Okay, I know that since the six speed trannys were introduced, many have commented on the whine in 5th gear. Some people hear it, some don't. I am on my 3rd 6 speed bike and all have had it to one degree or another. Like most, I have changed oil, etc. in an effort to minimize what is essentially a mechanical problem.
I have a question for those riders who DO have the whine. Has the whine reduced over miles or has it increased? Has it stayed the same?
On my '09 Ultra, I think the whine is getting louder, but that may just be me obsessing.

 

on the new RG, the whine at 4000 miles is more now than when it was new. I really don't pay that much attention to it anymore, unless someone brings it up

 

Honestly, I have never had the "5th gear whine" on two bikes.

 

I have an 07 Streetglide "the original whinner" . Here's the fix- Baker F6 fix for the tranny. Once I did it the 6 speed is totally quiet. This is the ONLY real fix for this problem. It is the straight cut gears that make the noise, nothing else. The Harley "CUSH DRIVE" helps but does not cure the problem. I tried everything, heavier trans fluids, no engine lagging, mileage over time, nothing worked. Finally at 2200 miles I said that's it and did the Baker Fix. Quiet as a church mouse now, you hear nothing. I love it.

 

I've never noticed and if I did notice I wouldn't care about it. The source of any 'whine' is known - straight cut gears and it's NOT a problem. Why does this keep coming up?

 

My '07 whine has decreased over time, but using a heavy gear oil helped somewhat and that may well be the reason for the quieter behavior. I've used Royal Purple 85w140 and Redline Shockproof Heavy and can't tell the difference in performance or noise using these two excellent gear oils. SPH is my choice now because it costs about $4 less per quart in this area.

I don't even notice the whine anymore, frankly, or at least rarely and don't consider it a problem. It certainly isn't a "mechanical problem" since it is caused by the spur-cut gears and is a normal side-effect of the stronger gear set for 1st and 5th gears.

 

As mentioned all teh bikes have it. Mine is less noticeable with synthetic oil added.

 

I have an 07 FLSTC and the noise stopped once I switched over to synthetic....but it never really bothered me....just wanted to see if it would help.

 

I like having the different sound in 5th gear. It helps as an indicator for what gear I'm in. I don't see it as a whine; it's just a different sound. It is not a problem; the gears work just fine. For those who can't stand a few sounds from their bike should take a look at the Honda Gold Wing and that nice sewing machine sound.

 

Exactly, the 5th whine is NOT a problem, it will not hurt anything, there is no fix needed. Baker made their trans to make money, not fix anything