Road Glide vs Electra Glide -- why the difference?
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9,193
Likes: 494
From: Richmond, VA
Thats pretty much the case. Anyone who buys another touring bike over the road glide does so strictly for aesthetics. Lets be honest, most people think the road glide is ugly. The fixed fairing touring bikes have been ugly since that model was a Shovelhead. That aside, they are far and above the best handling "fairing'ed" bike harley has ever made and its because the front end doesn't have the additional weight that fights you (and the wind) through the corners. I ride Electa Glides and Road Glides all the time since all my buddies insist on touring bikes, and I test ride their bikes regularly. Just last week I swapped a buddy with and Ultra. I literally watched him almost fly off the road on MY Dyna at the first sweeping turn because he was so used to pushing his front end into corners. Something you don't have to do on a Dyna (or Road Glide for that matter). If I could get past its looks, that would be my next bike....but I can't, so I'll buy a Road King next
. We all have to make sacrifices.
. We all have to make sacrifices.
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 739
Likes: 0
From: Americus, GA
I bought a SG after test riding both the SG and the RG and I could not tell that much difference in the handling. I ended up going with the SG because I just could not get past the looks of the Road Glide.
With the Road Glide becoming so popular all of the sudden when it has been around for years has me wondering if may not turn out to be fad. Now I am probably wrong about this but in my experience when something sees a quick spike in popularity usually doesn't last to long. Then again I am bored at work and thinking way past the limits of this poor little brain of mine!!! I feel a HA coming on!
With the Road Glide becoming so popular all of the sudden when it has been around for years has me wondering if may not turn out to be fad. Now I am probably wrong about this but in my experience when something sees a quick spike in popularity usually doesn't last to long. Then again I am bored at work and thinking way past the limits of this poor little brain of mine!!! I feel a HA coming on!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
in short (pun not intended
) like any other bike, the ergonomics can be set up for almost anybody.congrats on the purchase of the rg, i hope you like it as much as i like mine. but the geometry of the front end is the same with all the bikes in the touring line.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,870
Likes: 499
From: Alberta
Recently had a Road Glide with the 120R motor for a couple of long days in the saddle. Compared to my Dyna it sure is heavy...but man, is it rock solid on the highway; had it up to just over 100mph and it reminded me of a Caddy convertable...beautiful ride. The owner is the kind of guy who don't care what you think of him or his bike...definetly would be my choice in a heavy Harley...the batwings look "Classic" but the Road Glide hauls and handles at whatever speed you want
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9,193
Likes: 494
From: Richmond, VA
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Joe Kucinski
Banned
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,820
Likes: 6,615
From: Northern California
The Drink bottle is MOUNTED on it !!
I get it. I wanted an Electra Glide or an RK, because the 'Harley I wanted had The Light Bar'.
I rented an EG for a w/e, and it was kool. When I returned the EG, I asked if I could ride the the dirty Road Glide that had just been returned ( with a zillion bugs splattered on it everywhere) for a few minutes while I still had a Rental Contract.
The dealership I rented from is right near the end of an Interstate Highway with a 70 mph Speed Limit. It is surrounded by Interstate 80, which has a 65 mph Limit. I wobbled my way out of the lot trying to steer the fairing for a bit before I realized the only way that that fairing was going to move was if I kept staring at it. I'd had a BSA with a frame-mounted fairing, so I forgot about the fairing pretty quickly. By the time I got the Road Glide out on the slab (which has some pretty bad cracks and slab-shifts ) I was sold. I'd just ridden the Electra Glide on this same section of pavement about a half-an-hour earlier.
At the end of the weekend, in about a half-an-hour's worth of time, I was suddenly very comfortable riding that big Touring Bike. Most of that half-hour was spent getting off of one and getting on the Road Glide and killing some more bugs with it ( this was in June in the Central Valley ). When I brought back the Road Glide and parked it next to ( what I remember as )an Electra Glide it had been returned with, I noticed the EG seemed to have more bugs in the bike and on the sides, but maybe it was ridden in front of the RG. I didn't see who had ridden them.
I really didn't want the looks of the RG. I grew to like them. I should have an RG Ultra in a week-or-so.
