When I first decided to get a 09 Ultra, I was scared to death about the 5th gear whine issue. I was surprised after I rode it. The dreaded whine is almost a non issue for me. It was so much less than I imagined, I had to wonder what all the hype was about. It just is not a big deal to me. I can hear it if I listen for it, but if I had not read about it prior I don't know if I even would have cared about the noise. Maybe I got lucky and got one that is quiet, who knows. It also helps knowing it is a non issue as far as mechanical problems are concerned. I do run spectro for 6 speeds, but that is for the protection more than any other reason. This is one of those things that got blown out of proportion in my book. If this is the biggest issue then I am a happy happy camper.:hii