hey guys, im new to the site. i am 18 years old and i am about to leave for the marines. i am a HUGE harley fan and loved them my whole life, i had a 2006 sportster brand new before some guy hit me and totalled it and right now i have a 1973 Ironhead 1000cc XLH that blew front piston that i am selling. but anyways, like i said, i am about to go into the marines and i was looking forward to getting a brand new bike, but i am conflicted. i cant choose between the crossbones or the softail custom. i love them both. the crossbones has an awesome vintage style and can be customized to look even better than it already does, only thing i dont really like about it is the front tire combo seems big(then agian ive only been riding sportsters so im use to the 19' front combo) the softail custom just looks magnificent. it reminds me of a sportster style with the front end, but with alot more power and customization options available. but i dont know which one to choose. ive been to a harley dealer each chance i get, and i am always looking at all the deatil of both and i sit on both and they both feel awesome.


but anyways, i was looking for some input from softail owners to help my my decision. after basic training though, i will definitely be getting a bike, so help me out with a choice. thanks in advance!

 

I do not own any of the two bikes but I do have friends that own them both.on the crossbones side, the front suspension is loved, it looks great and spring seat makes an awesome compliment, on the deluxe side,well...it's a softail deluxe and u have plenty of options for cutomizing. U've sat on bothof them and felt right? I've been told the seat of the crossbones keeps u a bit higher and a straight back not like the delux where u seat low and arch ur back for comfort if needed. I don't know how that seat height of the crossbones feels when riding.
If it were me, I'd go for the deluxe, I thinkit has more customization capabilities than the crossbones.
Overall, I'dsayu test drive the bikes, rent them or borrow them from someone and go for a ride and choose which one feels right or just go for looks, but if u plan to customie,I'd go with the deluxe

 

yeah i sat on both bikes and the deluxe as well. i was thinking about a deluxe as well, i think the samson dexluxe with the hard bags and the apes looks amazing, but i dont want to customize the bike i get to look like someone elses bike. ive sat on 2 crossbones bikes, one with the stock springer seat and another with a corbin seat, personally, i loved the one with the corbin seat, it was alot more comfortable and it sat down lower than the spring seat, i would rather sit low on a bike than sit high, i like to make sure i can have my feet flat on the ground.

personally, i love the softail custom most because of the customization opprotunities that are available. the crossbones is a great looking bike as well, its just that front tire seems big, but that can always be changed. and the deluxe, i love the tombstone taillight and full fenders, but there isnt much you can really do to it to make it your own unique custom bike.

i havent test rode any yet and dont plan on it until after i get back from basic because if i test ride them now, i just know i will want one immediately and the wait to getting it will kill me more than it does now. haha. so i am trying to keep that on hold

 

Thanks for your service! it's young men like you that keep America strong and allow the rest of us to ride in freedom.

don't be in a hurry - go to the dealer on demo days. sit on the different bikes, ride the ones you like. I'm not sure how it works, but I understand your can buy Harleys through AFFEES, and they are cheaper..... just a thought.

thanks again.

 

I have a standard, basically a custom minus some chrome here and there. Mine has the 21" front, and I LOVE it. Im 6'3", so its really nice being able to stretch out some on a set of forward controls. I never really cared for the x bones, my vote is for the custom.

 

i started out on the sportster and thought it was good till i bought a softail custom. i love it and if you buy one im sure you will too.

 

Hey man I am in the Navy and currently deployed over in the Middle East. I went on the HD website under dealers and found this website http://www.encs.com/vehicles.aspx?id=183. I just bought a 2009 Vivid Black Deluxe for $16500 with a free 4yr unlimited mileage warranty. MSRP for the bike was just over $19000. I dont know what people in the States are paying for a bike like this but I figured it was a good deal. The cool thing about the website is that you can chat live with a exchange rep and tell them what you want and when you want it, and they can send you quotes throught email right then. If you have any questions about the site let me know.

 

I was in the same bind when I was looking at bikes..for about six months, until I was in position to buy one.
I love the look of the crossbones, but not a fan of the footboards...lean the bike at all and they're dragging. I know you can change them to forward controls, but that will cost you some money you may want to put into pipes or something. Plus, if you ever want to ride 2up, you'll have to buy a seat. These were the things I was thinking about with the Crossbones.
I ended up buying a Softail Custom. Overall, that was the bike I wanted for years. I was not disappointed!! I love the styling, very comfortable ride, and plenty of customization options.
I'm in Iraq right now and I ordered mine through the military exchange, which you can do stateside too. It's not a bad deal at all. I got mine with the upgraded wheels(highly recommended..look badass), security system, and extended warranty. With shipping it was out the door for a hair over 18G. Dealer will run you close to 21 w/ fees. Also, make sure you know how long your advanced training will be and where you will be stationed before you get one!
Good luck bro!

 

awesome thank you for all the replies. i have been leanin gtorwards the softail custom because of its size and it looks more nimble and easy handling than the other bikes. on my 2006 sporty, sometimes when i took a sharp turn, the pegs would scrape, and i hated that, so i understand what you are saying about the xbones flood boards.

but i know for sure than if i get the softail custom, i will get the upgraded wheels, i personally am not a fan of the laced rims, they are to hard to clean if they get really dirty, and i ride alot so they will get dirty, in my first year of having the sporty, i put 23k miles on it. i love riding, theres nothign i love more.

but i think i will go with the military exchange when i buy a bike, i love getting discounts! haha.

but for a little over 18g, for those upgrade you got, it was a great deal considering that brand new they are about 17g. so i will definitely go through the exchange when getting a bike.


thanks for all your inputs, i really appreciate them. most likely i will be going with the softail custom, but before i make a final decision, i will test ride and find out which fits me best. once agian, thanks for all the input.


just a wondering what you guys would think, but lets say i did get the softail custom, how do you think it would look with some of hammers custom cycles impaler pegs and grips, exile cycles open primary, the tri-bar led taillight, a bullet headlight, chubby drag bars, and a spike air cleaner? before i totalled my sporty, i had chubby drags, black impalers, and a spike air cleaner, and i loved them, and i think they would look awesome on the softail custom as well. just wondering some opinions. thanks agian!

 

I would probably go with the Crossbones because it looks better with bags and/or a windshield for long rides...However, if you don't plan on using any comfort gear, I'd go with the Custom.