Currently shopping Road Glide and Electraglide Ultra Classic. Been riding Hondas all my life; 1975 MT125, 1972 CB750fourF chopper, 2003 VTX1800R with mods after a long break. I would be completely new to Harley's and want a real touring bike ( Goldwing is a little too much of a space ship for me). The X is great but 2600 miles in6 days is more of an a$$ grinder than I would like (I have done some things to it that make it a bit stiff). The wife does not want her own bike but loves to ride on the back so full dress it is.

I have been readng posts about engine heat, noise and rattles, both real complaints and the responses to them. There are also the guys that love the bikes right out of the box and would not change a thing.

It is up to you. You can tell me to move on, because you hear too many folks asking for advice who are not owners or you could share your wisdom with an HD virgin. I can do some of my own wrenching but hesitate to open up a motor; bolt-ons, pipes, air boxesand desmog are currently my limit.

Spiz out.

 

No better 2up bike than and Ultra. If you want to be cool by yourself get the tour pack removal kit.

 

Both the UC and the RG are fine machines, the biggest differance being the frame mounted fairing on the RG, you either love it or hate it, it seems to allow more room for the driver, and it pushes the wind better IMO, and ppl say the RG doesnt "fell" as heavy in the wind because the frame is taking the wind resistance not your arms. but im biased, i love my RG, and im a recent honda convert, wife and i have been riding wings for 20 plus years, like you i try to do the moajority of my own wrenching. and the HD is MUCH eaiser to work on and it handles alot easier than the wing at low speeds. im not gonna knock the wings cause i had several real nice ones, but i got 15 years younger on the RG. i tihnk the opitions are pretyy much the same and i think you can put on everything that the UC has on it on the RG ie the rour pac and such but it anit cheap. anyway good luck bro and let mama help you pick one out, rent them both if at possible and put a few miles on them.

 

I just sold my 05 Road King Classic to move up to an 07 Ultra Classic for the wife and me. Loved the RKC but wanted the radio and intercom and the back rest for the wife.

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bump

 

Ultra, it's got eveything you need and then some. It'll keep her happy and you'll be happy.

 

I really like the Road Glide. I only sat on an Electra Glide in the showroom, but I thought it felt like a smaller bike based on the fairing being pretty close. I don't think they offer a RG with all the goodies that the Ultra comes with but you can certainly make it that way, in your own way.

 

Thinkin about comin over to the dark side are ya? I rarely hear of anyone regreting the move. It's true that HD's have a few more shakes and rattles but some aftermarket pipes will make all the little sounds go away. They run a little hot out of the box (thanks EPA)but even a cheap fix to richen them up a bit will cool em down. Keep in mind a place like HD.com is where people rant about thier problems. It can be scary but hardly represenitive.

 

I rented both before I bought my '05 rk custom. For me, the rk is the best of both worlds. You can dress her up for touring, and strip her down for local riding. But, that is just MHO

 

Welcome ta the Dark Side....we likely know each other, ah'm thinkin'! We're on an '07 UC, tried 'bout everythang else, an' it wuz the best fit fer us. We're on day 8 of our first road trip with it - 2900 miles so far, an' we're havin' a ball. No regrets on havin' sold the GL1800 ta go with the UC. We ran into a major windstorm outside of Tuba City, AZ last week - weather reports that evenin' said winds of 65 mph w/gusts up ta 100. Dunno that we hit any of the 100 stuff, but ah've NO doubt we got hammered with the 65 mph winds, an' lemme tell ya - that UC handled it MUCH better than our Wings ever did, IMO!!! Because of all the sand/dust, ah pulled the air filter that night (K&N) an' cleaned it in the parkin' lot of the hotel - 20 minute job. Now, we BOTH know that ya ain't even gonna git CLOSE ta a GW air filter in that amount of time - IF ya have the tools with ya ta do it!!!