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[FLSTFI Dave]

Remind me never to buy one of your used bikes!   That sounds pretty extreme?   3 grand in 6th is like 80 mph?    How fast are you traveling?     Our bikes make their power lower in the rpm range?   An hour at 5 grand?    I don’t think these bikes are made for that kind of abuse.    They are touring bikes.    Cars that run in that band have solid lifters, heavy springs and are torn down frequently?     Cars that can survive like that are over head cams with small cylinder displacements.   
Just sayin....   

Yep, 78 mph is 3000 rpm.  Riding the mountains 3000 RPM and up to 4000 is where the bike does well.

Fully disagree on cars, may have been true in the 60's.  My last two Corvettes, a 14 and now an 18 on the Track I shift at over 5000 RPM.  Doesn't not have solid lifters, red line is 6500 rpm.  Car is fully warrantied for track use.  Not small displacement at 376 cubic inches, not overhead cam either.  Mine is not even the very high performance supercharged version that is 750 HP, and still track warrantied.

At Ron Fellows Corvette performance driving school they run these cars almost every day, 8 hours a day on the track the whole time above 5000 rpm.  They do not even tear the engine down yearly. 

[sadunbar]

I couldn't disagree more with saying that is abuse! I don't do burnouts, wheelies, drop the clutch at stoplights. I bought the bike and installed the stage 4 that is made to run higher in the revs and that's where it makes its power. I ride the same now as I have my entire adult life (be 60 in July) and have never had issues like this on any motorcycle I have ever owned including my previous Harleys. I have a 12 Roadglide currently with 70000 miles. Also I try to never go more than 10 over speed limit on the freeways as I drive a company car and could lose it if I got to many points on my record. Currently have had 1 ticket in the last 5 years (thanks JC..  )
When I first sat down with the rep from moco he also tried to blame my riding style for my bike continuing to sump and was also implying I was abusing my bike actually saying that he saw on my work orders that I was going through rear tires about every 5000 miles. I said that obviously since he could see that I used that dealer to replace all my tires I would also use them to replace any broken belts, excessive brake wear etc and asked him if he saw any of that which he agreed that he didn't. As a point of information I replace my tires as soon as I start seeing the wear bars get close so though of course I still go through tires quickly, I am sure I could get another 1000 miles out of each if I really tried.
I have ridden with many here on this forum and I don't think anyone would agree with you that I abuse my motorcycle..

Using your service records against you to build a bogus case, implying violation of the terms of warranty?  Sounds like the MOCO representative is encouraging use of quality independents for routine maintenance.

[mark]

"Using your service records you to build a bogus case, implying violation of the terms of warranty?  Sounds like the MOCO representative is encouraging use of quality independents for routine maintenance."


The MoCo is between a rock and a hard place.  They're in financial distress, have introduced a new engine with a faulty oiling system that should be recalled and replaced with a properly functioning system.  But, a recall that big would overwhelm service departments and bankrupt the company.  For HD to claim their most high performance bikes can't be ridden hard is laughable and shows they're at the end of the line regarding excuses.     

[J.D.]

The irony.  Sell a performance kit tailored to higher RPM power than claim abuse when it is used as advertised.

[Twolanerider]

Though it's belaboring the obvious Harley itself defines what the operating ranges are.  If they perceive a RPM to be too high they could set a different rev limit.  They could even set a rev limit duration that would be responded to with an in-radio warning should they wish.  This and darn near anything else controlling the operating limits are not even hardware options and expenses; just a little code to be written.  If the bike is being ridden within the confines of that Harley has defined Harley can't (ok, shouldn't) complain about how the bike is ridden.

If a service representative (at any level) tells an owner not to ride a bike a certain way the only response should be "I rode it within the parameters allowed by the manufacturer's programming in the ECM and/or other management modules."  If the company doesn't want it ridden at higher RPMs then program that level outside the flight envelope (then try selling the bikes that way).