2010 FLHTK Power Issues

[RWT59]

Hey guys,

Is anyone out there disappointed or having issues with power from the 103 motor
Going up hills in 6th the bike is realy lagging and the right side muffler is starting to blue
Some friends of mine said that I need to get rid of the cats and sugested going to the Stage 1 kit

 

[Joyflyin]

The stage one kit is a good idea to get the bike to run cooler. As for going up hills in 6th, you may want to drop it down to 5th. From what I have read, 6th gear is best at speeds over 60mph.

I'm sure there will be others to weigh in here soon to help. :s

I know there are several mentions on the forum about the 6th gear.

Try this, 6th Gear - Harley Davidson Community

Not sure if that will help, I just tried searching 6th gear in the search box.

 

[mnultra]

Your friends are on to something but the bigger question is what are you expecting as far as 6th gear performance?

Could you give us a little bit of a rundown on some of the conditions where you feel the power in 6th is lacking? Two up? Approximate speed/rpm's?

A stage 1 and removing the cats will help but is ceratinly not the cure all.

 

[Breeze3at]

Even at 70 mph, 6th gear isn't for pulling hills. It's for cruising at speeds above 60 mph (minimum, flat ground). No matter how many cu.in., the engine is only turning a tick more than 2,000 rpm @ 60. A stage 1 will help overall performance, but won't change the gear ratio.

 

[RWT59]

I just got back from a trip to Vegas
The bike felt real sluggish in 6th going up hills at ever at 70 ,mph plus
I could drop down to 5th to get over the hump but I had guys with 96 " bike walking away from me in the same gear and I'm not to happy about the right side pipe turning blue. The bike seemed to be running way too hot even with the hot weather the pipe shouldn't be turning blue ?

 

[mnultra]

I just got back from a trip to Vegas
The bike felt real sluggish in 6th going up hills at ever at 70 ,mph plus
I could drop down to 5th to get over the hump but I had guys with 96 " bike walking away from me in the same gear and I'm not to happy about the right side pipe turning blue. The bike seemed to be running way too hot even with the hot weather the pipe shouldn't be turning blue ?

I can see why you are dissapointed! Even before the stage 1 on my 96" I never experienced anything like that. Before a stage 1, I would have a talk with your dealer to get their opinion as well. If you get a "They all do that", find another dealer because, in my opinion, something isn't right.

 

[ironmark]

I would look into a cam . My bike has the 103" upgrade with the 255 cams and is a stump puller in 6 gear , I can set the cruise at 55 and pull a 6-7 % grade riding 2 up and still roll on the throttle and gain speed at will , when I ride solo I can go as low as 45 in 6th ( 1750 rpm ) and gain speed on demand . As far as I know the 96" is just a stroked 88" and the factory 103" is just a 96" with the 103" big bore kit minus the cams . If you improve the intake and exhaust so the bike can breath better and install the 255 cams with a fuel tuner you will be surprised an how much better the bike will pull in 6th gear .

 

[mnultra]

I would look into a cam . My bike has the 103" upgrade with the 255 cams and is a stump puller in 6 gear , I can set the cruise at 55 and pull a 6-7 % grade riding 2 up and still roll on the throttle and gain speed at will , when I ride solo I can go as low as 45 in 6th ( 1750 rpm ) and gain speed on demand . As far as I know the 96" is just a stroked 88" and the factory 103" is just a 96" with the 103" big bore kit minus the cams . If you improve the intake and exhaust so the bike can breath better and install the 255 cams with a fuel tuner you will be surprised an how much better the bike will pull in 6th gear .

Did you have the same issues as the OP before your cam upgrade?

 

[hogrotten]

I just got back from a trip to Vegas
The bike felt real sluggish in 6th going up hills at ever at 70 ,mph plus
I could drop down to 5th to get over the hump but I had guys with 96 " bike walking away from me in the same gear and I'm not to happy about the right side pipe turning blue. The bike seemed to be running way too hot even with the hot weather the pipe shouldn't be turning blue ?

I don't know if you've ever owned a Harley before but don't expect any real performance out of it without putting some money into it. I know, sad but true. If you add a stage one to include a fuel management system, and personally if it was me a 2 into 1 exhaust system you'll find it to be a whole new bike. If that doesn't give you enough maybe look into a cam change. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[ironmark]

Did you have the same issues as the OP before your cam upgrade?

I had the 96" and was happy with it as a whole but 6th was a bit sluggish , I just wanted more power so I had the 103" kit that has the 255 cams & clutch springs included installed , I did use my stock heads & had a custom dyno done . Now the bike has 108 lbs of tourqe @ the rear wheel .