Here's the scoop. My brother is looking at trading a 1300 VTX for a HD. His first rental, a 2010 SG that he let me take for a little ride, maybe 15 miles. Anyway, this post is my opinion comparing my 08 RK to this model.

First, the ergonomics of the SG was a tough one for me. I know the stock handlebars were an issue for me on my RK, so right away, I was uncomfortable in the shoulders and back with the stock SG bars. Also, the distance from the seat to the footboards on the SG must be a little less because I felt like my knees were higher, but my butt was lower, so I was squatting more. I also felt like I was sitting on the tank, more forward than on my RK. So, with a seat and handlebar swap, it might work for me. I'm 6'-3" and just felt uncomfortable with the stock setup.

Second, the handling of the SG was excellent. It's maneuvering and handling were great. Could I make any obvious comparisons between an 08 and a 10, not really. To me, they felt pretty equal in terms of handling and manueverability. Maybe with a few more miles, i could give a better opinion.

Lastly, the 2010 SG seemed to have equal or more power than my 08 RK, which has pipes, ac, and pciii installed. So, my question is this: was there an upgrade in the drivetrain from 08 to 2010? It just hauled the minute you got on the throttle. I don't recall my stock 08 ever doing that, and it felt equal to my stage 1 setup. Was there a change in gearing? Performance wise, I don't think I'd mess with it, other than maybe swapping for a louder slip-on. Aesthetically, it definitely is lacking the dual pipes in the back, but that's just my opinion.

All-in-all, I was impressed with the 2010 SG. This was my first time driving a batwing bike and I enjoyed it. I liked the radio, but honestly didn't pay much attention to any of the gauges other than the speedo. The batwing kept the cold air off my hands while the windshield could be a tick higher, but it was ok for me. After riding the 2010 SG, I'm not convinced I need to trade my 08 any time soon....just wasn't blown away by this one. I really thought I would be wanting one the minute I drove it, but just not the case, at least for me. Just sayin.

My brother on the other hand, coming from the VTX was very impressed with the SG. He logged about 800 miles and felt very comfortable with the ride. He too felt squatted on the bike, but thought the seat was fine. He wasn't impressed with the highway peg setup they had on it and probably should've had them adjusted before leaving the dealer. He intends on renting an Ultra and a few other models to make some comparisons. Overall, he was thrilled about the SG.

 

Gearing changed in 2009 would explain the perception of more snap off the line.

 

I figured it had to be something different in the gearing. That thing really took off.