So I brought the bike out of storage this weekend and went for a ride. It is an 04 wide glide. I need some help with my shift points. I’ve never ridden a Harley before and since there is no tach, I had a hard time deciding what gear I should be in. Off the line was no big deal, gears 1-3, but was unsure what gear to ride in when cruising around on surface streets. I found myself in 3rd and 4rth gear for the most part. Can someone give me a rough idea how fast you should be going in what gear? I know it is a stupid question, but I am used to crutch rockets and dirt bikes. Yes, there was no tach on the dirt bike, but unlike the Harley, I was tuned into the sound of the 2 stroke and knew what gear I needed.

 

First off, it's not a stupid question. We've all been beginners before and, you're right, on most models there is no tach. It won't take you long to develop a feel though. There is a shift point guide in the owner's manual, though, that goes by speed and not rpm's. I think it's roughly 1st to 2nd at about 15 mph and then each gear thereafter every 10 mph. So, by 55, you are shifting into 6th. Oh wait, I just noticed you said 04 WG. In that case, I don't know what's in your owner's manual and assume the ratios are a bit farther apart since you probably only have a 5 speed right? If you've got experience, you should be able to develop a feel for needing the next gear pretty quickly. I'm sure someone will post a 5 speed reference though. One important thing is just not lug it too much. In other words, know when to downshift when you've slowed down - again, something you should develop a natural feel for.

Even in my 07 manual, it mentions that the chart is just a guide and different riding styles will vary from that chart. I've also noticed that, since my stage 1, I'm shifting to the next gear later than the chart shows, especially when I'm accelerating from a dead stop really quickly.

 

Thanks for the reply fxdc. I will look in the owner’s manual tonight. You are correct, it is a 5 speed. I felt pretty comfortable on the bike by the end of the day. I was definitely shifting better and not lugging the engine anymore. I was short shifting early on. It took me a few miles to get used to the weight of the bike and the forward controls, so I kind of babied her. After I started twisting the throttle more and getting the r’s up, she ran much better.

 

I have an '04. The shift points in the manual for break-in are as follows:

Shift out of 1st - 25
2nd - 37
3rd - 52
4th - 66
5th - 80

These are all shift points that will keep your engine below 3000 rpm.

With that said, if I shift at my shift light point, which is 5400 rpm, I will be pulling over 50 on the 1st-2nd shift, then pulling about 70 going into 3rd. You will feel the power band difference when you get into the 3500+ rpm range on a stock build. You have a rev limiter that you will run up on. I'd suggest playing with things and finding that sweet spot. With my bike, I keep it in 4th if I'm needing some power in the 50-80 mph range, pop her into 5th when I'm just cruising.

 

Okay, I don't have the same bike at all, don't have my manual in front of me, and am doing this from memory. But man, there's no way I could stay in those gears going those speeds you listed above. I usually go into 2nd around 15mph, into 3rd around 25mph, etc... By the time I'm up around 60, I'm already in 5th.

My bike is an older '92 with an Evo. Where they geared that much lower back then?

 

Thanks Eric. That’s great info. According to what you posted, I think I may still be shifting a little early. I will have to take her out for a spin later to find out. However, that can be a little complicated since I only have a permit right now. I never had a motorcycle license in NY State and my license from S Carolina expired several years ago. No license until next week which means I have to have a licensed driver follow me!

 

Sorry about the confusion; these shift points are "not to exceed" speeds so that you are not revving over 3000 rpms. I usually shift lower than that, unless I'm getting on her hard.

 

I just remembered that my manual was in my truck. This is what it said on page 92… Up Shift
1st – 2nd 15
2nd – 3rd 25
3rd – 4th 35
4th – 5th 45
This sounds very conservative to me. I guess a happy medium would be somewhere between what you posted and what I found on page 92. My numbers would be the low end and yours would be the high end.

 

These numbers are corrrect. On a stock build your power will be considerably better if you are running over 3500 RPMs which mean shifting higher than the 3000 RPM reference chart. But your shift points for cruising will be different that shift points if you are gettin on it. I'd suggest that you play with it until you find that comfortable sweet spot. I don't mind running my engine over 5000 RPM every now and then. It blows the carbon out of the heads

 

I hear what you are saying, thanks man. Hopefully my pipes show up this week so I clean out the carbon on the dyno!