wondering what the difference would be if I trade up my sportster 1200c for a 2013 road king? what would be the pluses/minuses??

 

heavier, slower, worse handling but much more comfortable and hauls a bunch of crap. Enjoy!!!

 

Sold my xl1200 in late fall and picked up a flhr a month ago. Not to disclaim hippie, though the weight did not seem much different. The xl wanted to fall over due to the weight being so high... The king seems to have the weight MUCH lower. All in all, the size didn't feel huge after a few miles and the ability to carry stuff is friggin awesome with the cold weather now on us in the North. Handling.... The jury is still out. I have not been able to say as not to many miles to make it feel like it is a part of me yet. Though, darn nice not to leave the seat if I hit a crack in the crete! :-) I am glad I moved to the touring class. - johnny

 

........ i can't think of a downside

 

Came to my Road King from a 1200 Custom. Road King handles better (leans great and holds the road--very nimble in the twisties) and is more comfortable. Until you do a stage 1, it is a little slower off the line, but after the upgrade the difference is insignificant. The 6th gear is nice on the highway.

Go for it. You'll never look back.

 

Me either

 

The Road King is going to open up a whole new world of motorcycling for you. Sportsters are nice entry level machines that are not even in the same class as the FL models.

Bill

 

First thing you will notice is the big smile on your face.

 

This......I ended up with a RK through a SuperLow, then Heritage.
No comparison....but it really depends on what you want the bike for.....

GL, ride safe.

 

I kept my Sporty when I bought my RK and I ride both, although I ride the RK more. I disagree with 0ldhippie on the handling. At highway speeds the RK is much smoother and you don't get bounced around when passing trucks. Slower speeds and on twisties, both are just as nimble to me and I can do U-turns on both on my street. As someone mentioned, the center of gravity is higher on the Sporty than on the King so I think the handling is better on King at slower speeds than the Sporty. As far as the extra weight, I got use to it after a full days ride on the RK.

I can't think of a downside on the RK over the Sporty, but if you plan on getting a 2013, I suggest one with cruise. There are much more upside to the RK to list here.