So you can drink the koolaid and not feel their product with straight gears is inferior.

 

Well, not who's right or wrong here but here is what happened to me. I had the infamous 5th gear whine, except it kept getting louder and louder and then all the gears had the whine. Long story short, turns out I had a trap door bearing go south 08 Road King with 30,000 miles 1 week out of waranty. To hell with the warranty and harley and there cheap *** *** Bearings , Jims is the only place you can get a rebiuld kit, also installed the F6F kit from Baker to get rid of the fire whistle in the trans along with beefed up bearings! $1,500 dollars later I have a bike that is much more enjoyable to ride and was well worth the price.

 

I guess the site blocks out certain words, the bearings are F.A.G. from Canada that are in Harleys transmissions, I guess Timkins aren't good enough !

 

I know someone who put a 6 speed Baker in his Deuce and says that it's incredible.

 

The earlier question about when the change; not 2009 it was 2010. I've a 2009 fxdc and I've got the straight cut fifth. And happy to have it. Whine doesn't bother me and proper lube reduces it anyways.

Bones

 

Bones77 is right it was the 2010s that got the helical 5th gear. My 09 FatBoy has the straight cut fifth and I can definately tell when I am in 5th. It doesn't bother me and serves as a good reminder that I'm in 5th for the times that I lack the attention to remember what gear I'm in. My 5th gear is scheduled to be quieted down as soon as my Rineharts come off of backorder

 

So if the engine is screaming you need to shift out of 4th.

Whine means your in 5th.

Little light on your in 6th.

Great system.

 

In the old days they used to say straight cut gears where stronger, I had a couple of different big HP Chevys that had the the M22 Rock Crusher transmission and the straight cut 1st gear is why they would last longer than any other Muncie trans and they where real noisy, you could hardly hear over them at times .

 

+1000

 

32 and jag