You are possibly lugging the engine. At around 5000 miles, I installed a tach on my '07 just because I wanted to. I have found that I wasn't revving the engine as high as I thought, and the tach has made a difference in the way I run the bike.
Now, I never shift into the higher gears below 3000 rpm and usually around 3500 rpm. Judging by the sound of the engine, I was shifting at about 2000 rpm before. The engine loves this and is running better than it ever did before.
Unless you have a lot of experience with riding the big twin engine, I think a tach is required so you know what you're doing. This baby doesn't like low rpms, and enjoys a trip to the rev limiter every now and then. It's got so much low rpm torque, that it's hard to believe you are lugging it, but that's probably what's happening.

I did some highway ridding this past weekend. Around here in Atlanta folks routinely cruise at 80mph on the limited access highways unless there's what the traffic radio reporters call a "police action" in a certain place.

It seems that I could never really feel comfortable in 5th gear unless I was OVER 80 and I'm not all that comfortable with that much wind in my face just yet. I guess I'm asking if anyone else rarely hits 4th or 5th in their normal around town kind of riding.

I am afraid I'm running the engine in higher revs more than I should but don't want to lug the bike either. Is there a MPH guide to R* gears?

M7

Hi Mark, runnin 80 in fourth gear is not gonna hurt it but will hurt you gas milage some.. I think 60-65 is a good place to shift to 5th.. putting around on the city streets here, I rarely get out of third I got out a little on sunday, road mc'ever up to the lake and back..I don't get on the freeway too much..

My HEAT Shields make a racket at those speeds..

Around town riding I don't hit 5th. Jumping between 3rd and 4th. Cruising in 5th at 55 / 60 is alright. But if you want to acccelerate kick it down into 4th.

For what it's worth, I go into 5th gear at 70 or so when accelerating to Interstate speed, or will choose 5th gear when cruising at 65. Otherwise, it's 4th gear or lower. Eliminates most of the racket this big monster makes.

I agree with most of the speed recommendations listed here. If I'm highway cruising at 65 to 70, I'll use 5th gear. If in rolling hills or heavy traffic with a lot of speed changing, I'll stay in 4th.

In ATL traffic, which I'm in all the time, I ride her in 4th till around 60, then put her in 5th above that. If memory serves (sometimes doesn't) at 75mph in 5th it's rolling along around 25-2600rpms (a tach is a wonderful thing). Pulling on that motor isn't gonna hurt it, as there's plenty in reserve on these big girls. It'll be alright. BB