Mine has been pretty smooth for me. There are a few spots (mph) that feels likeyou need to upshift, butwhen you do, it feels like it's lugging the engine and you should downshift or speed up.

My only real complaint is the drive line lash while trying to slowly coast in 1st gear. All bikes have this problem, some worse than others.

 

2nd gear at 30 wants to go into 3rd. 3rd at 32 mph sucks, but so does 2nd. 3rd feels pretty good at 40 although it's reving higher than I'd like. 4th likes 50 and 5th likes 60. You would think Harley would figure the gears based on the speed limits. Now there's a thought!

 

I know what you mean there. If that condition is excessive, you might wanna check your primary chain adjustment. But most likely what you're experiencing is just the nature of the beast.

 

The torque curve is higher in the rev range on a Sportster, so you have to keep the revs up. I ride with a couple of guys with BTs and I'm always one gear lower than they are when just cruising around at low speeds. It's the nature of the beast. It's easier keeping it in the power range if you have a tach, but if not, just listen to the engine and you'll soon learn where the power is. Bottom line: if your like many, maybe most, Sportster riders, you've never been anywhere near the rev limiter. So, downshift and let that sucker rev. It will sound like it's going to explode underneath you (they are noisy), but it won't,and all shuddering will be gone.

 

for what its worth your turning 2700 rpms at 60 mph and 3000 at 70 mph when running in 5th gear.

 

Being my first Harley, I have definitely learned that it takes a bit of practice and attention to choosing the correct gear for the condition. This ismy first bike thatgot reallypissed off atearly gearchanges and not downshifting to accellerate. Your better off to let it rev a bit then labor it at low RPM's.

 

Are you talking about surging / hunting? If you run a lot of these fuel-injected Sportsters at a perfectly constant throttle, sometimes they will keep turning the fuel on and off constantly creating a thrusting feeling on the bike. It's hard for me to reproduce, but mine does that occasionally as well at certain RPMs in certain gears.

EDIT: Nevermind, you're talking about while accelerating, not constant throttle.

 

sounds like lugging to me, but i guess you know what lugging is..

 

wow... i have had mine at 90 in third. 50 in third is not even close to being high revs... I guess? I have no tach

 

I have to agree with JohnT's statement that the torque curve is too low for you to jump on it in the gears you mentioned. When over revving, the engine will snap, crackle and, popback at you, telling you its time to change that gear. That or, you have a carburation problem thats not giving it the right amount of fuel to accomidate the change in throttle needs.