Heritage or Road King
 

New member here - I would like to hear opinions / advice on 2018 Heritage compared to 2018 Road King under the following info:

I am male, 5'5", 145 pounds, 63 years old. Started riding again about 4 years ago (been 36 years since I was on dirt bikes and Kawasaki 650) and have progressed from Honda VTX 1300 to 2006 Yamaha Stratoliner, to a 2018 Heritage. The Heritage is a really nice size for me but my riding twists and mountain roads have not come as often as I expected. I usually ride country backroads (Kentucky) and have recently ridden a 2016 Road King - awesome. I know the changes that occurred in 2017 so I am looking into a 2019 Road King. Seat height is supposed to be the same as the Heritage but I find I am not flat footed on the Road King. Will I be sorry if I move into the Road King? I want to think I would adjust (change seat, etc.) but one of the reasons I disliked the Stratoliner was weight and balance. The Road King is better but I need to hear from some people my height that find the Road King easy as time goes by. Otherwise, I will stick with my Heritage and endure the buffeting etc. on highways / Interstate. I have some big trips planned ahead and hate the thought of dropping a nice new Road King. Anybody????

Why would you go from a Heritage to a RK?

The Heritage advantages... Suspension, less weight, less issues (no transmission fluid migration or sumping).

RK advantages... Larger bags... ???

I had a 2012 Heritage and never did warm up to it....I now ride a 2003 RK and I like it...I'm 5'6" w/a 28" inseam. I'm 66 yrs young...I don't worry about not flat footing the RK.

Life is short, ride what makes you happy...:icon_bike:

The Heritage has a much better suspension. Lighter. Faster. The Road King will be better suited to touring and it's just a more substantial bike. Both very good. Bottom line - if you rode the RK and liked it, get one. They have a low center of gravity and actually handle very well for a 800+ pound touring bike. You can get lower shocks and a lower seat to get you flat footed - that's actually very easy. It comes down to balance and knowing your bike. I've seen 100 pound women riding Street Glides.

For what it's worth, I've ridden a 2019 Heritage all day and couldn't wait to get off it. After 100 miles it just got uncomfortable. The Road King I could ride all day.

nevada72 summarized it well

I like the Heritage but don't want to own it. It is lighter, probably faster, and maybe more nimble but for all day comfort and anywhere about town, the Road King all day long. I'm 5'8" or so with one of those reduced inseams and have no problems with it.

Looks as good as does, but honestly, I don't care for the look of the newer Heritage. Some others in the softail line I like better, but for me, it's a RK of one flavor or another.

Great to be on a responsive forum - why didn't I join earlier?

The 2018 Heritage has several Softail changes along with the Milwaukee 8 - it has been a pleasure and wonderful performer for my weight / height and age. Thanks for all the quick responses. My issue is that my riding has been mostly sweeping country roads or Highway. I am planning several road trips through VA, NC, MI, and who knows where over the next few months - headed towards retirement. I am not flat footed on the 2016 RK, but the 2019 almost has me there. Specs show it almost 3/4 inch lower. Have been through the seat mods for previous bikes - worked okay. The support of short riders confirming no issues with the RK has me headed that way. I am new to Harley's and have been snared hook line and sinker. Taking on the Tail of the Dragon was a pleasure on the Heritage - I don't want to find out the RK is a cumbersome boat on tight twisties and slow maneuvers. I am sure experience and "schooling" goes a long way. More input, please!

Looking forward to this forum for many discussions / info sharing ahead. Thanks, again!

Road King for sure. If you're just tooling around town, then sure, the Heritage is awesome. Longer country back roads is what the King was built for. Send the seat in to Mean City Cycles to get it adjusted and lowered and you'll be good to go.

Thanks! Nice to hear - am 63 years young and not caring about b-days anymore! I hate the thought of tip towing such a nice bike and dropping it. I dropped my Stratoliner in a parking lot and could not get it up without help. Yes, happens to us all, I guess but I do not want to go through that again. I have a 29 inch inseam so if you can do it, I can do it! Thanks, again.

Having done the TotD many times I can tell you that you won't find the RK any less capable than the Heritage. The Heritage is handicapped by shitty cornering clearance. The Road King actually has more I believe. The RK brakes are fantastic. Acceleration is on par. You have to remember - neither of these are performance machines. They're cruisers. So to say one will be better than the other at the TotD is like saying one RV will outhandle another at the TotD. That said, based on the way you described your riding, the RK will serve well as an all out touring bike as well as weekday cruiser. Not that the Heritage won't There are a number of folks here that ride the new Heritage and they get great reviews. But clearly you are looking for more. Imo, the RK is more.

Thanks for that reply. I have ridden my Heritage through a lot of different environments and have really enjoyed it. But - I rode a 2016 RK the other day and it was like moving from a Corvette to a Cadillac. My biggest worry is handling at slow speeds with the RK and mountain twisties. The Heritage is a dream in that respect - I am hoping with experience on a RK, I will find it to be as fun and as controllable. I just hate not being flat footed - been that route before and my confidence level soared once on the Heritage - don't won't to lose that feeling.

Safe travels.