Dealer offered me a very good trade in for my sporty. They have a 2012 wide glide vivid black with 280 miles on it. Other than getting pipes,air cleaner and a new license for my tts it is looks very appealing. My big question is riding 2 up compared to sporty going to be much better. Want a Road King but may be hard to find with lower miles in my price range. Any opinions on the 2 up difference with wide glide and sporty. Dealer and riding friends said it wont be much different. Quick test ride wont tell me much.

 

I would think it would tell ya alot more than an internet discussion. A wide glide has more room than just about any HD. Like any harley though losts of options to make it "just right."

Grab the ol lady a couple helmets ride up swap bikes for an hour. Youll know inside of fifteen minutes.

 

My wife much prefers the Wideglide. Either one though will benefit from having a small backrest so the passenger can relax instead of worrying about sliding off the back. That one small thing makes a night and day difference in overall comfort. Goes on and off pretty quickly, if you don't want it for solo riding.

 

As stated, get a backrest and a good seat. I've had no complaints from any passengers.

 

I had a Sportster 1200 before I bought the Superglide and the wife rode on both. She prefers the SG over the Sporty because she has more room and doesn't feel cramped up. I like it because I have way more HP and TQ to get things moving.

 

We take day trips along the beaches on the average of 200 miles in a day and other than stopping a little more often for a stretching of the limbs than we do when on the RoadKing (we ain't young anymore...lol) it is no problem two up.

As someone said, backrest is a must. Seat is optional but they make a variety of pillion pads as the factory one is kinda small.

 

I can't comment on the original question but would certainly agree that a different passenger pillon is a MUST! I got a 2012 WG myself a couple months ago (800 miles on it when I bought it). I can tell you I would NEVER ride on the back on that tiny little thing on the back that they call a passenger seat. I don't care how small the passenger might be, NO one's but is only 7" wide, lol! She will be miserable unless you get a better seat than stock.

 

The 'Glide has to be better than the Sporty for a passenger... My 2011 WideGlide is setup as a solo-but my Softail Heritage Classic is a great bike for 2-up riding.

 

Go for it; it's a nice step up from the Sportster that will feel like a very natural transition

 

My wife and I rode my sporty for years before I bought my WG. When we first changed, I had to reach back and check to see if she was still there...LOL. There is so much more room for us both to stretch out, I couldnt tell she was there. Not to mention the HUGE power difference. The sporty at 75-80 mph was tolerable, and pushing hard with 2up...the WG at those speeds is just cruising.