I am fairly new to this '11 FatBoy Lo, and reading a lot of posts to get more familiar with her.

On many oil arguments, I see guys claim to get best engine wear/performance out of the engine buy not lugging it. Exactly what is the cutoff? I mean these engines are not RPM screamers. When I first got her, I used the GEAR/TACH setting of the speedo to monitor the RPMs. Found that shift point at about 2500 to 3000 felt best, and just cruising down city streets at about 2000 to 2200 felt good.

Of course, not a lot of power there, and accelerations take a downshift or 2, but what do you guys feel are good shift points and cruising revs?

Thanks
Michael

 

There's your sign...

If there's no power there, you're lugging it, particularly if you accelerate.

I run 2500 or higher pretty much all the time. Never under 2200, even on level roads.

 

Lugging would be if you did not down shift and just opened the throttle and expected the big to pull from just off of idle. It is generally not a good idea. That being said you can very easily get a lot of power at 2000 to 2200 rpms out of the FatBoy then lugging it will be just above stalling.

 

I'm sorry but do you really not know what" lugging the engine means" ?

 

I am sure once in a blue moon we all lug...just squeeze that clutch immediately and down shift. Like Troupe said....you know right away that you have no power.

 

if i am lugging it in a bad way i can feel and hear the difference... kinda like the motor is bouncing off or smacking into the gears as opposed to pushing them

 

I try not to lug it for my safety. Years ago they taught in the safety course we had to take to ride on the navy base to keep it where you can get instant power if you can. A quick twist of the throttle can get you out of a dangerous spot sometimes.

 

Lugging the engine is when you are bogging the engine down when you should be shifting to a lower gear usually hearing the pinging of your valves under severe lugging. When you are not lugging the engine , you should be feeling smooth acceleration. Now don't tell me that you don't know what bogging the engine is or I will have to start all over again.

 

Define lugging? In very basic terms an internal combustion engine fires prior to top dead center on the compression stroke. The inertia of the crankshaft and pistons normally overcome this if revved properly. If the engine is under revved, the piston and connecting rod are driven against the crank journal, that puts undue pressure on the crank and rod bearings, and can also squeeze the film of oil covering said bearings. That can create metal on metal contact and the noise that you hear when the engine "lugs".

Low RPM's on a Harley aren't good, IMO, in stock configuration it's a mid range motor, not happy at high or low RPM. It's allot of HD riders that lug their bikes, countless times I hear them lugging up a hill, each exhaust note distinct as they pull. I guess it's the sound of their pipes and the misconception that the motor is a low rpm torque monster. Their lower end is being ground to a pulp, as the entire difference between a brand new motor and one that is totally worn out can be held in a teaspoon. For the same reason I never compression brake my bike as it has the same effect of throwing the whole load back on the crank that it wasn't designed for.

Just before an engine becomes under revved, I've noticed a distinct sound coming from the motor of every bike I've ever owned. It's a faint whirring sound and the engine becomes, for a better word, "neutral?". That's always been a cue for me to either down shift or pick up the throttle.

YMMV

 

I'm sure the OP thanks you for contributing to this thread.

I would define lugging as putting "strain" on the motor. You are basically in too high of a gear for that particular MPH...almost feels like the engine is going to stall out and you can feel a slight bucking in some cases.