When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Thanks for your suggestions, I rode my friend's night train with forward controls and 12" apes? I believe, and i found it fairly comfortable, I do like the "sit in the bike" position a lot better, feels more like you're part of the bike, and I love the Softail looks, I'll have to pay attention to what kind of forks he has, can't really put a proper model designation on it. I also like the stripped down and classical look over baggers and fully accesorized kings and glides. Are all Softail frames the same size and same wheelbase?
Hi, coming from riding sport bikes my whole life, I've been increasingly becoming more interested in Harleys. I love anything on two wheels and an engine, and don't pick sides, styles or cultures. I own two busas, always had at least two bikes, but right now it's one too many, I've been possessed with the idea of trading my nicest one for a Dyna or a Softail, I find them the most appealing. I was hoping to get some help with frame/year choice. My biggest concern right now is my height. I'm 6,2/6,3 and not looking like a monkey humping a football would be nice. I've been on a few softail slims at a dealer, and while I absolutely love the way those bikes look, (the 114cu isn't too shabby either), I thought I looked way too big on that frame, comfort wise things could be changed, but I'd still dwarf that bike. Any suggestions for me? Thanks.
Depends on what you want to do with it and how you want to ride.
My thinking would be looking at the other end of the spectrum of the Busa. You've got the sport riding/touring bases covered. Why not get something that covers the bases the Busa does not? Something that offers reasonable performance/comfort/storage for long rides/touring. If not new, maybe a Road King. If new, maybe a new Heritage with the 114. Also, it would be the complement in terms of style aesthetics. The Busa cover the modern tech side and a Heritage or RK would cover the classic side.
I'd think that since a sport bike is generally smaller than a Harley, you'd look more like that "monkey/football" example that you don't want to look like. Just saying...
I'd think that since a sport bike is generally smaller than a Harley, you'd look more like that "monkey/football" example that you don't want to look like. Just saying...
Thats the reason I'm on a busa and owned a dual sport before, these bikes are large!
Yes, the blue one is the nicest one and hold more value, Harley's are very expensive compared metric bikes, I'm sure I don't have to mention that to anyone here lol
I'm 6' 2", just bought a bike last year. I began by looking at the Softails, and ended with a RoadGlide.. No regrets. But, If I had been looking at the 2018s, I probably would have ended up with a Heritage.
It is the tallest of the Softails (for tall riders)
It looks great with the bags and windshield off
It has bags and windshield for long rides.
Choice of engines.
The reasons why I ended up going with the Road Glide Special
M8 (not available on Softails in '17)
Dual front disks
Reflex linked ABS (Softails have ABS, in '17 they were not linked, '18?)
Navigation System
I like the balance of dual pipes, one on each side.
It would have been a Street Glide until I rode both the SG & RG.. The RG just felt better, probably because of my height.
The other bike that you need to, at least look at, is the Road King.
It is the tallest of the, non tour pack, touring bikes and has the best ride.
The windshield comes off, and even with the bags, has a classic cool look.
Except for navigation and radio, it has all of the touring features.
Last edited by hairymoth; Sep 28, 2017 at 08:04 AM.
I had a 40th anniversary hayabusa and I would look at and test ride all of the Touring frame bikes road king, road glide, street glide... that is if you will still have a sport bike! If you are going to have just one then I would say the new heritage is a great all around bike. Even if you ride them all you may not get it right the first time! Lol have fun with this and good luck. P.S. 2018 fat bob rocks but it will feel a little small at first...
Last edited by 5150northrider; Sep 28, 2017 at 08:40 AM.
I had a 40th anniversary hayabusa and I would look at and test ride all of the Touring frame bikes road king, road glide, street glide... that is if you will still have a sport bike! If you are going to have just one then I would say the new heritage is a great all around bike. Even if you ride them all you may not get it right the first time! Lol have fun with this and good luck. P.S. 2018 fat bob rocks but it will feel a little small at first...
Sorry... But looking at this picture... I have to chuckle....
You've got all the gear/protection there... Everything protected... except the head/face... Make sure all the important parts are covered...
If you are smiling while you are riding, then that's the right bike for you regardless of size. I've seen 6' guys on Honda Groms and they were all smiles; at 3x the size of that bike, it looked like fun and I want to try it sometime.
The 2018 bikes have a lot of "newness" to them; I would not buy until Harley has time to work out the problems we all know are in there somewhere.
For the 103 engines, I would not buy anything older than 2009; known serious issues 2008/prior.
The Baggers are for long distance/time riding; you can ride them to the end of the planet.
The Boulevard bikes will have you sore in less than hour and the pillion seats will have the passenger ready to walk home in 30 minutes.
Don't buy from the dealer; tons of bikes on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Very easy to find ~3 year old bikes with less than 5K miles at half the cost of a new bike.
If you can't service your bike yourself, be ready for BIG $$$ service costs from the dealer. I've seen ~$300 three hole oil changes!
PS> Ride a Low RIder S. I've ridden bikes for decades and that is THE BEST bike I have ever ridden... a used one of those will be my next bike.
Fun to ride along with this guy; he's crazy dangerous...and likes to cuss...you've been warned
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
