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Older guy (69) thinking of downsizing from a RG to a RKS. From what I’ve read the RKS has 12” shocks vs the RK Standards 13” and is the more comfortable ride for some. While most of my riding is local I do take the occasional overnighter and like to tour. Shocks aside, will a proper shield and other touring amenities turn my RKS into a comfortable mile eater? Will the angle the shield would sit at affect its effectiveness ? Comfort, not performance, is my main priority. Are there any other differences between the two? And no I don’t want a Heritage although it is a beautiful bike. Thanks in advance.
As you know, the stock shocks are awful 12" or 13". I replaced mine with Legends 13" on the RKS - love the ride now. Get a Freedom Shield with a height just below your nose. The top curve will push the air over your head and you'll be looking over the shield. RKS is the perfect bike for touring with an occasional overnighter - that's what I use mine for. Whether it's real or perceived, the RKS feels much smaller and more nimble than the RG to me. If I was blasting down the highway all day, I would go RG. For everything else, RKS.
[QUOTE=Erilflynn;21493467] Older guy (69) thinking of downsizing from a RG to a RKS.
Although you said "DO NOT WANT A HERITAGE",
Do yourself a favor and test ride one. The Heritage from 2018 up rides and runs circles around any of the factory touring *with the larger wheels* such as the specials. (until ya spend a few thousand upgrading suspension) And then close, but not better than stock Heritage with 16" wheels that have a nice sidewall.
I went from a 2018 Heritage to a much customized 2019 Roadking with the larger HD wheels. Was like going from a Cadillac to a sports car or F250.
Heritage comes from factory with a cush ride and so much more lighter, that ya may extend to many more years of riding.
Just test ride one before ya knock it!✌️
I fixed my rough suspension while still running the factory suspension on my 2919 Roadking with going to a softer compound/larger tires, "200/50/18" tire on rear. Then installed a taller front tire with a 130/70/19 (1/2" more sidewall) on the front. 130/70/19. NIGHT and DAY difference!
Thought I would post a few pictures of some of the small doo dads Ive installed lately. Sometimes focusing on the details is as rewarding as the bigger mods.
Replaced the tired old amber backlights with some LEDs to give it a more modern look while keeping the simple analog gauge. You can also see the Marlins thermometer ignition lock cover.
I missed the six speed script on the tranny cover so I added one. Things like this are what I always appreciated about Harley vs the competition. Sad to see the cost cutting take over in recent years.
Finally, I wanted a simple nod to the S&S goodies in the cam chest so I had a custom timer cover made. The Screamin Eagle insert looks nice but didnt make sense with no SE parts inside.
Older guy (69) thinking of downsizing from a RG to a RKS. From what Ive read the RKS has 12 shocks vs the RK Standards 13 and is the more comfortable ride for some. While most of my riding is local I do take the occasional overnighter and like to tour. Shocks aside, will a proper shield and other touring amenities turn my RKS into a comfortable mile eater? Will the angle the shield would sit at affect its effectiveness ? Comfort, not performance, is my main priority. Are there any other differences between the two? And no I dont want a Heritage although it is a beautiful bike. Thanks in advance.
When I first started riding my first bike was a 07 Road King. I put a windshield on it for the first winter, I lived in Delaware at the time, and rode through the winter. Once summer arrived I took the windshield off and was amazed how much wind I was protected by using the shield. After 5 years I decided that since I was always riding with a windshield I might as well upgrade to a full time fairing and got 12 Street Glide Special, then a 14 Street Glide Special because I really like what the Rushmore Project did with the bikes. By 2021 I was not so happy with having a fairing anymore, I didn't use infotainment system and I found I was missing the wide open view, plus like you I was thinking that I would "downsize" and so I got a 21 RKS. (The circle is complete lol). I am telling you all of this because before I traded my SGS in for the RKS I did a lot of thinking about my current riding and what I thought my future riding would be. I knew I wasn't going to be doing a bunch of epic long distance rides on a regular basis, that most of my riding would be around town, a long day trip, or an occasional overnight trip. All of which a can do without a windshield. If I were to do a long multi-day trip then I would put on either my big windshield that gives max wind protection or a smaller one that I have that fits just over the handlebars and basically just breaks the wind off my chest. My suggest would be to do a serious look at what you expect your future riding expectations are and then decide on a bike that would fit that style. Going from a RGS (853 lbs) to RKS (807 lbs) isn't really downsizing as mentioned by others since the bikes are basically the same except for the fairing (or lack of one). I do agree with what another member stated about the mental part of no fairing giving the impression of the RKS being much lighter. If the longest ride you might do is a overnight trip and bike weight is your biggest concern for your future riding then getting a bike that is a hundred pounds lighter is a much better the way to go, because you can put temp saddlebags on any cruiser style bike that Harley has. The Lowrider ST is 130 lbs lighter than a RGS and it has a fairing and hard saddlebags. Or the Pan America which 569 lbs! Now that would be downsizing! Just my 2 cents on an idea that I have myself thought about.
Did almost 800 miles this past weekend in Northern Michigan. I use a LePera Barebones and maybe it's just because of my age (27) I don't get worn down or tired or sore from using such a thin seat. I have a Mustang touring for when I do two-up trips and long rides, but If i'm by myself, it's always my solo seat.
I would also like to know what bars those are please. Need some help sourcing bars altogether. Bars, cables, lines, and riser clamp. I typically run 14-16" on my Glides. The vendor sites are not making lots of sense to me.
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