I´ve had my Vulcan for five years now. Took it from Portland Oregon to Yellowstone and back. Had no problems with overheating. I know what you mean though, when I first bought this bike I kept trying to shift into 5th gear. It sure has tons of torque even in 4th so I understand your question completely. The one thing I did notice was some lower back strain on long huals. I finally upgraded the stock seat with one that had a taller back support for the front seat. Works great...