Ok, after demoing many bieks the other week, I narrowed it down to a Fatboy or a RK. Last night I spoke with an HD mechanic and he told me that a Heritage classic is basically the exact same bike with a few exceptions and that if I wanted bags,e tc just go that route over the FB. I rode a regular Heritage that same day and it felt cramped compared to the FB. Now I knwo there are bar and seat differences to be taken into consideration, but how accuarte was this latest info? Are they the same (yes, dimesions are very close). On either bike I would change out bars (apes) either way so that doesn;t matter. But the FB just felt better, but I dig the cool looks of the Heritage Classic.
See what I go through!?!?

 

They are both awesome looking bikes...me personally, I love the look and feel of the Fatboy.

In my humble opinion - you can't go wrong with either bike.

JB

 

Just got a fatboy!!! love it. putting on pipes now.

 

He makes a very good point.. I was totally after the fatboy for the looks but if I had it to do again and I had to go softail, it would be the heritage for all the goodies.. Standard bags, windshield, passing lamps, dresser fender and fender lights. It's THE touring softail. The stock seat is more comfy too. The cramped feeling you felt might be the handlebar setting (which you adjust to your comfort) very easily with an allen wrench. I actually put the heritage bars (taller) on my fatboy, go figure.. MUCH more comfortable, for me anyway.

From their MSRPs from the H-D website:

Fatboy: $16,645 to 17,230 for two tone paint
Heritage Classic: $17,395 to 17,980 for two tone paint

Not much difference in price..

Again, for $750 difference, you get:
Saddlebags,
Passing Lamps,
full FL fender upfront with lights on both,
A longer mileage seat (less butt barking at you),
more tour-worthy handlebars (my hands actually went numb with the fatboy bars)
Oh and Windshield standard.

Add all that up aftermarket.. Yikes!

Also, if you're swapping to apes.. The turn signals on the Fatty are on the bars instead of a lightbar, so one more thing to deal with when you swap bars out.

It's a no brainer to me if you're looking for that "classic" Harley look. Only the Springer Classic is MORE classic looking.
I've owned both.. I have a fatboy now (and believe it or not I do love it). The OLD bike was a Heritage (and I miss it, except for the leaks and the service).

 

Wow, fast responses!
Yeah, they both look great and are certainly appealing for different reasons.
If I were going for what I like in looks, it would be the Heritage Classic, but my feet and everything were pushed farther back on a Heritage opposed the FB.

 

Fast responses, you are right, that's why this forum is so great. About the feet thing, would forward controls help the feet thing that you said that you have? There are various ways to make the legs and feet more comfortable by extending the controls more towards the front of the bike. Hope that this helps a little.

 

Yeah I think that's the thicker seat.. Does push you a little more forward. Reason I know is a friend I rode with had an '03 and I kept my bike in his garage for a while (condo living.. sucks).. But we were always comparing differences.

Best I can tell.. There's NO difference in the frames, etc. but the fatboy stock seat is I think a little more pushed back, maybe lower and definitely harder. The Heritage seat is thicker and pushed a more forward (Harley's touring position).

Engine guard and Highway pegs (would be my solution).. Though I have Kuryakin Cruise Arm III's to omit the engine guard on the fatboy.. Just looked weird on my fatty.

 

The Heritage is a much better deal than a Fatboy because of all the extras you get for roughly $1,000 .. You can not make a FB to a Heritage for that amount (windshield, bags, sissy bar w/pad, and passing lights).. Some people buy a Heritage and take the bags and windshield off to look like a Fatboy. My dealer did make a comment to me that some people prefer the FB handlebars to the Heritage and trade them out after purchase. That being said, I found an 03 Fatboy that had bags, windshield, sissy bar etc as I liked the FB look better. Other than the above items, studded seat, and wire laced wheels, they are the same bike.

 

 

Let's see ... I would say go for the fatty. Of course I may be just a wee bit biased.

jmb