With the 18, I'm probably doing 75 or better (actual) at 4500 rpms. The bike seems the smoothest on the highway 4000-4500 rpms making the 18 an improvement over the 17 (I started with) on the highway. I like not looking for 6th and usually don't shift into 5th until 60 or so making it more like an overdrive. I don't feel like I shift any more around town as I'm mostly using 4 gears which are a bit taller.
The 18 would be my hands down favorite for solo riding (I weigh 160). But, when my wife rides (more and more) I do sometimes miss the 17, especially when riding with our HD friends who usually ride solo. When my chain gets near time to replace I may put the 17 back on for awhile and see which I want to go with. The 16 or 19 are both out of the question for me, each giving up too much of something I like.
