The Power Question

[Freditor]

I really needed to share this with someone, and thought the folks on this site might understand it best...

As one of the RT5 "test pilots," I've gotten a lot of questions about whether or not the RT has adequate horsepower. I have tried to answer those questions as honestly as possible, re: "I believe it has sufficient power, but have to admit I wish it had more, only because it would be even more fun then."
This is my opinion, having ridden my RT 8,000 miles, two-up, pulling a fully-loaded RT622 trailer, across the length of the country, three mountain ranges and the Mojave Desert.

However, a couple of other journalists, who each rode an RT for a day-and-a-half and less than 200 miles, have written in their magazines about the engine being "weak," or feeling "taxed," and quite frankly, not quite up to the task.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I just want to point something out:

Just this past year, Harley-Davidson introduced the Tri-Glide, which is a Lehman trike conversion of an Electra Glide. The Tri-Glide weighs 300 pounds MORE than the RT, with an engine that produces 30 horsepower LESS than the RT, and yet the same publications that chastised the Spyder for a lack of power, lauded the Tri-Glide for having "..all the juice anybody would need.."

Add to that a price tag that starts $10,000 higher than the Spyder, considerably less packing space, and fuel mileage that is not one bit better, and you've got to wonder ... could the amount of advertising dollars spent in these magazines possibly be influencing their evaluations? Or perhaps it is just that old "Harley Mystique" that says, "If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand."

They are correct -- I don't understand.

Fred

[docdoru]

...But if you run it up a little higher, it will hang with them all day long. I don't think that a lot of these 'other journalists' are riding the Spyder where it should be ridden...

welcome Fred and congratulations for beeing elected one of the "Holly RT 5"

[SpyderWolf]

Doc, I have looked at your chart a few times now and have a simple question. Are you never going above 4th gear, or are you actually cruising around at over 80 mph most of the time.

[docdoru]

Doc, I have looked at your chart a few times now and have a simple question. Are you never going above 4th gear, or are you actually cruising around at over 80 mph most of the time.

[Lamonster]

Thanks for the post Fred. I've enjoyed your videos and commentaries and have to agree about the reports like Stu just gave. As we all know the best motorcycle in the world is the one you own and every other one falls short. I think in this case it's the one that pays your bills. I don't take a nickle from BRP and that gives me the right to give the good bad and the ugly about the RT and that's what we were encouraged to do when we picked up our RT's.

I've posted many times that I wish it had a little more power on the top end but the power and torque on the low end is right where it needs to be. My friend Ron had a hard time staying up with me on his Spyder and he's ridden thousands of miles behind me and knows just how my other Spyder performed.

As with any motorcycle you need to find it's happy spot. The RT just starts getting real happy around 5K and that's where you need to keep it if you require passing power. I think if these guys rode the RT with that in mind they would have to say that the power is more than sufficient for a touring machine.

I've yet to own a bike where I didn't try and get more power out of it including my Boss Hoss. Even the bikes I've ridden with 500+ hp and 450 lbs of torque could have used a little more. The Spyder is a whole different animal. I've done a few little things to make it run better but this is not a power cruiser or a sportbike. For what it is it has plenty of power. I would like to see a true performance Spyder down the road, I would be all over that but having put 43,000+ miles in less than two years of riding the Spyder I can honestly say that comfort was more of an issue on my RS than power. The RT has addressed all those concerns about comfort and then some. It's a great package as it is and like you I think it will soon change the way people look at open air touring.

Don't be such a stranger and post a little more.

[retread]

[QUOTE=HDXBONES;158646]
You can't ride the Spyder in the same rpm bands as an HD, or Wing, or some other tourers and expect the same performance....

Now all that's needed is for the "experts" to figure that out.

john

[mike3069]

You can't ride the Spyder in the same rpm bands as an HD, or Wing, or some other tourers and expect the same performance....But if you run it up a little higher, it will hang with them all day long. I don't think that a lot of these 'other journalists' are riding the Spyder where it should be ridden.........

