I have a 1990 Glide, bought new, currently with stock US gearing (original UK gearing was much higher, with a 61T rear pulley, instead of 70T), so 3.37:1 fifth gear. I also now have an S&S 107 in it with just over 100HP/TQ. That gearing gives the bike excellent top gear performance!

But not as good as my 03 Dyna, with 3.75:1 fifth, courtesy a 21T compensator....

 

on my 07 FLHT 6th gear is useless under 70 mph, I can live with the 2000 RK 5 speed just fine

 

you dont hear too many people saying they want to take there 6th speed out?the 5th gear whine is rediculiously minor imo. On an open road at an incline 6th gear can strugle a bit. I just added a mid-upper cam with 103 and it really seems to help the 6th gear so far but have only had a few miles to test out.

carry on....

 

It's taken me a long time to get used to the 6 speed in my UC vs. the 5 speed in my Wide Glide. The lower rpm's make the UC less tiring to ride, to me, but I rarely use 6th because it is so tall. Cruising at 70, I just wind it up in 5th, which is about 2800 and normally tend to use a lower gear and keep the rpms up instead of lugging it. The 96 seems to be smoother and happier wound up than the 88 did, but that might just be me.

 

i run a DD6 in my 06 FLHX.....best gearing i've found....3k @ 80

 

i ride my 08 streetglide with the six speed, and on a ride this past weekend me and a friend went riding, he's got an 04 roadking with the five speed. he rode my bike for about 40 miles and i rode his 5 speed rk. i actually didn't miss the sixth gear at all. his shifted great, and sure there was the lack of sixth gear, but the 5 speed transmissions were geared really great in my opinion. either trans will put miles behind you with ease.

 

I believe that a persons favorite cruising speed (highway speed) will likely have some influence on that.

If you are a 65 mph guy, either trans would satisfy you.
If you feel most comfy near the 80 mph range (like me), then the 5 speed won't seem as attractive.

 

I have a 07 6 speed. Actually most of the time I wish I had a 5. The 6 speed it geared way to tall in most gears.

 

I've got a S/E 6-speed in the 'Train. Great transmission. Shifting that bike is like working a quality rifle bolt. The Cruise-Drive 6-speed in the Limited is a noisy bucket of bolts compared to the S/E.

Shame I can't retrofit one.

 

My old Evo has an S&S 107 with just over 100HP/TQ and a 5-speed box. At 90-95 it is hauling around 4,000rpm or so, which frankly is where it belongs. As we travel faster we need to be as close as possible to peak torque, so the motor gets the best advantage over that long drag up ahead.

My Dyna is getting close to 5,000rpm at those speeds, but it drives in top gear from below 40mph and just goes! Modern high gearing has got recent riders into bad habits. Our bikes should all be geared much lower so we can ride them mostly in one gear. I took the lowered gearing route with my Dyna and the increased torque route with my Evo!