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[willyB]

I know this is a bit off topic but I'm having a little debate with my buddy. He rides a 1989 Heritage, I have a 2010 CVO Street Glide and my other friend rides a 2010 Heritage and we continually battle what the proper riding speed should be. I think it all boils down to the gear ratios we are running but he just thinks we ride too fast.

When riding up front with a group the 2010's stick to the posted speed limit. But the 1989 tends to ride 5-10 mph below upfront because he says his bike is running too hard. I keep telling that lugging is real bad for the motor but he doesn't think he's lugging. I've ridden his many times and when I ride his at his speed and his gear for the speed it's definitley lugging hard.

Does anybody have a clue where I can find the 5th Gear Final Drive Ratio for his stock 1989 Heritage?

Any help would be appreciated because I'm either running up on gear all day or boucing between gears. It's beginning to be a problem for any upcoming trips. I had a 2003 Deuce and it was still a problem.

2010 CVO: 5th-3.407, 6th- 2.875
2010 Heritage: 5th-3.307, 6th-2.79
2003 Deuce: 5th-3.15
1989 Heritage: 5th-?

Hopefully you understand the dilema.

Thanks,

[mjb765]

I remember reading somewhere that the 89 Softail Custom final drive was 3.57. I don't know if the Heritage was the same.

[cahdbiker]

WillyB, I still have my 1995 Heritage. It came stock with a 32 tooth front pully and a 65 tooth rear pulley. Maybe to keep down vibration at freeway speeds or maybe for noise compliance. However, In my service manual on page 6-1 the engine sprocket is 25 teeth, clutch sprocket 36 teeth. In the owner's manual it sayes the final drive ratio is 2.925. Some of the other models that year(1995) came with a 32 front and a 70 tooth rear sprocket which made the final drive ratio 3.15. If your friends bike( since it is a 1989) has different sprockets in the primary and final drive and he knows what they are there is a calculator on the Baker Drive Train web site. (primary 36 divided by 25 = 1.44 , final drive 65 divided by 32 = 2.03  2.03X1.44= 2.925. I also understand that some of the bikes shipped out of the country were geared even taller. I liked my five speed with the 32/65 combo.It had a stage one kit with the SE mufflers, SE ignition, and rejet on stock carb with K&N filter. It didn't even start to breath hard until about 85MPH. I wish I would have left it alone, but that is another story. CAHDBIKER