RPM while cruising at 80mph

[Grumpy Ole Codger]

Does it really run 3000rpm at 80? Never thought to have a look, to busy listening to the music from the pipes.....sing to me my babies

 

[Tripps]

I agree on the mostly perception part, I've always had loud pipes, makes it seem like it's worse, but I always catch myself trying to shift into that imaginary 6th gear.

 

[sonny]

Overdrive on a Harley is a joke. Use it lose it. Oil pump works off of revs. Under rev the engine and oil circulation is not sufficient. Over 70 mph your good. Under 70 mph come see me I'll fix it for you. Even so at 75 MPH your running a good 3,000 RPM's at 80 miles per hour your running over. Now maybe if you have a baker transmission (7 speed) it may be different. Ever try to pass a semi on a Harley in 6th gear? Good luck with that. Say what you want but on the X doing 80 miles a hour when I hit it it goes. NO downshift required. Have rode both brands of bikes for over 40,000 open highway. Harley sets at 95,000 miles. Rocket X only at 39,000 miles. Yes the Rocket is a big boys bike. Not for the soft boys who require a soft ride. You what something soft go for it. Prefer the raw get up and go and will stick with the Rocket X. Besides you really look good on your label bike with all your gear bought at your local Harley dealer in my rear view mirrors as i pass you in shame with no regrets. Really enjoy doing that. GEE MOM NO CUP HOLDERS $uck it.

 

[Bedifferent]

Overdrive on a Harley is a joke. Use it lose it. Oil pump works off of revs. Under rev the engine and oil circulation is not sufficient. Over 70 mph your good. Under 70 mph come see me I'll fix it for you. Even so at 75 MPH your running a good 3,000 RPM's at 80 miles per hour your running over. Now maybe if you have a baker transmission (7 speed) it may be different. Ever try to pass a semi on a Harley in 6th gear? Good luck with that. Say what you want but on the X doing 80 miles a hour when I hit it it goes. NO downshift required. Have rode both brands of bikes for over 40,000 open highway. Harley sets at 95,000 miles. Rocket X only at 39,000 miles. Yes the Rocket is a big boys bike. Not for the soft boys who require a soft ride. You what something soft go for it. Prefer the raw get up and go and will stick with the Rocket X. Besides you really look good on your label bike with all your gear bought at your local Harley dealer in my rear view mirrors as i pass you in shame with no regrets. Really enjoy doing that. GEE MOM NO CUP HOLDERS $uck it.

You explained it best! They added that 6th gear for cruising and cutting RPMs. You still run 3K or higher at 75 plus and no performance. The rocket doesn't need a 6th, the RPMs are about the same, but the performance...well that speaks for itself.

 

[WyldCFH]

You guys are comparing apples to oranges.

Harley's have different gear ratios than Rockets.

No one has mentioned changing 1-5 ratios in the Rocket, just that it needs a 6th. Looking at it from that perspective, it most certainly has to bring down rpm@80mph. Which of course raises gas mileage.

 

[warp9.9]

You guys are comparing apples to oranges.

Harley's have different gear ratios than Rockets.

No one has mentioned changing 1-5 ratios in the Rocket, just that it needs a 6th. Looking at it from that perspective, it most certainly has to bring down rpm@80mph. Which of course raises gas mileage.

Post #25 addressed changing the helical output gear ratio which would change all five gears a bit.

 

[WyldCFH]

Post #25 addressed changing the helicak output gear ratio which would change all five gears a bit.

True, but it wasn't mentioned in relation to adding a 6th gear

 

[Rocket Scientist]

Yes that is right. I for one could care either way. I never mention it because I understand gear design and manufacturing. Thus realize it can not be done without a major engine block redesign. So its a mute point. I am away from hime so I do not have access to a torsional damper to further look into either dropping one tooth of the driven and leaving the driver the same or dropping one off the driven and adding one to the driver.

Even if someone made up a set of output shaft drive gears, how many people would spend the money to do a complete engine teardown to install them ? If you already had it apart for something else maybe. My solution would be this. In reading about the early design of the R3, focus groups wanted to "feel the engine" so Triumph gave them what they wanted. If some enterprising individual wanted to tackle it, the crank and balance shaft could be rebalanced to make the engine silky smooth at 3,000 rpms. But again I doubt many would lay out the cash to do it. Maybe it's because I rode an old shovelhead for twenty years. At 80 mph (with a good tailwind) the hand grips felt about as big as beer cans

 

[WyldCFH]

Yes that is right. I for one could care either way. I never mention it because I understand gear design and manufacturing. Thus realize it can not be done without a major engine block redesign. So its a mute point. I am away from hime so I do not have access to a torsional damper to further look into either dropping one tooth of the driven and leaving the driver the same or dropping one off the driven and adding one to the driver.

Absolutely agree with you there. Current design has us "limited" in what can be done cost effectively. I have no issue with the Rocket as is, but part of human nature is to want a little more.

 

[pomeroy]

Well, I had high hopes for the R3 tour model but was very disappointed at the RPM while cruising on my run at 70 - 80 mph. For a motorcycle with this much torque, it seems that it ought to be turning at 2300 rpm. I don't get it. Low rpm and torque go together. 3000 rpm is pretty high at this speed. My 1600 Yamaha roadstar turns less than that. Can you regear these bikes?

I like high torque but the tranny needs to use it properly. For instance, my 2000 F250 7.3L diesel truck @ stock makes something like 550/ft lb at only 1800 rpm. I cruize at 55 doing 1300 rpm. This is torque and where it lives.

What the hell have Triumph engineers done? High torque, high HP but wrong gearing!

No problem

Well, I had high hopes for the R3 tour model but was very disappointed at the RPM while cruising on my run at 70 - 80 mph. For a motorcycle with this much torque, it seems that it ought to be turning at 2300 rpm. I don't get it. Low rpm and torque go together. 3000 rpm is pretty high at this speed. My 1600 Yamaha roadstar turns less than that. Can you regear these bikes?

I like high torque but the tranny needs to use it properly. For instance, my 2000 F250 7.3L diesel truck @ stock makes something like 550/ft lb at only 1800 rpm. I cruize at 55 doing 1300 rpm. This is torque and where it lives.

What the hell have Triumph engineers done? High torque, high HP but wrong gearing!

Mine sits down real nice with a Land rover diff and the third wheel at 100+