Ultra Versus SG
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 915
Likes: 2
From: nw alabama
lookn cool dont make your butt feel any better after you ride 10+ hr a day... if the passenger is unconfy,, it will make your ride a bit rougher (ohhh my ache butt, please pull over,,, but we only been 50 miles)wife will ride all day on the ultra and only wanna stop to pee!!!
Road Captain
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 642
Likes: 0
From: Haslet, Texas
Will depend on what you are looking for. If you don't care about the additional electronics, CB etc, adding the tourpak, changing seat, and adding lower fairings to a SG probably would not exceed the difference in price. However if the electronics are important then adding all that to a SG would excedd the difference in cost. Some say get the Ultra and remove or change what you dont want. Of course that will probably add to the already 2k higher price. If you occasionally take long tours two up then a properly outfitted SG will do fine. If on the otherhand you travel frequently two up on long trips go for the Ultra and outfit to suit. My2cents.
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 874
Likes: 2
From: Southern Arizona
I also was looking at both. I decided I wasn't ready for an Ultra. I bought a street Glide and added a detachable tourpak and also a detachable sissybar for those rides that don't require a tourpak. I also replaced the seat with a Mustang solo. When the wife rides I just add a pillion seat and either the sissybar or tourpak. It only takes about five minutes to make the change. I'm as happy as a pig in mud.
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 37
From: Rockland County, NY
Get the Ultra, add the 1" lower shocks and a Reach Seat. Now you have the ride height of the Street Glide, a more comfortable seat, and all of the extra goodies that come with the Ultra.
Thread Starter
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Advanced
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: ND
Thanks, he rode mine yesterday and is still wondering. Doesn't like the lowers on the Ultra, but wants more stuff then my SG. Our salesman said he would have to get the hydrolic shocks so that he would fit. Will have to see. For right now, I ride my bike, he rides his and our only two up rides might be if I want to chill on a local run or something.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
If you will be riding two-up I would go with the Ultra without further discussion. Since I'm a solo rider I chose the SG and customized it for my taste, which included many items standard on the Ultra plus much more. You can tool an SG up for comfortable two-up traveling but not without suspension and seat alterations, which likely will end up costing more than an Ultra when you're finished. Note the emphasis on comfortable, as you can tour on a 250cc dirt bike if you really had to. The SG's slammed rear-end means 1" less supension travel (2" vs. 3"), and that amounts to a big comfort gap IMO. I bought aftermarket shocks after having my butt hammered as if with a pile-driver numerous times with the SG's 12" shocks as they bottomed out. I understand the '09's are a bit better in this regard, but I still think they are unsuitable for two-up use or solo use for touring.
As for low-speed handling I doubt the Ultra would handle much worse than an SG, although without a Tour Pak the SG would certainly feel less top-heavy. A good rider would be able to whip an Ultra around very nearly as well as an SG, IMO, even though the Ultra is heavier.
As for low-speed handling I doubt the Ultra would handle much worse than an SG, although without a Tour Pak the SG would certainly feel less top-heavy. A good rider would be able to whip an Ultra around very nearly as well as an SG, IMO, even though the Ultra is heavier.
Last edited by iclick; Jul 10, 2009 at 03:45 PM.