Engine Lugging

[Aurelius]

The claim is often made that lugging is destructive to engines. I've asked many people about this, including two experienced motorcycle mechanics, but no one thus far has been able to provide any reason to think its true. In fact, both mechanics I spoke with think that lugging does absolutely no harm to an engine. Does anyone here know differently? I'm looking for something a bit more convincing than, "Well, I heard somewhere that...", or "Everyone says it does", or similar remarks. Anyone have a serious explanation they'd care to offer?

[Chopperman]

1) it promotes pinging. you think this is good on the motor?
2) you hear that noise? that is the conrod being battered about. real good for bearings and pistons.
3) fuel is not entirely burnt. lots of lovely black crap packed in the compustion chambers.

[Hankth]

I think there may be some confusion on the term "lugging". If you run the engine down to an rpm that doesn't allow you to gently roll on the throttle and gain speed smoothly, you're lugging. If you run the engine down to a lowish rpm, but can increase speed without bucking, pinging, etc, your'e not really lugging, your just out of the power band, but doing no harm. This rpm can vary with wether you are going uphill, downhill, or on the level. Hope this helps
Hank

[Aurelius]

Originally posted by Chopperman
1) it promotes pinging. you think this is good on the motor?
2) you hear that noise? that is the conrod being battered about. real good for bearings and pistons.
3) fuel is not entirely burnt. lots of lovely black crap packed in the compustion chambers.

Pinging will certainly cause damage eventually, but I've never noticed any pinging or unusual sounds when lugging an engine. All that happens is an increase in engine vibration. I don't make a habit of lugging the motor, but I am curious as to what is happening inside when it does occur.

[Chopperman]

Originally posted by Andrew Ward
Pinging will certainly cause damage eventually, but I've never noticed any pinging or unusual sounds when lugging an engine. All that happens is an increase in engine vibration. I don't make a habit of lugging the motor, but I am curious as to what is happening inside when it does occur.

re-read hankth's post

[Aurelius]

Originally posted by Hankth
I think there may be some confusion on the term "lugging". If you run the engine down to an rpm that doesn't allow you to gently roll on the throttle and gain speed smoothly, you're lugging. If you run the engine down to a lowish rpm, but can increase speed without bucking, pinging, etc, your'e not really lugging, your just out of the power band, but doing no harm. This rpm can vary with wether you are going uphill, downhill, or on the level. Hope this helps
Hank

Does lugging necessarily cause pre-ignition (pinging)? I'm well aware of the metalic rattle associated with pinging, but have never noticed that sound when lugging the engine. The phenomenon I associate with lugging is a dramatic increase in engine vibration when opening the throttle at very low rpms. The only time my bike exhibited pinging was when I used 91 octane gas (instead of the usual 93), and whacked open the throttle in top gear. There was no resulting increase in engine vibration, which suggests to me that lugging and pinging are two different things.

[Chopperman]

put it in 6th and pull away from a stop. does that sound good to you? that's lugging. dont do it. got it?

[iillyyaa]

Originally posted by Andrew Ward
... which suggests to me that lugging and pinging are two different things.

Technically, true. But former, among other bad things, may cause latter.

Let me give you an analogy:

Getting wedgies is unpleasant. Getting wedgies and annoying people are two different things. Annoying people may cause wedgies. Just because you don't get a wedgie every time you annoy someone doesn't mean that it's OK to annoy people. That's because, aside from a wedgie you may get a wet willie, a swirlie, a nuggie, an eye poke or a nose squeeze.

Get it? It's really that simple. :):

[Captain PHX]

You asked for it, Andrew!

Outstanding, Jinx!

[Rad]

Originally posted by Jinx
Lugging.......

Post of the week award goes to Jinx

[Zollo]

"So we need some flywheel, but as little as possible since everyone seems to have agreed that pulling the front wheel in the air in city traffic is, as a characteristic, far preferable to a bike that will plonk along in tight off-road conditions. And we need to accelerate the whole porcine mass of the GS and rider".

Jinx



In a nutshell, Ladies and gentlemen!


Zollo

[Curmudgeon]

When I'm practicing trials balancing on my stop and go commute, the 1150gs engine can idle at 1400 rpm with minimal throttle and to my ear no lugging. Yet, if I were to crack the throttle too quickly it's lug city. So low rpms (below 3500 rpm) require delicate throttle increases, or it's lug city. But, above 3500 rpm you have a free hand, so get all squidly with that German farm implement, and things will never be quit the same again. Having to live with all the contradictions of the GS is charactor building enough, and then becoming attached to the beast is almost too much. Almost!

Patrick

[Stephen]

Originally posted by Rad
Post of the week award goes to Jinx

I say "post of the bloody month"!
Well, fortnight, anyway. After all, I must hold Jinx in continued contempt for grabbing all those Guzzis at once.

As to lugging, here's a little different way to look at it:
Modern engines run sweetly and sonorously up high. Why not keep'em up there where they're happy?

[Aurelius]

Originally posted by Stephen
As to lugging, here's a little different way to look at it:
Modern engines run sweetly and sonorously up high. Why not keep'em up there where they're happy?

But no one even remotely suggested we deliberately lug our engines. The question was why lugging is considered harmfull. As for why we shouldn't just run our engines at high rpms at all times... well, perhaps its just me, but keeping my bike in third gear at 75 mph doesn't make much sense to me.

[Chopperman]

Originally posted by Andrew Ward
But no one even remotely suggested we deliberately lug our engines. The question was why lugging is considered harmfull. As for why we shouldn't just run our engines at high rpms at all times... well, perhaps its just me, but keeping my bike in third gear at 75 mph doesn't make much sense to me.

I dont see why this is so difficult.

the motors run great up near redline. lots of power. ANd great for the heavy load acceleration. Once at spoeed you are under a light load and it is safe to go up a gear to lower the RPM for comfortable cruising. But when accelerating again, drop a gear. It's as natural as farting and feels as good.