[wolfshead1]

For what it's worth I have ridden the RT and just purchased a 2010 HD Tri-Glide.I think the RT feels as responsive as the HD maybe more in some areas.Just needs more throttle.The power issue was the least of my reasons to buy the Harley.I'd say I bought the Harley because the RS wasn't comfy and has issues and the RT was very comfy but may have issues.

ride it,
wolfshead1

[NautiBrit]

I don't know if the testbed RT's were broken in or new out of the box, but I did notice with my RS that it took several thousand miles before the motor really loosened up and the torque could be properly felt. Initially, I felt that I was lugging the motor in fourth at freeway speeds (65) and didn't want to use fifth at all. The powerband was narrow and high in the rev range. Now, I can lug it down to around 2,500 rpm in fifth and still get clean acceleration.

BTW Fred, I enjoy your articles in MCN.

[BumbleBee]

Hi Fred,
My husband and I had a great time visiting with you at CowTown USA, Cuba, MO!!!

I watch all your video's and read all your blogs on the RT.
They are great
Thanks for sharing!!!

[Roaddog2]

) +1

[BajaRon]

From what I've heard it's not a problem, it's an addiction!

Kind of like a fobia to SLOW (ie. posted speed limit)!

[BajaRon]

I really needed to share this with someone, and thought the folks on this site might understand it best...

As one of the RT5 "test pilots," I've gotten a lot of questions about whether or not the RT has adequate horsepower. I have tried to answer those questions as honestly as possible, re: "I believe it has sufficient power, but have to admit I wish it had more, only because it would be even more fun then."
This is my opinion, having ridden my RT 8,000 miles, two-up, pulling a fully-loaded RT622 trailer, across the length of the country, three mountain ranges and the Mojave Desert.

However, a couple of other journalists, who each rode an RT for a day-and-a-half and less than 200 miles, have written in their magazines about the engine being "weak," or feeling "taxed," and quite frankly, not quite up to the task.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I just want to point something out:

Just this past year, Harley-Davidson introduced the Tri-Glide, which is a Lehman trike conversion of an Electra Glide. The Tri-Glide weighs 300 pounds MORE than the RT, with an engine that produces 30 horsepower LESS than the RT, and yet the same publications that chastised the Spyder for a lack of power, lauded the Tri-Glide for having "..all the juice anybody would need.."

Add to that a price tag that starts $10,000 higher than the Spyder, considerably less packing space, and fuel mileage that is not one bit better, and you've got to wonder ... could the amount of advertising dollars spent in these magazines possibly be influencing their evaluations? Or perhaps it is just that old "Harley Mystique" that says, "If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand."

They are correct -- I don't understand.

Fred

1 honest post is worth 10 hyped magazine articles. It's a shame that most everyone either has an agenda or an ax to grind.

I too like your posts Fred and wish you'd visit more. Even if you decided to point out an honest flaw, defect or shortcoming that's good with me.

Between your post and HDXBONE'S I'd say that you've got the angles covered.

[BajaRon]

Doc, I have looked at your chart a few times now and have a simple question. Are you never going above 4th gear, or are you actually cruising around at over 80 mph most of the time.

Since the chart represents RPM ranges with the 4th column being 6k~8k, it appears that he does spend most of his time between 80~100mph.

To confirm this we need only his total miles and his total riding time.

I would say my chart, if I had one, would put most of my time in the 3rd column of 4k~6k. (Maybe a stupid question but where is he getting that chart?)

I'm sure he's spent some time in the 5th column but not enough to register.

[rmcaskey]

Doc, I have looked at your chart a few times now and have a simple question. Are you never going above 4th gear, or are you actually cruising around at over 80 mph most of the time.

I've studied his chart and it's perfectly clear to me.

We're in the waning period of the recession and housing prices will rebound concurrently with housing starts in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2010.

I'm not sure what all the "RPM" stuff is about.

[NautiBrit]

I've studied his chart and it's perfectly clear to me.


I'm not sure what all the "RPM" stuff is about.

Recessions
Per
Millenium

[DannyS]

I remember when I got my first sports car, a 1200CC Fiat Abarth (wish I still had it) The red line was 12000. I had one uncle drive it and said it had no power I kept telling him to rev it up he was driving it like his V8 sedan. My other uncle drove it, he was used to driving a VW Bug. He was blown away by the power. He said it was scary fast and cornered on rails. It is perception. They should have a sport bike rider ride it not someone used to a cruiser or Harley. I own a KIA Amanti all the reviewers pan it and talk about the big grill. Then they gush over the Chrysler 300 and the big beautiful grill. The call the Amanti a copy even though the 300 looks like it stole the styling from a Bentley. Preconceived impressions are hard to shake.

