How do you know when to change gears on a new harley without a tach?

Question

I just got an 07 1200 custom sportster. All my other bikes had tachs, and im not sure exactly when to shift this one. I have put about 230 miles on it and still breaking it in. How do i know if Im red-lining it or switching too early?

Answer 1

You listen to the motor. I don't mean to insult you, but if you don't know how to shift based on the sound of the engine, you should not be riding a Harley.

If you shift too soon, the engine will sound as if it's laboring to keep running in the higher gear. If you shift too late, the engine will start to sound as if it's whining too high and fast.

JBird: Harley's aren't fragile. Idiots that try to run the motor like it's an inline water cooled egine instead of a air cooled V-Twin are fragile in the head and should stick to jap crap.

Answer 2

The first bike I had had a tach and I learned to shift at certain RPMs, but after a while I learned to rely on the sound of the engine to know when to shift. I've had bikes since that first one that had tachs but I never really looked at them. My current bike, a Harley FXD, has no tach and I don't miss it. The ears still work. Since you've had other bikes, you should already be able to shift based on the engine sounds. Have fun on the new bike.

Answer 3

Whew! Lots of good advice here! You have already been riding so I wont go into what you already know, such as sound of the motor, feel of the bike, etc. If you ride, you probably already have these things down. I will address the over rev issue. All late model stock harleys have rev limiters built into them, so if you don't shift soon enough, you will start to hear the motor cut out, when the spark is retarded (like harleyhater) to the plugs. I would follow the manuals advise on upshift and downshift speeds , especially during the break in period.
If this is your first Harley, congratulations, and hope you enjoy it.

Answer 4

You listen to the motor.I can't remember ever looking at a tach to determine when I shift.They are just a waste of space and about the most useless piece of equipment on a bike.

Answer 5

Like Scott H says, it's in the Owner's manual.
All my others had a tach. The Dyna don't.
So, I shift how I learned when driving a car. Sound and feel.
Your trans (and shift points) are different from mine.
Don't worry, she'll tell you if she's working too hard (lugging) or spinning too fast. If you just take it easy (like in normal, no racing) you won't over spin her.

Answer 6

I ride mine Daily (04 XL 1200c) the standard for me is..
1st - 0>25
2nd - 25>35
3rd - 35>45
4th - 45>55
5th - 55>and faster
I also have a tach and I love it but I dont use it for shifting,,,,get the feel of your bike then it will come natural.....Biker G

Answer 7

You should be able to listen to the motor and feel the acceleration to tell when it is reaching the top of it's power band. Then shift. If you rode with a tach for a long period of time you should still have a feel for it.

Answer 8

you can go by sound ,feel . Quarter twist is about 4500rpm . is a good shift point to break in your new motor. you will know red line when the bike is shaking excessively and nuts and bolts fall off. get into the power band before you shift you can tell by the acceleration. and remember loud pipes saves lives

Answer 9

practice and experience. You don't need the tach, listen too and feel the motor. If you really have to have one, there are plenty of them you can install, both from H.D. and aftermarket from places like J&P cycle or Dennis Kirk (both online and offer a free catalog).

Answer 10

Your owner's manual will give you a good idea but even it will tell you to get a feel for your bike and then you will be able to tell, mostly by sound, but also by the way it feels. There a ways to add tachometers but I don't feel it is necessary.

I know for my Dyna, it is 2nd gear @ 15mph and then every 10 after that. 6th won't kick in until 55mph or higher.