Flhxxx Fuel Mileage
Club Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,792
Likes: 6
From: North East Ohio
Jimer, just FYI, there is a 7% grade on Interstate 64 in W. Va. By the way, I have a one ton, 350 V10 Dodge Dually that I have to down shift to maintain speed on almost any grade in the mountains. So, I don't see what the problem is with downshifting for more power.
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 893
Likes: 1
From: Southeast Va.
No, I'm not comparing! I would say the Dodge has a lot more pulling power and I still have to drop a gear, unless I am just a dumb blonde. Are you saying because a trike is lighter you shouldn't have to drop a gear or are you saying the trike has more power? I do know 6th gear is not going to be happy going up a steep grade. I don't see the problem with that. Although, I will say that now I have the PCV 6th has a lot more power.
Club Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,792
Likes: 6
From: North East Ohio
No, I'm not comparing! I would say the Dodge has a lot more pulling power and I still have to drop a gear, unless I am just a dumb blonde. Are you saying because a trike is lighter you shouldn't have to drop a gear or are you saying the trike has more power? I do know 6th gear is not going to be happy going up a steep grade. I don't see the problem with that. Although, I will say that now I have the PCV 6th has a lot more power.
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 217
Likes: 0
From: Central Texas
Best point
You all have to remember the 6th gear is a over drive cruising gear and isn't designed as a pulling gear. So it stands to reason that you would down shift on grade of 6% grade or better. I would think if you are having problems with small hills then maybe you need to look at how much weight you have loaded in your trunks, weight is a factor.
Oldmsocko, I did not intend to insult you or anyone else with my comment about people going 80 or above; it was just my way of saying that those speeds scare me. The thing is, I just don't understand those speeds, because we always find ourselves actually wanting to stop and smell the roses, rather than trying to cover the miles as fast as possible.
I used to enjoy speed. When I was in engineering school, I used to leave my night job after work every Friday night in Austin, and drive 100 miles to my parent's house in Waco, 100 miles door to door, in 1 hour and 5 minutes. And that was before the freeway took out the stop lights in Temple. Having aged somewhat, I no longer enjoy speed. I even ski slowly. So, I guess I am indeed now an old fogie.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,926
Likes: 138
From: NE Ohio
6th gear is kind of a odd duck, its 1.1 where most OD are less than 1. As a for instance the SE 6 speed 6th gear ratio is .89:1 which is a OD.
Club Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,792
Likes: 6
From: North East Ohio
Pork: All is good, I was not insulted. Until I went to South Dakota last year I would had never dreamed that I would ride 80+ mph. At one point we pulled onto Interstate 90 and my garmin said next turn in 287 miles and the posted speed was 75 mph. All there was to see was this very flat straight rolling highway in front of us. On the sides the grass and weeds were not any high that 12 to 14 ". Trust me there were no roses to smell.
At one point I saw this red barn ahead of us on the right. I wanted to see how far I was able to see ahead of us. I looked at my odometer and saw what the reading was, when we got to the barn I looked at the odometer again and we had traveled 17 mile. There is alot of flat, straight and lonely rodes out there.
At one point I saw this red barn ahead of us on the right. I wanted to see how far I was able to see ahead of us. I looked at my odometer and saw what the reading was, when we got to the barn I looked at the odometer again and we had traveled 17 mile. There is alot of flat, straight and lonely rodes out there.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,890
Likes: 3
Jimer, just FYI, there is a 7% grade on Interstate 64 in W. Va. By the way, I have a one ton, 350 V10 Dodge Dually that I have to down shift to maintain speed on almost any grade in the mountains. So, I don't see what the problem is with downshifting for more power.
Joan, the IHS standards stated that there are some deviations to the standards but that they are fairly small and relatively rare.
Even though your Dually has more power than your TG; I suspect that the TGs power to weight ratio is greater than the Dually.
I dont see a problem with down shifting either, with 90% of my driving being mountain driving/riding, down shifting is just second nature with me in all of my vehicles. I was simply questing the validly of anothers posters statement that he does not have to down shift out of 6th. gear when pulling a "hill"!
Lastly Joan, although some of us were recently called idiots, I doubt that anyone on this forum would ever accuse you of being a dumb blonde!
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 217
Likes: 0
From: Central Texas
I hear you
On the sides the grass and weeds were not any high that 12 to 14 ". Trust me there were no roses to smell.
At one point I saw this red barn ahead of us on the right. I wanted to see how far I was able to see ahead of us. I looked at my odometer and saw what the reading was, when we got to the barn I looked at the odometer again and we had traveled 17 mile. There is alot of flat, straight and lonely rodes out there.
At one point I saw this red barn ahead of us on the right. I wanted to see how far I was able to see ahead of us. I looked at my odometer and saw what the reading was, when we got to the barn I looked at the odometer again and we had traveled 17 mile. There is alot of flat, straight and lonely rodes out there.
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Stage I
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
I've read a few reviews about the Tri-Glide since I have one on order. Alot of owners are complaining about the fuel mileage and the performance of the engine on slight inclines. I saw one reply on this site stating it's due to the cat. Has anyone bypassed the cat yet? Being stationed here in Japan, alot of us by a rice burner and the first thing we do is rip off the cat and update the chips on the computers.