10 years agoi went from a heritage to a EG and loved it...and now a SG. i do like riding withouta shield but to me a bat wing will always be in the garage

 

I too have owned the Ultra, along with a few Road Kings. I love that I can build off the look of theStreet Glide. If you really want the Road King then buy it and add the removable bat wing. Lower the rear and fix the fenders. The only issue is money and time. I bet you find out that you only remove the wing a couple of times in the summer. Not enough for me and that's the main reason I when to the SG this time.

 

Went through this last year. Was planning to buy a RKC for several years. Had to keep walking by the SG to get to the RK. Fell in love with the SG looks and feel. I am so happy I went with the SG. It got to my soul as you say, I can't stop riding it and staring at it. Also love the fairing with the tunes and all that the SG has to offer. Wifey complained a lot about the stock seat fyi so I got the sundowner with the same stiching and look as the stock seat. She is much happier now as am I.

So long story short... I vote for the SG

 

Ona rainy day... ora cool day... or a hot day .... or an average day

You are never sorry you have the batwing or tunes.

On a bike without it.... there are plenty of days you wish you had it.

I rode a softail for a while... Never again... particularly on a long haul

 

I have a 04 Road King Custom and a 07 Street Glide. Both ride about the same. My plans were to sell the Road King Custom but just can not part with it but I find myself getting on the Street Glide 95 % of the time. As for me I have a choice either Road King or Street Glide to ride and I seam to ride the Street Glide most of the time. Some would say it is because of the 96 CI engine and 6 speed transmission but I disagree. My Road King Custom will run circles around the Street Glide.Both have cruise control installed. and I'm not impressed with the perfomance on the 6 speed transmission. I just seam to perfer the overall experience I get with the Street Glide. The radio on the Street Glide is nice. Know matter which model you decide to purchas ypu can not go wrong as both are great bikes and great rides. Good luck with your decision.

 

RKC........without a doubt a better looking cruiser. Just my opinion of course because I own one but I just can'thandle the batwing look. If you wanna' listen to the stereo instead of the rumble of the engine, take your car.In addition I have heard that the 96 cubes really does not give you any more umph as the added new emission stuff combined with the gearing of the 6 speed trans negates the increase in size of the engine and really does not perform any better than the 88's.
OK all you batwing & fairing guys.........let me have it!

 

RENT & RIDE and YOU PICK the one that fits YOUR NEED BETTER

They're BOTH GREAT Bikes but different in there own way... I have a 01 RKC and also a 07 ROAD GLIDE - The Glide will out handle the RK but in the summers here in the Palm Springs area it's nice to be able to remove the shield... And a RKC without the shield look low and lean and makes the perfect bar-hopper... For longer trips or extended M\C vacations you can't beat the Road Glide...

 

Its almost eerie how many people said they had considered the RKC before buying a Street Glide. Add me to that list. On Saturday, I signed papers for an 08 SG.

To all of you who have a RKC, you gotta know I respect the bike and it's owners. Earlier this year, I rented an 07 RKC. I thought (before riding it) that it was the coolest looking big tourer Harley made.

I took it out on a day-long trip down the country highway that follows the Mississippi river south. It was a late October mid-week day and the temperature was about 49 degrees, so I saw less than a half-dozen motorcycles on this entire journey. Somewhere along the way I had a strange realization. For as much as I liked the looks of the RKC, it seemed like something just didn't feel right. (Notice how subjective "just didn't feel right" comes across). I couldn't really put my finger on it. I got to the 1/2 way point of my journey and stopped for a bite to eat.

My wife called and excitedly asked "How do you like it? Could you see yourself owning one?"

My honest reply was, "yeah, its pretty cool, but it just doesn't say buy me!". I had my heart set on the RKC for a year and after riding it for just three hours, I realized that I was no longer interested in owning one. Somewhat disappointed, I got back on the bike and headed north back home (just on the other side of the Mississippi).

The ride north from Red Wing, MN is quite picturesque as you cross the Mississippi and enter into extreme Western Wisconsin. There are a number of nice sweeping turns with hills and valleys to cruise though. I was just north of Prescott, WI and was kind of going through the motions, mentally preparing to return the bike (an hour or so early) to the dealer where I rented it.

Then, it happened.

