Having had a batwing fairing on my former CVO, I pick the RG over the SG. The front end is lighter in the parking lot maneuvers. RK is nice but I think it misses the sporty feel of the RG/SG bikes.

 

I participated in a demo day and spent time back to back on the Road Glide, Road King and Street Glide. My preference order was Road King, Street Glide and Road Glide with the King being far away my favorite of the three. I bought a Road King Special and really like it but I am getting a new seat for it that moves me back a bit as I am a little bit cramped. I like the looks of the other two bikes but I preferred the ride on the Road King the best. Glad you made it out alright though, good luck with getting back out there!

 

I have a few bikes. I installed a Scala Bluetooth headset on my helmet and paired it to my mobile phone. I get music (streaming or recorded), talking GPS directions, and phone service. It also has an FM receiver, and I can pair it to communicate with other riders with a compatible intercom. The unit works 8 hours on a full charge.

 

That's a great solution if you ride a RK, or multiple bikes. I was simply making the comparison of the bikes the OP requested. I haven't mapped out multi-day rides on a phone GPS. Up until a week, or two ago I was still carrying a Blackberry, so my phone apps were highly limited. So, experiences and preferences vary. I'm very happy with my Street Glide and the choice I made for myself. However, the Road King is a fabulous bike as well. I enjoyed my time on it and personally... The Road King Classic, to me is the epitome of what a Harley Davidson should look like...

 

When I finally decided I wanted a touring bike, I limited my options to the SG and RG because I wanted a fairing with the radio as I'm a huge music lover. So the RK wasn't on my list. I test rode both the SG and RG, but felt more comfortable on the SG. So that is what I got. I still have my Wide Glide for the non-fairing/loud pipes rides.

Somebody above mentioned tire cost. I've put 10,000+ miles on my SG and the tires are still good on it. I probably went through two sets of tires on my WG by the time it hit 10,000 miles or close to it, and that wide rear tire for the WG is expensive. Though I imagine RK tire wear would be similar to the SG since the bikes are so similar.

 

To me the choice comes down to the radio.
if you want tunes, get the Street Glide. If they aren't important, get the King. I like being able to strip down the Road King, as well... But I'm doing that less and less lately.

 

Thanks guys, a lot of good stuff here. A little history on my Lo, it was a 13 Anniversary Lo and I added to it as needed. By the time she was murdered, I had bags, windshield, aux lights, stage 1... basically, it was bit by bit being turned into a Heritage but that was not the intention it just happened as needs arose. Next on the list was new bars.

What I didn't like was riding it for extended periods. I do a 300 mile round trip every other weekend to the family spread I inherited to cut grass and check up on it. I don't want to try to turn another Softail into a hauler. I may as well just go ahead and get a bike built for it from the get go, especially with the 6 gal tank vs the 5 on Softails.

I had just put together a new helmet, HJC IS-max 2 and the Senate 10UPAD specifically made for it so it was all seamless. The helmet survived without so much as a blemish. So tunes, phone, and turn by turn are covered whichever way I go. That's not to say a dedicated GPS screen on the SG wouldn't be appreciated.

I figure my budget is about $20k which is RK and SG and they both appeal the most to me of the touring line up. If they had offered the RK in anniversary, it would be no contest, of the 2, only the SG has it. I do like the idea of having my hands shielded by the batwing. I've done some damn cold rides on the Lo.

So, sounds like I'm looking at bars and seat regardless of which I go with. May not need bars at all depending on the test rides. Just want to be prepared for the most common complaints.

Thanks again, everyone.

 

A king and a "me too" glide. Hm.