I recently sold my Dyna WG, and am currently test riding everything under the sun that fits my budget and utility requirements. The WG's handling was just not good enough for my area which is 100% twisties, mix of dirt, pavement, some crumbling highways, but mostly twisties, and the WG just pushes out and tries to lowside the rider on a few of those roads, even when taking great care, and it all seems to be that HD put too narrow a tire on that bike. My local HD was no help in trying to get a wider tire, so I just decided to offload it, as some HD engineer put a football air cleaner that sticks out farther than the tank on the right side, the only reason for doing something that dumb would be to try to force people to buy a different air cleaner. I like to customize bikes to suite my taste, not to work out all the design bugs.

My first two motorcycles were sporty's 2006, then a 2010, they handled the twisties beautifully and inspired confidence, and I'm really short in stature, 5'3" tall so they fit nicely. I wanted to do 2-up riding with my girlfriend, so I sought a bigger bike. What I liked about the the WG was the low seat height, and the abundance of reduced reach add-ons which helped fit the bike to me. I liked the room that the passenger had.

I came to this forum initially trying to fix the handling issues, but a buncha folks over at the Dyna forum thought it'd be more fun to outcast and ridicule me instead. They were such douches that it made me never want to even look at another Harley again, yeah, they were THAT obnoxious.

Given that I like the look of a more Raw bike, no windshield, no fairings etc, Which HD bikes should I consider in my list of bikes?

Important factors for me are: handling, fitment, comfortable for 1-1.5 hours at a time for rider and passenger.

My 2 current front runners for a new purchase are the Triumph Thunderbird Storm, and the Ducati Monster 696. Both bikes are way more nimble and comfortable than the WG, oddly the 696 is even more comfortable for my passenger than the WG was, way more fun too, but it's just so different than bikes I normally seek. So back to the question, which Harley would give me the best handling experience?

 

I commented on that thread, so I'll repeat it again in this thread...
The Fat Bob.

The Fat tires, dual disk front brakes, 31/30 degree lean angles, & 29 degree rake on a Dyna chassis makes it easily the best handling bike in the HD lineup.

 

Sportster or Dyna Super Glide. What was the objection with the Sporty for riding two up for 1-1.5 hrs?

 

I have not ridden a fat bob but the road king has impressed me for handling. Have you ever seen what the police do at competitions with them? I am not sure if the RK would be too large of a bike for you. For handling, try doing this:

 

Oh yeah, those RK's are amazing! Also, I rode a Fat Bob, and it was very impressive, I felt a little stretched on it, and standard complaint on the air cleaner. My buddy has a RK, and you are correct, it's a bit too big for me. The narrow circle tracks, we had to do that in my Advanced Rider course I took a few years ago on the Sporty with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation... it's a fantastic course if anyone wants to build precise handling skills.

 

LOL! No Objection... my Girlfriend just doesn't like pretending to be a cannonball for that long

 

+1. It's also makes an outstanding touring platform once you swap the seat for your stature and add a windshield. The bars may need pullbacks at your reach.
Although HD changed up the looks of it for 2014 (not to my liking) I highly doubt they changed anything about it's handling characteristics.
The Road King is another great bike as it cleans up nicely with a removable windshield.
Check out the Heritage Softail, my wife is 5,2 and she sat on a stock one once and pretty much fit to the floor.
No matter what HD you get other than a sporty you'll have to make changes to it to suit your height and body.
Enjoy shopping.

 

Could it be that a Harley is not what you are looking for?

You can modify any bike to be almost anything you want...

except for being something it isn't.

 

The problem with the Softails is that you would be disappointed in the handling characteristics from what you describe you want. They're a great bike, but not that great handling-wise in the twisties. Less lean angles & sketchy stock rear suspension leave a lot to be desired in the cornering department on the Softails.

The Road King is a great handling bike, but with your stature it might be a little overwhelming weight & size wise.

With any HD no matter the model, finding the right seat, handlebar & foot position is the biggest key to you being comfortable and confident while riding. With your stature, you're likely going to have to make some changes to whatever model you would choose.

It seems most HDs are built to accommodate the average US man, which is around 5'10". If you're more than a couple inches shorter or taller than this, there's a good chance some changes will be necessary for it to feel 100% right and comfortable. I have rode about every current HD model, and from my experience this is true for most models.
However, the Dyna line seems to feel more comfortable and accommodating for taller people and more stretched out than the Softail & Touring lines & obviously the Sportsters. I'm 6'1" barefoot/6'2"+ with my boots on with 34" inseam & I'm just more comfortable on a Dyna than anything, but even then I have to have forward controls & an aftermarket seat that moves me back a little to be ideal.

My previous bike however was a 1200C Sporty with forward controls & it was fairly comfortable for me, just not near as much so as my Dyna.

So with that said...if you choose a Dyna, you'll likely have to make some significant changes to be comfortable and accommodate your size.

Good luck & let us know what you end up doing.

 

I have considered that a lot. I simply loved my sportsters so much that I was endeared to Harley from the start. Their bikes are just so dang pretty too... the Fat Bob handles extremely well! I just have fitment issues usually for the other bikes. I am really surprised at the Ducati Monster 696, I've never ridden anything that looks like that before, and it was amazingly spry, comfortable, fast, and inexpensive, plus the Diavel still fit me and was a logical upgrade path... for a lot more money of course. Is it possible that I prefer a Standard ride over a Cruiser? Is a Sporty a "standard" or "cruiser"?