thinking about getting a nice 2012 Deluxe with hardly any miles on it. I'm 6-3 260 lbs, so it's a bit cramped for me.

Is the Deluxe a dumb bike for a tall guy to get? I have a Switchback (fits me good), a FatBob (fits me good) and a Sportster Custom (fits good - with an extended reach seat)

The Deluxe doesn't seem to have as many options for tall riders, in terms of extended reach seats (Harley Tall Boy, etc).

Thinking about trading in the switchback on the Deluxe, since I love the look of the Deluxe.

(I scrolled thru the Ultimate Tall Rider thread, but I didn't see any Deluxe talk in it)

 

I'm on;y 5'8" and put a seat from a Heritage on my '06. Feels a lot roomier.

 

My personal opinion is that the deluxe is for shorter riders but you may feel otherwise.

 

I'm around 5'10" and replaced my seat with one from a Heritage also. Raised me up a couple of inches. Another thing I did was to get rid of the stock pullback risers and bought 1.5" ones which has me reaching a bit more forward.

 

Pretty much every Harley is made for shorter riders.

I've never hated any Harley I've owned more than a 2010 Ultra Classic I had for a short while. I was miserable on it within 20 minutes of every ride.

I love my current Sportster XL1200C. All I did was get a Drag Spec extended reach seat and now it fits me great. I also love my Fat Bob... completely stock... I guess it's the low bar (I hate high bars).

The Switchback fits me pretty good, although I sometimes want to scoot back an inch or two, but I can't. If I keep the Switchback I'll get a diff seat for it.

Yeah, I noticed the stock risers on it were like that. I did plan to get straight risers for it.

When I sat on it the other day, I thought my feet were placed ok. Although I'm tall, my inseam is fairly normal...32-33".

There doesn't seem to be many new seat options for tall riders for the Deluxe.

 

I think the main reason Harley lists very few seat options is due to the rear rack and the way the seat attaches to the rack and not the fender hole. Lose the rack with the stock seat and any proper year Softail seat should bolt up without any issues. One thing though is the Deluxe doesn't use a regular seat nut in the rear fender like every other Harley. There is a reinforced plate with built in threads for the rack mounting bolts which can either be removed to install a standard seat nut with C-clip or you can purchase the plastic insert that installs on the bottom of your seat tab and bolt it down to the existing reinforcing plate. This insert keeps the seat tab centered on your fender and slightly raised like a standard seat nut to prevent any paint damage to your fender. At 5'10" I too installed a Heritage seat and passenger pillion and it made a world of difference on my 2007 model. I was first contemplating swapping out the pullback risers for 3" straight risers which would push the bars forward another 2" to open things up some more but truthfully I find it fits me well with just the seat change and I like the look of the Deluxe risers. From the factory it is set up for a shorter rider but a Softail frame is a Softail frame and anything can be changed and configured to your own preference. I don't think you can go wrong with a Deluxe if you like the old-school classic styling of Harley. It is a great looking scoot and I prefer riding this bike even though I also own a 2014 Limited.

 

wide glider, good info thanks...

That Deluxe looks great.

I kind of like what the Deluxe seat/rack combo looks like, but correct fit is more important. I've owned two Heritages and I remember them fitting me ok. I may have a Heritage seat laying around... I'll check when I get home today.

 

Move on to something else as the Deluxe is setup for riders 5-9 or shorter. I added a Daddy Long Legs Seat (2” back and 2” down), highway pegs and apes and it’s still a bit cramped and I am just a tad under 6 feet on my Deluxe. The Heritage would work better for you if you want to stick with Softails.

 

too late to get something else.. I got the Deluxe a couple hours ago, will pick up in a couple days.

I've owned two Heritages, and they fit me ok, but not great. yeah, my legs were better on the heritages than the deluxe since the deluxe has a way too low seat. I wouldn't want any seat ("DLL 2 back, 2 down") that puts me even lower.

I figure I can make it fit decently with a seat change and/or riser change... at least I hope.

 

Dude, I'm 6'2 205 and have no issues. I did put a C&C seat on that drops me and pushes me back. Also, I have guards with foot pegs where I can stretch out and relax. I even lowered the front by two inches and put an air ride on. I have 16 inch apes and 1.5 inch risers.