC.  Harley got it right.

The modern bikes are WAY more useful than the old 4 speeds.

The six speed with a stock or stage 1 96 or 103 is useless, sixth gear around here anyway is unusable. On every motor I build one of the first things the customers always tell me after getting some miles on it is finally I can actually use my sixth gear then they love the sixth gear. I ask customers with stock bikes what they think about 6th and they all say useless, of coarse the guys that ride in 6th at 50 mph trying to get there millage over 50 love it but they are always the ones with problems from lugging.

I got a stock 2007 96 ci bagger. 70 hp. i use 6 th gear all the time at 2500 rpms.and up 
if i run a back road at 55 -65 mph i usually stay in 5 th. thats ok with me. it gets better mileage in 5 th at that speed . its nice to cruise at 80-85 and turn 3000 rpm in 6th vs the 3800 i had to run with my old 5 sp. I don't get out on that bike by myself much.two up most of the time.

[jmorton10]

Gearing for me, totally depends on the rest of the bike setup.

Years back, I had a 113" Shovel (5" stroke, NOS etc).  That bike had a 4 speed tranny with back-cut Andrews gears & a Murdoch air shifter & I never wished for any more gears.

Then, I had a Heritage ST & an 04 RK.  Both where HC 95"/Wood cammed motors with 5 speeds & 3.36 primary gearing.  With both of those bikes I was constantly reaching for another gear at cruising speed that didn't exist.

I still have the 04 RK, but also have an 07 RK with a stock 6 speed cruisedrive tranny, Pingel electric shift & a HC 124" S&S motor.  The only thing about the stock geared 6 speed setup, is that 1st gear is so tall it feels like starting in 2nd gear on the 04 5 speed RK.

I had not ridden the 3.36 geared RK at all this Summer, I always took the 07 with its super tall gearing.  I decided to take the 04 out for a quick ride the other day & it definitely took some time to get used to it again.  With its noisy clattering Wood cammed 95" motor (as opposed to the 640 S&S cammed motor that makes no lifter noise at all) & stiff gearing it is night and day different from the 07. I had to get used to making the 1>2 shift almost before clearing an intersection from a dead stop LOL.

As far as having a shift indicator reading what gear you're in, I always thought that was kinda stupid for years.  Now however, I have the Dakota Digital speedo that has about 100 different features LOL & constantly reads out what gear you are in.  I got to admit, I do glance at that at times......

~John

[ndmp40]

I think the six speed is a perfect match to the TC.  Harley got it right.

The modern bikes are WAY more useful than the old 4 speeds.

The six speed with a stock or stage 1 96 or 103 is useless, sixth gear around here anyway is unusable. On every motor I build one of the first things the customers always tell me after getting some miles on it is finally I can actually use my sixth gear then they love the sixth gear. I ask customers with stock bikes what they think about 6th and they all say useless, of coarse the guys that ride in 6th at 50 mph trying to get there millage over 50 love it but they are always the ones with problems from lugging.

I have a bone stock 96 and love the 6 speed.  Even two up, it makes riding on the expressways enjoyable. 

[PoorUB]

I got a stock 2007 96 ci bagger. 70 hp. i use 6 th gear all the time at 2500 rpms.and up 
if i run a back road at 55 -65 mph i usually stay in 5 th. thats ok with me. it gets better mileage in 5 th at that speed . its nice to cruise at 80-85 and turn 3000 rpm in 6th vs the 3800 i had to run with my old 5 sp. I don't get out on that bike by myself much.two up most of the time.

Same here when my 2010 was a 96". Above 60 MPH it pulled just fine. It is even better now I have juiced 103". I am not sure why anyone would say the 6 speed was worthless on a 96" unless they never ride above 60 MPH.

[BUBBIE]

 

I know where 4th and 5th are... 6th gear is Only in the counting up.....

But I still want that 7 speed.

signed....BUBBIE

[DTTJGlide]

  The only thing about the stock geared 6 speed setup, is that 1st gear is so tall it feels like starting in 2nd gear on the 04 5 speed RK.



~John

[/quote]

I know where 4th and 5th are... 6th gear is Only in the counting up.....

