1. The bags are fiberglass. New Heritage has hard bags

2. The bags are easy to take care of. So are new Heritage bags

3. The bags are lockable. So do the new Heritage bags

4. The bags are easily removable. So are the new Heritage bags

5. The bags won't ever sag if they get wet. Neither will the new Heritage bags

6. The bags are real easy to keep looking sharp. So are the new Heritage bags

7. Your exhaust will never "cook" the bags...or what's inside the bags. The new Heritage does not run hot so that is not an issue

 

Different SPOKES for different FOLKS.

 

Road King every time, I had mine for 7 years, regret selling it. Much more comfortable and certainly better for touring especially if 2up. I look at the Heritage as the Road King's smaller brother who hasn't yet grown up. I agree the new ones look nice but still wouldn't buy one

 

heritage has always been my favorite HD to look at I ride the touring line.

 

Laced wheels are one thing and laced with tubes is another. Personally, touring with tubes would never be my preference if other options are available. A small plug kit saved me a real hassle one time not to mention money. Cell phones may make it easier now but maybe not, too.

 

Everyone is going to throw their love and opinion behind the bike they prefer. I happen to think the Road King is a much better bike, but it's easy to see from this thread that it's an established fact. It's just an opinion and others are equally as passionate about the Heritage being a better bike. Probably the reason they're both priced about the same.

 

Perhaps inseam matters ?

 

Its simply a "supply & demand" thing.
What's hot and what's not.
People wanting "the look", whatever that may be.

Another example:
2018 Street Glide Special, Black, MSRP $25999
2018 Electra Glide Ultra Classic, Black, MSRP $24249.
With the $395 security system added to the Ultra (its standard on the SGS), the Ultra is still $1355 less money than a SGS. And I'm betting you can negotiate a bigger discount on the Ultra than a SGS. A lot of people would argue the Ultra with the security system added comes with the same, plus more features than a SGS. But the Ultra doesn't have the demand, its not a hot seller, & lacks "the look" that is popular today.

 

When I started looking for my first Harley last year the first bike I looked at was a 2000 Heritage. Can't afford a new one so we went with a used/preowned model. I would have pulled the trigger on that bike except for a couple of things. They wanted too much for it and it needed some things to make it what I wanted and would use it for. Had no passenger seat on it for starters. We then went to the local dealership near us and found my current 05 Road King and we were able to negotiate a better deal that included a two year warranty on the bike plus this was all set up and ready. The previous owner had purchased the king tour pack, backrest, highway pegs and miles of chrome. She is a heavy bike but I am a pretty big guy and have no problems throwing her around. I have made a few changes to it in the year I have had it and the one trip I took last year was pretty comfortable. Took a 1K mile trip to the UP of Michigan. Only thing I would change would be to get cruise on it but Harley doesn't make the kit anymore so I swapped out the grips to some Avon Air90 grips. Have another trip planned up there in July and we will see how these do.

 

Comparing the current Roadking to the pre-2018 Heritages is a completely different animal than the current 2018 Softails....not even close to the same bikes anymore...... Just for grins and the "I want to know first hand" satisfaction, I took a good ride on an '18 Heritage with the 114...... I really liked the bike...ergos were good..... I found the suspension to be an amazing improvement over the past softies, (hard to believe I was on a Softail),..... I thought it rode within a nickel's worth of my '17 Limited.. even in the real rough stuff I intentionally went through...... It handled great... better than my Limited when it has the tour pack on........ Now, I was solo on a bike with empty saddlebags, freighted down and two up, I expect it would be a different deal..... would I pitch my Limited for it?..... Nope.... not with all the long distant multi day rides I'm doing now.....BUT..... the thoughts of making a lighter weight, low slung, hot rod solo tourer out of one of these is an intriguing idea.....DW