Well, I do own one.

Road it for a year before I bought the lowers.The lowers help redirect the air that would normally come up from below that causes the buffeting.

 

if you rent them..remeber the 2010 has the short shield and the short shocks...so your ride and the amount of air you get will suffer compared to the batwing...both things can be remedied...concentrate on the handling, i cant believe the poster above that has ridden 100 of thousands of miles and cant tell a difference...must have been stoned

 

Only you, know what's right for you.... your style of riding, and the roads you ride on.
Rent both, for a week end, give both the bat wing, and the sharknose equal time/miles, then buy the bike that works for you.

What annoys me, might please you,
What pleases me, may annoy you

There is something comforting in owning a bike that looks like every other bike in the parking lot.

 

You want the ever-so-popular batwing bike! The road glide is hideous and nobody wants 'em. LOL

Seriously, rent both and decide for yourself. The only problem with renting is you will not know what it's like driving a road glide with lowers which IMO makes a huge difference.

 

Like everyone suggested I did rent both. The Ultra was hands-down better to me. Now after 10,000 miles I know I made the right decision. Friend of mine bought a Road Glide and he's constantly trying to make it as good as the Ultra.

 

When I was deciding I, like you, was concerned about the handling and stability of a motorcycle with a fork mounted fairing. The fact that *some* Touring riders had complained of high speed wobbles induced under certain conditions further fueled my concern. I had assumed this to be caused by the fork mounted fairing, but discovered it was actually the frame and rear swing-arm that was the main culprit. Some EG, RG, and RK riders have installed aftermarket braces as a fix. I was also concerned with buffeting and have experienced it riding Suzuki Vee Stroms with their far forward mounted fairing, like the RG has.
With the new frame on the 09's, and positive reviews regarding stability and handling, I bought a 09 EG. And after a year of riding I can offer this; I am constantly amazed how light yet precise the steering feels and I've not experienced *any*, not one, feeling of instability. This has been the case with new tires, worn out ones, and now back with new tires on, Kansas cross winds, cut rain grooves, and dirt roads. This thing just tracks straight as an arrow.
Buy the bike you want, you can eliminate any stability concerns from your decision. Get cruise control and you can just sit back and enjoy your 70 mile commute!

 

The lowers only block minimal air, not ALL air and it surely "does not fix the problem". The deflectors direct not deflect. Telling people to purchase lowers because it will cure the buffeting problem is WRONG information. Lowers only deflect SOME air.

 

I recommend going to the dealer and test riding both. I've had an electra glide and it does beat the glasses off your head. I rode both the 2010 SG and RG and the RG felt the best to me.

 

Lovin my 09 FLHT with the 6.5" Klock Wurks. No problem with the wind gusts at all at this point. Five months, five thousand miles. Good to go.

 

Lowers helped some. I have the vinyl lowers that I use only in the cold and rain ($50). The biggest improvement in air management was the +2 Clearview windshield.

The other thing you have to consider, and some do not, is what your wearing on your head. Full face, beanie, half, none.... you get the picture. They all have a big amount of input to the buffering syndrome.

The differences on the 2010 are not too far off. The differences between the 09's vs. 10's is a lot.

2010 EG's against RGC's??? EG has longer shocks. It'll ride smoother. The fairing is closer. The seat is more comfortable. The RGC is basically a SG.

The wind on an EG is better out of the box than an RG IMO. I've ridden both. Once the windshield was changed over, the ball was in the RG's court. It's a matter of what you wear and personal preference.

The steering on the RG is way better. I not sure what the others are comparing it to? The wind does get transfered to the handle bars on the batwings. I'm sure that any owner that's ever had a RK or Heritage can tell you the difference was huge when they ran with the windshield on or off. It's that big. Put enough miles on both and you'll see for yourself.

Really, can any bat wing own really say that when the run into a semi going the opposite direction on a 2 lane road at highway speed, that they can honestly say that they don't get a yank on the handlebars????

The storage in the fairing of the RG's can be matched if you get the lowers with the glove boxes for the EG's. Then again, on the 2010 RGC, you can now fit the vented lowers on it. The older RG's you couldn't. The RGC's have an air baffle between the forks to help with the air coming over the tank because of the gap. Not sure if the 2010 do or not since it's based on the SG.... but I would assume they still do.

I couldn't go back to a bat wing. I didn't like the cramped feel of the bike. Even the seating on my 08 RG was better and gave more leg room than the EG. The handlebars are different as well.

You'll have to rent one if you have a chance. If you can't, I found it was easier to make the RG mine with little changes, than it was to get the EG to feel like my RG. The RG is the true canyon carver and is the best handling touring bike in the line up. Outside of the V-Rod, my wife and I have owned one of each family since 2002 and up.