I came around a long sweeping turn that had a bit of an elevation rise to it. Quickly coming into my view was another rider. Again, I had seen maybe 5 other nondescript motorcycles the whole day, but this on-coming motorcycle quickly caught my attention. I could tell from about 1/4 mile away that this was one of those "bat-wing" fairing bikes that I had walked by so many times at the dealership. The bike was jet-black with a single headlight (and no mirrors to be seen!). Not sure why it took a combined speed of 150 mph for me to see how cool this bike looked on the road, but there it was in all its glory. A vivid-black Street Glide. The bike must have been equipped with some serious pipes because as he passed me with a friendly wave, his bike was roaring! As safely as I could manage, I turned around and looked at the bike that was quickly disappearing from my view. No nonsense, lowered, no tour-pack and that massive 38 inch-wide bat-wing with the single headlight. What a cool-looking bagger.

In that moment, it had all become so clear. What I felt I was missing on the big RKC was a big touring bike-feeling up front! I didn't want a 20" high clear windshield, I wanted something substantial.

I got back to the dealership, tossed the RKC key to the rental guy and immediately headed back to where the batwings were located on the showroom floor. It looked just as good parked as it did on the road.

Not another 24 hours had passed and I was back at another dealership (the first one I went to didn't have a SG rental so I had to search around a bit). I was soon riding a SG, and like several before me have stated, I knew this was the bike after about 60 seconds in the seat. I pulled off to th

 

Buckweat, you hit the nail on the head for mer here.

I road one yesterday for a while and had rented a RKC (2005) in new Zealand for 8 days last Feb and had a similar feeling to yours. I was just hoping with lower shocks I could 'make it right', but I am going with the Street Glide. Like others pointed out to me in this topic, I already knew the answer.

Spoke to my dealer a few hours ago and he has pt the word out for a Black pearl with abs.

Planing to get the chrome lowers, lower smoked windshield, amber windshield led strip, the led tail light and the color matched saddle bag spoilers with led. See a trend, yeah; want to to be visible.

So, 1.5 years deciding; this morning I did and now I want it NOW, NOW, NOW!




[quote]ORIGINAL: buckwheat

Its almost eerie how many people said they had considered the RKC before buying a Street Glide. Add me to that list. On Saturday, I signed papers for an 08 SG.

To all of you who have a RKC, you gotta know I respect the bike and it's owners. Earlier this year, I rented an 07 RKC. I thought (before riding it) that it was the coolest looking big tourer Harley made.

I took it out on a day-long trip down the country highway that follows the Mississippi river south. It was a late October mid-week day and the temperature was about 49 degrees, so I saw less than a half-dozen motorcycles on this entire journey. Somewhere along the way I had a strange realization. For as much as I liked the looks of the RKC, it seemed like something just didn't feel right. (Notice how subjective "just didn't feel right" comes across). I couldn't really put my finger on it. I got to the 1/2 way point of my journey and stopped for a bite to eat.

My wife called and excitedly asked "How do you like it? Could you see yourself owning one?"

My honest reply was, "yeah, its pretty cool, but it just doesn't say buy me!". I had my heart set on the RKC for a year and after riding it for just three hours, I realized that I was no longer interested in owning one. Somewhat disappointed, I got back on the bike and headed north back home (just on the other side of the Mississippi).

The ride north from Red Wing, MN is quite picturesque as you cross the Mississippi and enter into extreme Western Wisconsin. There are a number of nice sweeping turns with hills and valleys to cruise though. I was just north of Prescott, WI and was kind of going through the motions, mentally preparing to return the bike (an hour or so early) to the dealer where I rented it.

Then, it happened.

I came around a long sweeping turn that had a bit of an elevation rise to it. Quickly coming into my view was another rider. Again, I had seen maybe 5 other nondescript motorcycles the whole day, but this on-coming motorcycle quickly caught my attention. I could tell from about 1/4 mile away that this was one of those "bat-wing" fairing bikes that I had walked by so many times at the dealership. The bike was jet-black with a single headlight (and no mirrors to be seen!). Not sure why it took a combined speed of 150 mph for me to see how cool this bike looked on the road, but there it was in all its glory. A vivid-black Street Glide. The bike must have been equipped with some serious pipes because as he passed me with a friendly wave, his bike was roaring! As safely as I could manage, I turned around and looked at the bike that was quickly disappearing from my view. No nonsense, lowered, no tour-pack and that massive 38 inch-wide bat-wing with the single headlight. What a cool-looking bagger.

In that moment, it had all become so clear. What I felt I was missing on the big RKC was a big touring bike-feeling up front! I didn't want a 20" high clear windshield, I wanted something substantial.

I got back to the dealership, tossed the RKC key to the rental

 

your wife will love the s/g and thank you later.