THANKS TJ , Mr Brown , I have two bad knees & cant handle the E Glide or road kings anymore ,But I still like to ride a few hundred miles or more at a time ,& MY soft tail just sounds like it's going to blow on vibrate apart at the 75-80 mph ( no Tack yet) ,I rode my TC E Glide many a mile till my knee's went out Johnjz Not to worried about red light racing

 

That's because you're not wearing ear plugs old chap! Best tuning aid known to mankind. Cheap as dirt and worth a try. I've been wearing them since the 70s. Your bike will be fine at those and even higher speeds, it's your poor ears that are the weak link!

 

in the NYC metro you cant have gearing that tall you would never get to 5th gear

 

grbrown johnjz . nothing personel But my atlas don't & never will again head up to NY area ,I live in a wide open state TEXAS & enjoy riding the western states more then the eastern states

 

There are areas around Houston that I don't get in fifth either. I just like being able to tach third over a hundred.

I actually tried a 32/65 a couple years ago with the theory that the 34 was just too much. With the 32 it just didn't feel like it was pulling hard until the top of third and on. It also resulted in me getting pulled away from by a buddy that I could usually watch get small in the mirror.

 

Most of the guys I ride with if any, all have TC 88 or Bigger ,I doubt I'll ever go back to a TC & know I wont have another EFI bike ,& if I do it will be a good while , wallets way to thin right now

 

it works because you are using the torque like it was intended - also your bike package is some what light weight so it all works -- johnjzjz

 

Quite frankly your simplest thing is to leave well alone. Your bike already has high gearing, a consequence of EPA regulations that have afflicted our favourite brand since the early 80s. It will come to no harm and you will be able to ride it further on the cash you save! Just try those ear plugs......

 

ear plugs , But I like the sound of my pipes , I've ridden My Brothers 98 & it's now where as bad sounding as my soft tail ,at the speeds I mentioned above I do some asking around & see what I find out

 

I've been wearing ear plugs since the '70s. They do not make you deaf, nor deaden your hearing, but take the sting out of the cacophony of noise that we experience. They cost pennies to buy and try out, so don't be deaf to a suggestion that will make your long trips a darned sight more comfortable, there's a good chap!

You will find you can hear better, because the background noise is largely blanked out. In fact it was on my first Harley, a '74 Super Glide, that I was won over. I had high bars and an upright riding position and thought the bike handled badly at speed. Wearing plugs demonstrated that I was gripping the bars too tight, introducing a shake due to tension in my arms, caused by the noise.

We were educated on the benefits of wearing ear plugs, and the threats to our hearing, way back then. Unfortunately that was before the internet and we cannot easily refer to the articles and data that were published. However that doesn't reduce the benefits of wearing them!

Lecture over - just do yourself a favour and try the darned things!