[bjt]

...I own a KIA Amanti all the reviewers pan it and talk about the big grill. Then they gush over the Chrysler 300 and the big beautiful grill. The call the Amanti a copy even though the 300 looks like it stole the styling from a Bentley. Preconceived impressions are hard to shake.

That is strange. Normally the media bash the american cars and can't heap enough praises on the asian models.

[boborgera]

It's not about power or speed. It's about lack of torque at LOW rpm's, 2/3 thousand rpm's.

[SpyderWolf]

I would say my chart, if I had one, would put most of my time in the 3rd column of 4k~6k. (Maybe a stupid question but where is he getting that chart?)

I am thinking the dealer may be able to pull it for you when they hook up BUDS.

[Questions]

Not a big Harley fan , but the Tri Glide is laying down 101 ft/lbs of torque versus 80 on the RT. In any given situation the Tri Glide is going to accelerate harder than the RT. Its just newtons math guys. I'm not gonna bore everyone with torque versus HP , but do your homework and ride them both. That Harley Motor is a powerhouse in comparison. The RT is no slouch , but there is a difference.

[BajaRon]

I am thinking the dealer may be able to pull it for you when they hook up BUDS.

That is what I was thinking....Has to be the Buds readout.

[BajaRon]

I remember when I got my first sports car, a 1200CC Fiat Abarth (wish I still had it) The red line was 12000. I had one uncle drive it and said it had no power I kept telling him to rev it up he was driving it like his V8 sedan. My other uncle drove it, he was used to driving a VW Bug. He was blown away by the power. He said it was scary fast and cornered on rails. It is perception.

I had a 1970 Kawasaki Triple 500cc. I never had any trouble with that bike. Loved the Pearl Cherry color.

But I could not loan that bike out, even to other motorcycle riders. They would call me saying it quit on them. I'd take a new set of surface gap plugs out and it would fire right up.

If you didn't ride that bike HARD it would foul a plug. Once one plug was fouled the other 2 were not going to live long. Once fouled you could never get them to work right again, even if they were brand new.

I'd tell the guy, you have to ride it hard or it will quit on you. They would always tell me they rode it hard but, of course, they didn't ride it hard enough.

That bike had about a 2,000 rpm power band. But you'd better be holding on when it got there because it was going to take off, with or without you.

I wish I still had that bike. It was a piece of junk but it was the most fun piece of junk I ever owned.

[SpyderWolf]

I wish I still had that bike. It was a piece of junk but it was the most fun piece of junk I ever owned.

I can remember a couple of vehicles I had that I feel the same way about.

[westgl]

I just got back from my first ride on my new RT-SE5 Orbital Blue.

About two weeks or so ago, I made a post about the lack of power the RT had. (I was comparing it to my three Goldwings, and my Suzuki 650, all are fast)

I thought the RT was slow and sluggish, I was Wrong. I had a 1999 Honda civic SI, that did not make power until 4000-7800 RPM, you had to drive it like the RT, and rev it, or it would fall on it's face, if you were in the wrong gear (RPM's too low) and tried to make power.

But the RT as everyone has described is different. It takes some getting used to, and practice riding it the way it needs to be ridden.

You cannot ride it like a Goldwing that is for sure. a Goldiwng is pure torque from idle to 5K. Like a V8

No, the RT must be on full boil, and rev'd, or if you are cruising with the rpms down low, you must down shift to find 5K, then pour it on.

This bike demands that you ride it hard, (After the ride today, I thought what a ticket getter the RT is)

It is a rush to ride it that way.

I have two gas stations by me that have NO-Ethanol added, the dealer filled mine bike up with that gas and mentioned to me that, I should go there, you don't get the 10% ethanol, just 100% gas.

Sorry for my inaccurate post.

I am putting on the Radar detector next. Then I'll ride like I stole it. Like Sammy Hagar says, "Rev on the red line".

Westgl