I rode about 200 miles yesterday with most miles on my 2018 Softail Deluxe (basically same as Heritage stripped down new with 1" shorter seat height and shorter bars).
We swapped bikes from time to time others I rode were 2008 Street and 2017 Ultra Classic.

Even on these rough Louisiana roads there just wasn't much difference in how they absorbed the bumps and uglies in the road.

As far as ride you will definitely be pleased! A bit more wind as NOTHING can compete with the batwing. But if you go Heritage you can always have a batwing snap right onto your windshield mount and then you would have pretty much anything you want.

Ride Safe✌

 

Heritage is completely different than Low Rider S. They have different suspension, geometry, braking, etc. that completely changes the character of the bikes. Heritage is not anywhere close in terms of sportiness…and associated trade-off in comfort. For most people, especially those who ride 2-up, the Heritage is a better choice and has the bags for the little lady or the occasional weekend trip. The Low Rider S is the sports car of the Softail lineup. It is sprung a little stiffer to prevent wallowing in the twisties and offers more precise handling. This in no way makes it inferior, it is a design trade-off. The same principal applies in cars. Anyway, I would not hesitate to make the change if I was after comfort and more practical use.

One note on the Road King, you may have needed to adjust the suspension. The touring bikes are sprung a little different as to accommodate more weight for 2-up traveling. Your probably a little light for the stock preload settings. Having said that, i do believe the Heritage is sprung a little softer and unless you dial in some preload will ride softer.

 

Thanks for your reply, great analogy with a sportscar btw. I made a mistake thinking I could morph my Kawasaki Z900RS (a sporty, retro bike) into a do-it-all bike which was both a cruiser and a sportsbike, thinking the LRS would give me that. It in part does, but the Low Rider S (for me!) isn't at all comfortable. The suspension both front and rear is very hard and unforgiving on the crappy belgian roads, I constantly feel like I'm either too forward or too much backwards, I get cramps in my crotch etc. It's a fantastic looking bike but it just doesn't seem to fit me without modding it a lot. Added to that, I understand that a 'cruiser', which for me means calm rides, enjoying the scenery, doing some twisty roads and from time to time open up the throttle and take the wife on short trips, is not something that can compare to a sporty bike, however 'sporty' it's supposed to be.

Since the dealer offers me a somewhat decent price for my LRS when I buy a new Heritage, I think I'll do that first. If I still have the urge for a sporty bike, I think the best thing I can do is then buy a second bike for when I want to be a bit silly on my own, and use the Harley for my calm/2up rides. To be honest, I almost ordered a BMW R1250R, thinking that would offer me best of both worlds too, but I think I would make the same mistake, thinking a sporty bike can also offer the comfort of a 'pure' cruiser.

I just hope the heritage is indeed a lot more forgiving on the bad roads/bumps, so I don't get a constant feeling of discomfort like I do on the LRS. Trading up costs me about 7000 euro, so not exactly something I do without thought. But I do know I will enjoy a bike that offers me comfort, a nice seating position which doesn't wear me out after an hour and which provides enough comfort for my wife to go on a short (one day) ride with me.

Also liked the Road King Special, especially since it had WAY less vibrations but my wife doesn't like the look of the fixed bags, and coupled with the fact that even dealer said the Heritage will probably be more comfortable for me, makes me think the Heritage is the way to go. Maybe the Road King is something I can trade up to in the future.

 

Other than better saddlebags you won't ever want the Roadking over your Heritage especially riding alone. The power to weight ratio will keep you in your thrill zone and comfort riding alone is much better as you sit in the bike instead of on the bike. And a Stage 2 with a Woods 22x or like would have you over the top! Even the simple stage 1 is very noticeable!
Ride Safe✌

 

I've had a mess of motorcycles over the decades including a bunch of Harleys and the Heritage 114 is the best bike I've ever had. You cannot go wrong with one.

 

I think you will be happy. I have owned a lot of different Harley models and currently own the CVO Road King and a Heritage. These are my 2 favorite Harley models and I could be happy with owning either one by itself. I don’t think you will necessarily need to trade the Heritage for a Road King. There is a lot of overlap and while they are different, most riders can enjoy either model equally. Also, physical size comes into play. The Heritage is a little lighter with a lower CG and seat height. The Heritage is sprung with softer suspension and has more rake with reduced lean angle. By comparison, the Road King handles better and feels like it is sportier even though it is heavier. The steeper rake and frame geometry make it quicker handling and can generally do a smaller turn radius if you go full lock. As a full touring frame, it is designed for long haul comfort and weight. The hard bags are better suited for traveling and will hold more without any fuss but I have traveled on both models 2-up with no problems. People complain of wind but I prefer some wind, rain, heat and elements over the batwing (owned several) and want the full experience when riding. If I wanted comfort I would buy a Goldwing…lol. Best of luck on the new ride. Please post pics.

 

Sounds good, the most important thing for me is getting rid of my backpain due to the harsh suspension on the LRS. Btw, would a FatBoy be as comfortable? Or is the FatBoy not that plush suspension wise?

 

Yes sir, she is a keeper. Beautiful bike. For one up riding, I'd replace the sissy bar and pillion with a black Motherwell 7" rack. Remove those bags for "around town" riding and she will be the belle of the ball.

 

Bought them on eBay. Still available. Work well for me . Search for Harley Davidson fork mounted wind deflectors. (From Lithuania. Powder coat could be smoother, but I like the style. Similar to HD's.)

 

Pretty much what I did and I went so far as to remove the passenger pegs.