| Author | Message | ||
     Medicbpm |
Hey does anyone know if its possible or available to add/replace current 5speed with a 6speed. I do lots of highway in between goofin off and would like a 6th gear. Any ideas? Thanx medicbpm | ||
| M1combat |
Not yet... Word is that the FX Buells use a trap door that is machined into the case. This allows them to pull the gear cluster out a bit quicker... I would imagine that someone might someday make a six speed cluster, but I think it's pretty un-likely... I kind of wish that someone would make a fifth gear cog that could be placed in the tranny during an engine rebuild.... | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
My bike is really happy at 90 mph on the freeway. Are you guys going faster than this? No need for a sixth gear. | ||
| Brupska |
I thought Baker Drive made a 6 speed for the XL/ Buell engine. I think the price was around 2500 bones. Kind of steep for one more gear. I don't know of anyone installing one yet. Maybe some one will chime in that knows more about it. Good luck and let us know what you find out. Brupska | ||
| Djkaplan |
My bike is really happy at 90 mph on the freeway. Are you guys going faster than this? No, but lower revs at highway speed is a good thing. I don't care what kind of bike you're riding, if it can pull a higher gear, it needs it. Everyone thinks that the old XL engine has a wide powerband, but in reality it has a very narrow rpm range. An extra gear would certainly enhance it's efficiency at speed. | ||
| Unibear12r |
A number of guys have put Baker's in their tubers. As of the last time I looked it doesn't work in the XB trannys and Baker wasn't making one or planed one for the XB. I was toying with the thought too. | ||
| Fullpower |
medic, if you really think you want to lower your engine rpm at hiway speeds, it is very easy and inexpensive to simply install the primary chain and engine sprocket from the XB12 model. you will need a gasket, gear and chain. also use red loctite on the engine shaft nut threads. with the xb12 primary gearing you will lower rpm about 11%. you will not affect your speedometer. even with new parts, the whole deal should be under $200. | ||
| Cataract2 |
I find if I do 90 to 100 on the interstate that my fuel economy goes in the trash. At about 90 I'm doing 5K in the RPM band. A 6th gear would be nice at times. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
6th gear as an overdrive would be fantastic, I called Baker many months ago and asked them if they had planned to build a 6 speed for Buells and the answer was no. Although I have read somewhere on Badweb where guys have made the transmission work by grinding the inside of the cases to house the Baker. | ||
| Richieg150 |
No stock XB has enough motor to pull a six speed transmission.I have been told by those who rode them,the tubers in europe had different gearing and could'nt pull fifth gear to redline.Putting a six speed transmission would be harder to pull than that.If you punch it out to 88 cubic inches,then you will have a motor thats capable of using a six speed.Baker does make a six speed for the tubers and you have to grind inside of the case for it to fit,which is no big deal. | ||
| Djkaplan |
You miss the point of having an extra gear. Not only does it make the rpm drops between gears lower, it lets the engine lope at an easier pace on the interstates. You could have better acceleration with more efficiency on the highway. | ||
| Mikethebike72 |
I spoke with Baker at Daytona, still no plans to produce 6-speed for xb. But like any thing, if they see there may be enough demand for it, they would do it. So do like I did and tell them to get to work on it. "If you build it, they will come." | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
If you want to lower your highway cruising RPM then buy the pulleys from Trojan. They offer a pulley kit that changes your final drive gearing. Less then a 6speed trans. The also sell a kit that will give you more acceleration, but kills your top speed. | ||
| Richieg150 |
How about a chain conversion,that way you can custom gear it to your riding?If Bakers does make one,it would be for the new sporster motor,that will work in out Buells,not the other way around.Im not sure about the lopeing your engine to give you better acceleration,our bikes run better from 3000 up,lugging them down isnt good for them. | ||
| Firemanjim |
The european gearing on the tubers was horrendously high.Normal US gearing was 27/61 for most and 29/61 for S-2's and some S-3's.Euro gearing was 29/55,so they could almost not pull 5th.Any other tuber could and would pull the 6th in a Baker.I have one in my S-2 with a 1250 kit and it is great to be able to drop the rpms at freeway speeds.Pulling 6th is no problem,I believe(don't quote me) it's only a 10% OD.The grinding the case is only on some early tubers to give enough clearance for the 6th gear.I had to do mine,easy enough.XB's have no trapdoor to install the Baker so no go for you guys. | ||
| Gjwinaus |
"My bike is really happy at 90 mph on the freeway. Are you guys going faster than this?" I have cruised my XB9R at 170 Kph(105 mph)for more than 40 minutes and it worked beautifully but was revving about 5500 rpm and I think it would easily pull a 10 % overdrive 6th gear.}} | ||
| M1combat |
Obviously "lugging" a single journal twin isn't good for it, but if we could bring the RPM's to about 2500-3200 at about 90 that would offer a substantial increase in cruising mileage and less wear/tear for the long freeway runs. No one was talking about getting more acceleration from the six speed, or pulling it until you were revved out... Just an OD for fuel economy w/o losing the acceleration from first to fifth. You could also go the other way, and have a sixth that's marginally better for cruising than the current fifth, but have a good deal more grunt from first to fifth... I'd probably go the second route because I don't run freeways much at all. | ||
| Bbstacker |
My XB9 is primarily used for getting me to-and-from work and other places I do and don't want to go. I get about 50 MPG as is. Haven't seen the 60 MPG highway they told me about. I could use a 6th gear for the economy. Bringing the RPMs down about 10% wouldn't be bad either. | ||
| Buelldyno_guy |
I own a 2002 S3T and got it into the 130 Club at Bonneville in 03. Even at my dealer price the Baker is too much. This year I converted to chain and set it up to the European ratios. With 99.85 HP at the rear wheel it cruses great two-up and will pull about 135 to 140 MPH on the salt. I will keep this ratio with a new 88 inch Nallin Motor for the street, but pull one tooth higher at Bonneville, I really want a 150 Club Bagger | ||
| Kowpow225 |
I believe theres a point that if the gearing is too tall, your RPMs go down but may not yield better fuel economy. Actually it can become worse. Although, a sixth would be nice!  | ||
| Bbstacker |
Yeah, if you get the overdrive too tall you end up lugging the engine when you have to get on it. So there is that to consider. I do most of my freeway riding at 70-75MPH. That's about 4 grand on the tach. just seems a bit wound out to me. But then again this is the first Buell I've ever owned. | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Hi Mark, How's the scoot! One of the peoples here said that IC engines are designed and built to run at 80% reliably. I don't know if that's true or not, but if you take the 9R 7400 Redline and run 80%, that's 5920 RPM. I go 90 on pretty much every road trip and that puts my tach at about 5000 in fifth gear. The bike doesn't sound wound to me, that's less than 80% of redline. Maybe taller gearing would make for inverse fuel economy... (Message edited by charlieboy6649 on March 20, 2005) | ||
| Medicbpm |
Sorry yall Site down and I bite the pavement Sunday. But yeah I am looking for greater fuel economy on the highway as I'm getting 38-40mpg now at 70-80mph. SUX. Thanx for the XB12 idea fullpower I'll look into it. Really looking for any and all ideas to improve fuel consumtion. The XB9SX has more tha enough torq/HP for me so loosing a little wont bother me. Thanx again | ||
| Jmartz |
The 6th is in the trap door. XB's don't have one. Adaptation could be done but not easily. Fact is you don;t really need that 6th for speeds under 90. | ||
| Djkaplan |
"Fact is you don;t really need that 6th for speeds under 90." I agree - that's why I want one.  |
