[Meenaggie77]

I was cruising to work the other day at around 80 and had zero throttle left to give. This can't be normal? What are some things i should look into about this.

 

[smilie]

Perhaps your lack of forethought regarding what happens to the human body when it suddenly impacts another object at 80+mph? J/K!! You should have more than that in her. Especially with the 39T rear sprocket. Mine is a shaft drive and I've not had her quite that fast, but @ 75 she's got more throttle left. Slipping clutch maybe?

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Were you heading up hill or into a headwind?
I should think a VT750 has a bit more juice than to top out at 80...

 

[Beezer]

If you have a windshield and you were headed into a strong headwind it could explain at least part of it. I know College Station isn't known for it's steep grades. If no headwind nor windshield.... Time to check some things out. Have you watched your linkage to see full travel? Tune-up criteria? Carburetor clean? A leaky piston diaphragm comes to mind as something that could really starve things out. Stuck piston?

Simplified cutaway:

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[2500hdon37s]

Should be able to do at least 105.

but with a large windshield you wont touch 100. But you should be able cruise at 80mph no problem. I say check for fueling issues. also try running 4th gear all the way out before hitting 5th and see what it does.

 

[firehawk]

Yep, somethings wrong. I've seen 85 mph (indicated) with my wife and I on the VLX when we were trying to out run a thunderstorm and it wasn't topped out.

 

[h13man]

Might want to give it a drink or two of Seafoam.

 

[Bobolto]

I was cruising to work the other day at around 80 and had zero throttle left to give. This can't be normal? What are some things i should look into about this.

Try 4th gear.

Until you get to the speed you want to be then go to 5th.

5th gear is an overdrive gear.

If you are on an incline, especially the steeper ones, FORGET 5th gear.

 

[TenDollarBill]

Should be able to do at least 105.

but with a large windshield you wont touch 100. But you should be able cruise at 80mph no problem. I say check for fueling issues. also try running 4th gear all the way out before hitting 5th and see what it does.

^^^that. I had my 08 750 Spirit to 95 once. Was still accelerating when I backed off.

 

[Risingsunn]

I have a very similar issue on a 2005 Aero 750 and have read a lot of things that can affect your top speed:

Also are there any mods to your bike?

1) Clean air filter
2) Proper tire pressure
3) Good spark plugs
4) Petcock diaphragm damage
5) Carb diaphragm damage
6) Incorrect jet size
Check your plugs, if they are not a golden brown then you bike may be running too lean, which I hear, is normal for them. You can get new jet sets from Amazon for like $18 shipped.
7) Dirty carb (Seafoam works well for cleaning)
8 ) Water in carb bowl
9) Plugged or gummed up jets
10) Valve adjustment
11) Vacuum leak (check all hoses for dry rot or holes, make sure air filter boot is secure to the carb)
12) Carbs are out of sync (if bike has multiple carbs)


I am sure there are few more things I may be missing. Since this issue is common and happening to me also, perhaps after a bit more reading I should compile a more complete checklist of things to go over with under powered Shadows to put as a sticky.

 

[Beezer]

I have a very similar issue on a 2005 Aero 750 and have read a lot of things that can affect your top speed:

Also are there any mods to your bike?

1) Clean air filter
2) Proper tire pressure
3) Good spark plugs
4) Petcock diaphragm damage
5) Carb diaphragm damage
6) Incorrect jet size
Check your plugs, if they are not a golden brown then you bike may be running too lean, which I hear, is normal for them. You can get new jet sets from Amazon for like $18 shipped.
7) Dirty carb (Seafoam works well for cleaning)
8 ) Water in carb bowl
9) Plugged or gummed up jets
10) Valve adjustment
11) Vacuum leak (check all hoses for dry rot or holes, make sure air filter boot is secure to the carb)
12) Carbs are out of sync (if bike has multiple carbs)


I am sure there are few more things I may be missing. Since this issue is common and happening to me also, perhaps after a bit more reading I should compile a more complete checklist of things to go over with under powered Shadows to put as a sticky.

Those are all good things to check every so often anyhow. Little problems like those can creep up and be degrading performance gradually so you don't realize it.

 

[NorTex]

Smillie mentioned 'slipping clutch.' I have a new 09 750 Spirit and I've noticed that rotating the throttle to the peg in 3rd and 4th gives the appropriate increase in engine rpm but not the expected increase in acceleration. Is that a clutch problem?

 

[pastordave1]

As mentioned there are many things it could be. Today I went to town, 25 miles each way. It was very windy and there is a lot of slow grades and a steep one at the end. I was doing 70-75 fine on the way there even hit 85 without realizing it so I had to back off. On the way home the first strech was the up hill incline and I didn't prepare for the wind, I toped out at 65, first time this has ever happened, it was super windy. I dropped into 4th and it slowly got up past 70 and I had to leave it in 4th until it flattened out a bit the shifted to 5th and all was good. So a combination of wind and uphill really slowed it down. So before you get to into thinking something is wrong with your bike make sure it wasn't anything like what I experienced. If you were on a flat road and no wind then start looking at the other things mentioned here.
Wind and hills can play tricks on you, mine rides great in the wind so I almost thought I had a problem. Just because it handles great in the wind doesn't mean the wind won't slow you down coming straight at your windshield.