New Guy here...

coming over from a Honda cruiser. Let me say first that I love the 105 anniversary Wide Glide

The salesperson at New Smyrna HD tells me it's better for me due to a short torsoe and long inseam. I'm 6'0 with a 34" inseam, and had to put a forward control kit on my VTX to ride it more than an hour.

But I have always droooooooooled over the Night Train and the little Mrs would be more comfortable on the STC. This is an opinion from just lookingat the bikes MANY times. She's 5'0 and abuck twenty.

Tell me what you think. Every one of you knows more about this than we do.And thank you in advance for the help!

 

NT and custom both have forwards as well, and you can buy extensions to get them put 3" more. I'm 6'4" and I use the 3" extensions on my FXST. The NT and FXSTC are really the same bikelaid out a tad differently(seat and bars) but the wide glide is a different animal......not better or worse, just different. You get the 200mm tire on the softails and the counterbalanced motor, rubber mounted on the dyna. See if you can ride or at least sit both, preferably with the missus if you'll be 2 up a lot.

 

At a fast glancethere's little visual difference between a Wideglide and a Custom. Closer examination will reveal the bigger rear tire on the Custom, the exposed shocks on the WG. But get on them and they are completely different animals.
Like mojojones said not better or worse, just different. Theyalso have a different feel to them even standing still. The taller riders fit the WGbetter than smaller ones, I can't comfortably reach the controls on one, But I have no problem with the ones on my Softail Custom, or putting my feet flat on the ground. All with the stock seat.
And there's something to consider, the seat on the Custom is about the best out of the factory seat your going to be able to find. Even the wife (mine does) is going to like it better than any of theones on other models. Its one of the few stock seats that isn't replaced almost as soon as the bike leaves the dealer.
The NT is under the different paint and chrome the exact same physical bike as the Custom. Like the WD the Custom,IMHO, is aimed moreto be ridden two up, where the NT seems to be geared toward the solo.
In anycase you won't be going wrong with any of them.


Good Luck and ride safe.

 

I agree with mojojones. The only thingI can say about the NT is that I rented one in Vegas the year before last and the handlebars killed me. It was almost like riding a crotch rocket. They were so narrow and far forward that I got pains in my shoulder blades after about 30 minutes. The WG is a great bike, don't let the rubber mounted engine scare you. Iowned a Dyna for years and loved it. Once you take off, the vibration is gone. I can honestly say that I felt less vibration on the highway with my Dyna than I do on my new Softail. The controls are farther forward on the WG as well, which may be a plus for you. Ride them all and see which one you like the best. Take your wife with you and let her ride as well. She may want you to spend a little more time at the stoplights on the WG.

 

At first I was going to buy a Wide Glide... but fell in love with the blacked out Night Train. First thing I did was buy the Wide Glide's handlebars and a new more comfortable Saddlemen seat and 3 in. extended forward controls..... never looked back...
Test ride all 3 and see which one fits you the best.

 

don't shy away from any one of those bikes just because of bars, seats, or forward controls. IMHO if you ride it, you'll eventually change it. that's 1/2 the fun. you can always buy another seat, takes about 2 minutes to change it out for 2 up ridin. same with the bars and controls. I say get what you want, whichever you like the look and feel of. I think of the 3 the night train is the cheapest, just take that extra cash and get a second seat or somethin.
good luck

 

I came over from Suzuki crotch rockets and here is my humble opinion. The WG is more for the hardcore, lifetime HD rider. I couldn't tolerate the shaking. I bought the NT and have had it for a number of years. I am very happy. I thought the WG was a punishing ride after riding a bike that ran like a sewing machine.

 

OK- if the NT and STC are essentially the same mechanically, how hard is it to pull the seat and backrest off the STC and slap on a NT seat? My guess is that these could occasionally be found on ebay cheap.

 

There are 4 bolts on the fender struts to hold the sissy bar on and two that hold the seat to it. So its not very hard or time consuming at all. But if I was going to be doing the switch seat thing I would be looking for adetachable sissy bar I could modify tofit the Custom seat. That would make it a lot easier and quicker to change out.
As for finding one on e-bay, that's certainly possible, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting. That seat is VERY comfortable and I suspect that many of thepeople whomight ordinarily get rid of a stocker seat for anaftermarket model willstill keep the stocker, just for that reason.

 

I have the 08 Softail Custom, i'm 5'7', and my buddy has the 05 Wide Glide, he's about 6'3'. I've ridden his and vica versa. The foot controls on the WG are a little further and closertogether than on my SC. The seats are no comparison, the SC is much better. You also sit higher in the saddle on the WG than the SC. The jiffy stand is harder to reach on the WG, it's kinda tucked up under the bike. The NT is more of a solo machine but either the SC or the WG can handle 2 in comfort. I prefer mine, he likes his...who woulda thunk it!