They're changed recently, hence the reason this thread is in the 2018+ Softail section

 

I recently rented a 19 year model and put 1500 miles on it with some of the very same praises and gripes.

If I were to buy one I'd put the fang air deflectors on immediately to cure the buffeting, and the DK Customs footpeg widening spacers to bring them an inch further away from the engine. I would also probably remove the handlebars and increase the pullback at the grips by heating them up and rotating the grip section more towards me, then repaint. I'd like them to be a little more "buck-horny", but just a little.

Wait til you can get that bike out in some speedy sweepers, that new chassis is dyn-o-mite!

 

I put the DK Customs floorboard spacers on my 2018 and they work great. Recurve windshield and JES fangs takes care of the buffeting. Also put kuryakin cushion grips on and love them. Definitely love this bike

 

The bags on my 2018 Heritage are the most god awful garbage I have ever seen on any motorcycle, at all.. ever. In my 20ish years of riding, never have I seen a "hard bag" that leaked like someone was pouring water directly INTO the bag from a damn garden hose, nor have i ever seen a bag that "tapered off". (Heritage riders already know what Im talking about, but for those that dont.. the bottom of the bag is NOT Flat. Its got like, "steps" onto the side, so the "bottom" of the bag is actually SMALLER than the top of the bag!) It can't even hold a friggen pack of Wrigley's Chewing gun without having to jam it in there with a toilet plunger.. (sarcasm, I know.)

Whoever designed this absolute garbage needs to be drug out into the street and shot.. then shot again for good measure.. then fired... then shot one more time just to make sure he/she understands how fuggin TERRIBLE they really are. (seriously... they are AWFUL!!!!!)

Coming from a guy who traded in a 2003 Anniversary Edition with 76,000 miles on it (yeah, I ride.).. Ive had this Heritage since March 2018... just broke 7k miles.. and it's smaller, lighter, shorter, and the floorboard are WAY higher up on the bike. With my frame, its like Im squatting on top of the bike, and it feels like my damn knees are in my chest.

The stock seat is a park bench... only worse. The "Sundowner Touring Seat" is a park bench.. with a small cusion on top of it. About to try the Harley Hammock Seat.. hoping that will solve the ABYSMAL riding comfort.

The seats Ive seen are all designed with a HUGE "Scoop" out of the middle, so my *** basically sits on the raised part of the back of the seat. Again, bad positioning compared to the 2003.

Cant adjust the floorboards in ANY way due to them being HARD WELDED to the frame of the bike. (Again, can we find the person who thought THIS was a great idea?!?!)

7k miles, and my hands still go numb after a short while because of the immense vibration. Feet as well.

There's basically ONE sissy bar from HD, and its awful. So short my wife says the backrest pad feels like it's directly UP her.. *ahem* and thats the "tall" one. Aftermarket options arent much better.

Im lookin at around .. maybe 3-4 grand just to get this thing to a decent ride, between seat, pipes (Tesla makes a louder car than this bike is. I get mocked almost daily cause people's lawnmowers have more sound.) tuner, handlebars, grips, bags, floorboards, cables etc etc...

If HD had any kind of "Return" policy, this thing woulda went back a week after I bought it.

They've changed the Heritage into the Dyna's slightly bigger cousin, took away options, made it for dudes that are 5 feet tall, made TERRIBLE design decisions... and then shoved it out to customers.

I'll bet they "re-design" this again VERY soon.

 

So...you bought this bike unseen and no test ride? I couldn't imagine spending that much coin on a bike I hated so much. My Sport Glide isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I went into the deal with a clear understanding of the few things I didn't like and how I would address them.

 

At 4750 to 5250 miles per year you're not exactly in "yeah, I ride" territory around here.

 

Mattbastard: Did you have a hard time taking out the screws that hold the floorboards to the bike in order to install the DK spacers? Tried last night and stopped as I was worried I would strip the heads on the screws before they turned. Hate to take this to a shop for such a simple job but don't want to screw it up . Thinking of soaking the screws in wd40 and giving it one more try. My thought is the screws have thread lock on them and i don't know if the wd40 will help.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Terry

 

Interesting thread and proves everyone has an opinion, as well as well, you know. I’m surprised by some of the negative comments about the Heritage.
I bought my ‘19 114 in April and it turned 8000 miles yesterday, as already stated by someone “I ride”
I traded a 17 Street Glide for it, possibly the worse riding motorcycle this side of a hardtail.
So, back to the Heritage;
Rides like a baby carriage, maybe the best riding motorcycle I’ve had.
Windshield, perfect (I’m 5’9”) BUT, you need folk fangs, I modified the fangs from the Street Glide, they’re just as ugly as the ones from England and will have to do until something better comes along.
Seat, cushy, I like it.
Saddle bags, totally waterproof so far, yeah, the latch protruding is a pain.
Running boards/lean angle, not bad.
Yeah, it gets buzzy around 70 but gets smoother at 80, I’ll take the vibration over the crappy ride.
Not yet mentioned, WTF is with that side stand? After riding for 45 years with the best side stand in the industry, those dolts changed it! Half the time it won’t slide and settle, when it’s down you can’t see it (is it really down?) and it sinks into the hot pavement.
All in all, I absolutely love the bike, as well as the bride. She’s been more miles on this bike in 4 months than the 2 1/2 years I had the Street Glide because she hated the ride.

 

Aside from this, how do you like it?

I love my Heritage 114.

 

Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.