Traded my 05 Electra glide standard in on a 2009 Roadglide.Its about 50 miles over to the dealer so I rode my EGS over this morning to make the switch.Rode the spanken new Roadglide home.Im a Darksider now.
My EGS had a standard height windshield.SE intake SE pipes and download.Averaged about 46 MPG ran great and had about 30000 miles on it.Never really had any problems with it at all.Took me about two years to get it the way I wanted it.But I was pretty happy with the options I added.I made a mistake last October of taking a 09 Ultra classic for a demo ride.It cost me.I've had my eye on the RG for awhile now and after riding the Ultra the hook was set.
Rather than monkeying around for two years getting the RG the way I wanted it.I did it from the getgo.More or less turning my RG into my EGS or at least getting as close as I could.
My RG has the +2 Clearview light tint windshield what passes for SE pipes SE intake and SERT.
First impressions..
Im 6'6" and I can look over the standard windshield on the EGS by about an inch.This is about the same for the RG with the clearview.I seem to be getting about the same amount of air and didnt notice any undue buffeting on the RG.
The RG has better low end power.Its got more giddy up.Not sure if its the bigger motor or just geared better but I like the shift points.The 96 acts alot differently when you lug it than the twinkie.
Gears 1 thrue 4 sound normal.6th gear sounds normal.5th gear makes a noise.
The RG is 10 miles an hour faster than my EGS.Im tooling down the road on the way home today thinking im going 40.Look down, and im going 50.
Less vibration in the handle bars then the EGS
All told less vibration everwhere.
Got rid of the tiny mouse RG seat and put a 09 EGS seat on.Its ok but more than likley will get replaced with a Russell Day Long.
Its a smoother ride than the EGS
The tires dont follow road seems.The old lop 402s will.
The RG has a tighter feel in the corners.Must be the new frame.All the while you feel somewhat detached from the road surface.If that makes any since.
In short I cant believe how much they have smoothed things up.Smooth is the word.
All that on my way home from the dealer today.
Im a Darksider now
dave

 

Congrats.

 

LUUUKKEEEEEE come to the darkside...... don't fight it..... feel the force.......

seriously..... shuuush.... you write crap like this, and before ya know it.... there will be Road Glides on every corner, and it'll be common. Heck just the other day, I was in a parking lot and there were 2 other RGs.....

 

tell me you didn't buy one of them fugly roadglides...

jk, congrats on the new bike.

if all these people keep getting RGs I am gonna have to switch to some other model so I can find mine in a parking lot !

 

Even though have an Electra the RoadGlide is a very nice ride, thanks for the good decription but for now will stick with my Electra...

 

I had rented a 2009 RG last weekend and ended up putting around 1000 miles on it in two days. I was impressed, you can really feel the weight getting it off the stand but once moving it handles very well. Like you said, isolated from the road and smooth.

I am actually negotiating a deal on one now. For being such a bad economy, the 4 dealers I have visited really don't seem to want to come off MSRP or juice up the deal at all.

 

Congrats on the RG, Dave! It'll do just about anything you ask of it, from basic commuting to cross-country tours. It's a great bike!

 

"When the shark bites, with his teeth babe, ole Mack is back in town"!

 

Congrats! But you didn't tell us "What Color?"

 

They have orders to "fiercely protect the iconic brand name" during the economic turn down or something.