Hi all I have on my sportster for about a month now it's a 1990 883 with 10k miles. I've gotten past the rough ride the shaking in the weird popping every now and then when I go to take off but now my problem is what gear should I be in the bike is not equipped with a tachometer. First and second seems to shake really bad in vibrate my hands in my head when I'm in third it's not so bad and I can cruise really good at 40 to 50 miles an hour with no problem but I don't know if that is too high if I shifted to four it seems like the motor is always blogging and chugging. I am only hit the highway once and I did use fourth and everything was fantastic it's just the back roads I do a lot of cruising in it seems like I'm always in the wrong gear because it sounds like the motor is running too high obviously this is a four-speed Marney if anybody has any knowledge of this particular bike please let me know the best gearing for a particular speed
If you're not familiar with Sportsters I do recommend getting a tach. There is a sweet spot you want to be in. Once my bike hits about 3k she purrs like a kitten...which also is about the start of the power band. I'm shifting about 4500,..when I'm riding normally. On the highway you want to be in the 3500-3800 range. OK to be a bit higher if you want some more mph.
Your 883 is not going to be happy until you get your rpms up. It may sound like you're revving too much, but that's where they're happy. Sporties are not like the big bikes you hear chugging around town at low rpms. Those bikes have MUCH more torque,...like at least double.
Once I installed my tach my experience was greatly improved.
If you're not familiar with Sportsters I do recommend getting a tach. There is a sweet spot you want to be in. Once my bike hits about 3k she purrs like a kitten...which also is about the start of the power band. I'm shifting about 4500,..when I'm riding normally. On the highway you want to be in the 3500-3800 range. OK to be a bit higher if you want some more mph.
Your 883 is not going to be happy until you get your rpms up. It may sound like you're revving too much, but that's where they're happy. Sporties are not like the big bikes you hear chugging around town at low rpms. Those bikes have MUCH more torque,...like at least double.
Once I installed my tach my experience was greatly improved.
Very helpful. I purchased a '92 883 the other month and this being my first Sportster, I didn't know this. I am fortunate to have the Deluxe model so it does come with a tach. I'll be shifting later than I used to from now on. Thanks!
Your bike has a 4 speed transmission, most of ours have the 5 speed. I have a 1991 with a 5 speed, but my buddy had a 1990 4 speed. The gears are going to be "taller" in order to make the transition from first gear to fourth, having one less gear. So, you will likely be in 3rd gear most of the time around town, and only go into fourth about 55 or so. You do have a speedometer and can feel when the bike is in the "pulling" band of the rpms. You can just try and wind it out as much as you feel comfortable. I shift about 3800 myself, which seems right in the power band. Of course, I occasionally go higher if getting on it. But, it's not like a jap bike designed to rev to 10K!!! It's a 60 year old engine design based on even older flathead engine designs. 3000-4500 seems reasonable for where you want to be most the time.
Thank you all it's had when most of the bikes are 5 speeds but I think I'm ok now knowing I can safely hold it a little higher in the rpm. It seems to be ok doing 45-50 in 3rd it dose not sound like it's coming apart.
listen to your butt. it tells you were you need to be.
staring at the speedo and tach trying to adhere to some chart or what someone told you that you needed to be doing will have you and the local dare devil deer doing the non-naked pretzel in the street.
listen to your butt. it tells you were you need to be.
staring at the speedo and tach trying to adhere to some chart or what someone told you that you needed to be doing will have you and the local dare devil deer doing the non-naked pretzel in the street.
What if your butt doesn't know what to listen for? Of all the bikes I've ridden... NINJA 250, CBR 600, XS1100, pre-unit Triumph, Dyna, dirt bikes of all sizes, etc....the Sporty has been the most finiky and with the narrowest happy rpm band. (Let's not even get into the even narrower acceptable vibration rpm range). I rode my Sporty for a year before installing the speedo/tach combo. GREATLY improved my understanding of the bike which increased my enjoyability and confidence. A quick glance here and there at the tach for a few long rides is all it takes.
On any other bike a tach was not necessary,.....and many times wasn't available. The Sporty....not so much. IMO.
06-05-2017, 12:07 PM
What gear should I be in
