The Road King has a different front wheel (16) than the Road Glide (19, and the 16 has 49 mm fork tubes vs 41 mm on the 13.. That does affect steering response. But based on age you might consider checking the steering head bearings for maintenance and fallback. A tight steering head will have a significant effect on handling.

Paul

 

I feel that you are reading the bikes right.
The Roadie has been misnamed, however.
It should be called the "Magic Carpet Ride" glide.
I went from a '11 Limited to a '16 RG Ultra.
Found the same as you.

 

There was something I had not considered. I was comparing apples to apples. I missed where you said it was '13 King and '18 RG. The newer forks are what you're feeling. The thicker 49mm legs are going to be a lot more responsive. To really compare, you need to feel all three from the same generation.

 

I had a similar experience. I went from a 2011 Road King to a 2013 Road Glide Ultra. I find the front end on the Glide to be lighter. I loved the king and put some miles down two up but the Road Glide is a miles eating monster.

 

I bought a 2022 Road Glide 107 last year, and have ridden an M8 Road King a few times.

My buddy picked up a 2017 RK a month or so ago, and we went for a ride where we swapped bikes. Same chassis and engine between the 2 bikes. My bike has Ohlins HD 044 shocks (arguably, the best shocks available) and a Traxxion AR-25 fork kit.

Road King - Gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised with the ride quality of the RK, especially since it had stock suspension. I think the 17" front and 16" rear wheels vs the 19" front and 19" rear wheels have a lot to do with it. Keep in mind, not sure what year it started, but HD changed the wheels of the RK to the 19/18 combo (2020?). Having the extra inch of sidewall allows the wheel to absorb road imperfections better. The RK feels more compact than the RG. When I ride the RK, I always have a smile on my face. It has this joyous thing about riding it. I'd argue, it along with the Ultra and Limited, are the best 2 up offerings HD has, that you can roll right out of the dealership and go on tour with. Also, if you remove the RK's windshield, it changes the bikes handling dramatically. Bike feels way more agile and fun with the windshield.

Road Glide - Of the touring bikes, IMHO, the RG is the best highway bike. That fairing cuts through the wind. The bike turns effortlessly. I had traded in a 2013 Dyna Switchback for the RG. When I had test rode it, I had gone to the dealer with the intention of buying the then brandy new Low Rider ST. I was the 1st person at my dealer to test ride the LRST, and I also tested the RGS. I had a huge smile on the RGS, where I did not on the LRST. I was a little apprehensive getting a touring bike due to the size and weight, but the RG has proved itself really easy to ride. Turn in is effortless and the bike just dances on the road. Based on my findings with the RK's ride quality from my friends bike, I'm currently running an experiment, where I bought a used set of 2018 Ultra wheels (same wheels as the 2017 RK my friend has) and installed them last weekend. It achieved exactly what I was looking for, with the added plushness of the ride. However, handling was adversely affected and turn in went from effortless to having to really focus and push on the handlebars. I think the overall height of the tires is different to where it's slightly thrown off the rake / trail of the riding geometry. I think the height of the rear went down, or the height of the front went up. I have a 6 day tour coming up with my buddy starting next week, and I'm thinking I'm going to switch the original wheels back, but not sure yet. The Ohlins HD 044's allow for a +/- 0.5" height adjustment

Either bike will provide you a great riding experience. The RK has an elemental feel about it, and is my 2nd fav' HD touring bike, the 1st being the RG. It has this bubbly bouncy thing going on when riding that just screams fun. The RG feels more like a precision riding instrument, with the added weather / wind protection of the fairing, and the bonus of the stereo/nav. Out of the box, the RK is a better 2up bike, however, with just a few mods, either will be a great touring bike.

 

I had a 19 RK and now have a 22 SG, the SG seems to be more nimble for whatever reason.

 

21 RGS and a 16 RK - there's a bit of apples and oranges as the RK has more sidewall and rides more plush while also being lighter. Both kind of suck in the turns, wallowing in the sweeps and not enough clearance in the tights.

I'd give the highway nod to the RGS, the fairing does a great job - both feel the same in high winds. Same setup, same Legend suspension, same Corbin seat - stock bar height. The RK feels a little better around town - but that's comparatively.

 

I'll agree with this assertion. Depends how most of your riding will be.

Most of my riding is around town or short haul and the Sporty and King share saddle time. I also like the fact the King, when the detachable batwing, lowers, and TP are on, it's a very capable tourer. It's that versatility that drew me to the King.

I did rent an RG a few years ago when in Vegas and it's very nice on the hwy.

 

I am not up on new models. I suspect it is not as easy to compare. In the past touring bikes were all pretty similar. FLHX had shorter springs, but other than that I think tires, shocks, ect were all pretty similar. As I said not up new models, but I get the impression there is a lot more differences between touring models now. I could be wrong.

 

Handlebars also make a difference in how a bike handles.
Wider bars provide more leverage creating a lighter/solid feeling front end at low speeds.
At higher speeds narrower bars will have a heavier feel but be quicker to turn in.