But I still want that 7 speed.

signed....BUBBIE

You'll love it BUBBIE, it cures the problem John coplains about without losing the lower RPMs @ cruising speeds. 6th is still 1.1 but you get a 10.81 1st gear compared to the stock 9.59. My 6spd crapped out @ a little over 100K this Spring & I said I'd never spend the money to fix that crappy trans, I've heard of many failures with a lot less miles. I've got about 16K on the Baker & I love it, I had a 2000 EG that I had 3.06 final with a 5spd & I liked it better than the stock 09 6spd, that 9.59 1st sucks for taking off & slow speed parking lot maneuvers.

[strokerjlk]

  The only thing about the stock geared 6 speed setup, is that 1st gear is so tall it feels like starting in 2nd gear on the 04 5 speed RK.



~John

I know where 4th and 5th are... 6th gear is Only in the counting up.....

But I still want that 7 speed.

signed....BUBBIE

You'll love it BUBBIE, it cures the problem John coplains about without losing the lower RPMs @ cruising speeds. 6th is still 1.1 but you get a 10.81 1st gear compared to the stock 9.59. My 6spd crapped out @ a little over 100K this Spring & I said I'd never spend the money to fix that crappy trans, I've heard of many failures with a lot less miles. I've got about 16K on the Baker & I love it, I had a 2000 EG that I had 3.06 final with a 5spd & I liked it better than the stock 09 6spd, that 9.59 1st sucks for taking off & slow speed parking lot maneuvers.


1st gear is pretty tall.9.31 on my stock 07.


my experience. on the stock and stage 2 96/103 bikes ,the 6 sp acts and feels like 6 th gear is overdrive. so use 5 th accordingly .
once ya get some hp/tq/ci going on, 6th becomes one of the gang and ya just have to shift there because ya know ya have another gear.

[PoorUB]

A lot of riders complain about the 1st gear in the six speed. I went from a 5 speed to a 6 speed no problem. I pull a trailer sometimes and I don't have an issue with 1st. It is definitely different, but a touch more throttle and slip the clutch for a millisecond longer and it works fine. After 77,000 miles with the 6 speed I don't even think about it. Now if you are like some riders here that are racing traffic cones in tight circles a tall 1st might be an issue, but for the daily rider it is just a different learning curve.

[Smarty]

About the radio thing, reminds me of a few years ago at Sturgis and there was some douche riding down the main drag where all the bikes are parked with his radio cranked to obnoxious. The temps were pushing 100F and it was miserable riding that day.  He was a pretty boy, all muscles and sun tan, no shirt, pretty sure the radio was screaming " look at me!" I thought it was weird when he rode through, when he rode by 3-4 times more then I knew the boy had mommy issues or some other psychosis.

I guess the sun was too bright to see his blue led lights highlighting all the chrome in the day time, right?

[aabikrman]

Well I've had them all(4,5,6,7)and the 7speed Baker is the best.  Guess I like to shift though I don't need to much with my 124.  rbabos was right on with the stock 96 and a 6speed.  Like useless as tits on a boar.  But...now that it's upgraded to the 124 I use all 7 and think it's great.  Would probably do the tranny upgrade before the engine upgrade if I knew then what I do now.

You haven't had em all.. Don't see a 3 to 2 or 1..   I've have owned 3-6 and for HDs I like the 5 the best.. My 131 and 116 have 5 speed gear boxes and I think they are great..

Max, what combo of gearing are you running ?  I've got a 5 speed 124" project bike (06 FLHX) with the factory 32/70 secondary.  I don't think it needs a 6 speed with the powerband of the engine.  I'm considering just a simple pulley swap and or rear sprocket swap and maybe the Johnson Engineering Twist Gear set up in order to compensate for raising the effective 1st gear ratio due to lowering the final drive ratio.  I'd like to drop my highway cruising rpms around 300 rpm or so but not wind up with a too tall 1st gear.  I'd appreciate your thoughts.  Thanks...

[Mark P]

The transmissions kind of fit the bike of that time. 4 speed was fine for a 600 pound super glide when the speed limit was 55mph. Can you imagine putting a 4 speed in a 800 FL and trying to get that thing rolling with a 2.50 1st. 2nd gear would be all right but it would fall flat on it's face in the 2-3 shift.

By the way if 7 is to much for you we will have a Gen2 OD6 ready by March for the 07 and later bikes. Somebody mentioned a slight overdrive and that is exactly what we are doing .92 6th. I think 6th is tall enough but then our speed limit hasn't been raised to 80mph yet.

[Ohio HD]

I think the six speed is a perfect match to the TC.  Harley got it right.

The modern bikes are WAY more useful than the old 4 speeds.