before going with the RKS, make sure you look at the Street Glide. That radio and batwing make a huge difference, for a small price. Both great bikes... but everyone graduates up to the batwing at the end of the day. ... and the fuelmoto setup is highly recommended by a TON of folks on here.

 

Just back from a month in Florida with my new 09 street glide rode the wheels off it in Daytona and all over the state ! (former owner of 05 flh classic) ...night and day between the 2, love the 09 , smoother, quieter, tbw no differance, you will need to get the 2" pullback bars the only complaint is the gear wineing in first and 5th gear ! sounds like a milk truck, heard about if before, thought people were nuts but its true, trying some redline shockproof next week will let ya know if it quiets it down any... buy an 09 you will not be sorry !!!!!! Bill

 

Haven't heard anything but great things about the '09s. If you can afford it, go for it. ABS and the frame change alone makes me want to go for an '09.

 

Issues I have with my 09 FLHTC, slower and weights more than 08. Speed govern at 115 MPH, powder coat peeling off starter, erratic idle, wider turning radius, EMC tray cracked, they also did not fix the wobbling issue when corning hard (still need a stabilizer) and that with just under 3000 mile. O yea and customer service for warranty issues suck! Now understand I push my bike to its out most limits and then push it some more.

 

I traded in my 07 Road King Classic for a 09 EGlide Classic last Dec. The 09 bagger is an awesome bike. HD made many changes on the 09 touring bikes. It had been in design for years. I think they got it right. The bike actually handles great for a 844 lb motorcycle. I feels lighter than my old 07 Road King (740lbs). The 09 bike absorbs small and large bumps better. It also invites you to lean more when driving the mountain roads here in Southern California. There is virtually no side sway (porpusing) in the 09 EGlide. They got rid of it.

Its hard to compare the softail to the Glides or Kings because the softails are so much more a rigid ride. I also have a 2000 Softail Deuce and love the bike. Never had a single problem with it but... it beat me up after the long distance weekend rides. Even with the counterbalance engine you feel every bump on the road. Thats why I got me a touring bike. HD toned down the shake, rattle and roll on the 09 baggers but it still has a shake to it at idle. Unlike my Softail Deuce where the is no shake at all when at idle. My teeth chattered at a red light on my old 07 Road King.

I am 6'2". The spacing on my 09 EGlide is fine for me. My initial impression when I sat on the bike is that I would like to move the bars up an inch or 2 for a little more stretching room but they could not be moved up any further. The Road Glide stretches you out the most in my opinion. My 09 EGlide runs great but it is a bit slow for me. But then I didn't buy the bike to do 11 seconds in a quarter mile. Its a cruiser. You can improve on the pickup by adding pipes, mapping and an air cleaner.

What else... the brakes are excellent. My 09 does not have ABS but the stopping power is great. I heard the ABS feels strange because of the pumping but it is well worth the option for that 1 time where you have to panic stop. The ABS will stop as straight as an arrow on dry or slippery surface from what I hear. The 09s have less maintenance on the bike. The new Dunlop tires are 2 compound tires (harder rubber in the center and softer on the outside) and supposedly last 25% longer than the previous rubber.

Take the 09 for a test ride. The dealers around here are having demo rides more often now that bike sales have slowed down. You can try a demo ride at your local dealer but I don't think a ride around the block does the bike justice. If you are serious about buying the 09 tell them you want to take it out for a 30 minute ride and take it on the freeway. If you are in the over 50 crowd like me you gotta get one if you tour.
Good luck

 

wobble at high speed?

explain more because you are the first to report this.

heavier and higher seat height has been explained but not a wobble.

 

Love mine! 2nd day out, put 347 miles on and got 44.72 m.p.g. with a 103" Stage II, riding 2-up...

Rent one for a day and you'll be hooked!

 

I traded a 2006 Heritage Softail Classic for my first touring model, a 2009 Street Glide. I ride mostly on the highway or on trips. I much prefer the touring bike for highway speeds and curves. It is also easy to stop with the dual disc brakes.

Once I changed stock seat for a H-D reach seat, I didn't feel like I was sitting on top of the frame any more. Highway speeds are much smoother than my softail was.

 

Purchased an 09 Ultra in August, it is a huge difference from the 05 Ultra I had before and the 02 Road King before that. Smoother, better response, don't shoot me but I even like the quite mufflers. They have a nice sound but not loud. I am still considering the V&H Monster Ovals though.
They really did make some worthwhile changes.

 

Picked up my StreetGlide Sept 15th....11,600 miles on her since than...I plan on doing a Stage 1 chip burn air cleaner and pipes...But don't feel I need to yet...pretty quick from the factory and very reliable...had her in rain and snow... and love the ABS