Yesterday's demo days experience. It's got to be a touring bike for me!
#1
09-09-2012, 06:40 PM
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Yesterday's demo days experience. It's got to be a touring bike for me!
I went out to the Harley demo days that we had here yesterday, I made it a point to be the first guy in line-up and I managed to snag the Road Glide Custom (which everybody else seemed to be wanting to try too). Usually they never have a Road Glide on their demo truck but this time they did and I got to try it out.
While I first thought that the RG was fugly, it really seems to grow on you after awhile. And the ride is amazing! The new 103 engine was noticeably more ballsy then the previous 96 IMO, I didn't think that it would be that much better.
I then took out a Street Glide and that one seemed to have just as nice a ride and I think that I might prefer the looks a bit more then the RG. I know that the RG is supposed to be more nimble and lighter in the front end but with the route that we were on, I didn't notice much difference between the two bikes.
Maybe if we would have been on more twisty roads I might have noticed a difference? I think that I'd be just as happy on either bike.
I'm currently on a large metric cruiser but have come to the conclusion that my next bike will most probably be a Harley.
I might have gotten myself a Harley this year but my wife didn't have anything to ride since we sold her POS Virago 750 last year, so she was really needing something. She had a thing for the BMW R1200R Classic, so that's what we concentrated on this year and she finally has one. Fantastic bike too BTW!
I've been going to these Harley demo rides for probably four years now and I've finally come to the conclusion that a touring bike is definately the way to go for me.
The Road King is also a favourite but after doing yesterday's demo rides, the RG and SG left me with the biggest grin. I just think that Harley nailed the cool factor with these bikes, to me they're tough and have a cool attitude and look but are still solid touring bikes in that they are comfortable despite having a slammed rear end.
I know that you get a plusher ride with an Ultra but the RG and SG still have a somewhat better suspension then what I'm riding right now. I think that they nailed a bike that covers the most basses in what I usually need in a bike.
I don't "tour" much, most of what I do is shorter rides. Like out for an afternoon riding coastal roads or just buzzing around town. But I want something that still could do the touring thing without leaving you all beat-up.
I think that the SG and RG are the best Swiss Army knife bike that Harley's ever put out, you can do just about anything you want on these two bikes, excluding off-road of course.
Hope I can score one before too long!
While I first thought that the RG was fugly, it really seems to grow on you after awhile. And the ride is amazing! The new 103 engine was noticeably more ballsy then the previous 96 IMO, I didn't think that it would be that much better.
I then took out a Street Glide and that one seemed to have just as nice a ride and I think that I might prefer the looks a bit more then the RG. I know that the RG is supposed to be more nimble and lighter in the front end but with the route that we were on, I didn't notice much difference between the two bikes.
Maybe if we would have been on more twisty roads I might have noticed a difference? I think that I'd be just as happy on either bike.
I'm currently on a large metric cruiser but have come to the conclusion that my next bike will most probably be a Harley.
I might have gotten myself a Harley this year but my wife didn't have anything to ride since we sold her POS Virago 750 last year, so she was really needing something. She had a thing for the BMW R1200R Classic, so that's what we concentrated on this year and she finally has one. Fantastic bike too BTW!
I've been going to these Harley demo rides for probably four years now and I've finally come to the conclusion that a touring bike is definately the way to go for me.
The Road King is also a favourite but after doing yesterday's demo rides, the RG and SG left me with the biggest grin. I just think that Harley nailed the cool factor with these bikes, to me they're tough and have a cool attitude and look but are still solid touring bikes in that they are comfortable despite having a slammed rear end.
I know that you get a plusher ride with an Ultra but the RG and SG still have a somewhat better suspension then what I'm riding right now. I think that they nailed a bike that covers the most basses in what I usually need in a bike.
I don't "tour" much, most of what I do is shorter rides. Like out for an afternoon riding coastal roads or just buzzing around town. But I want something that still could do the touring thing without leaving you all beat-up.
I think that the SG and RG are the best Swiss Army knife bike that Harley's ever put out, you can do just about anything you want on these two bikes, excluding off-road of course.
Hope I can score one before too long!
#2
09-09-2012, 06:46 PM
Elite HDF Member
I had an 07 RG that I made into an ultra by adding tourpak, lowers, etc.
When I rode my 11, I had to have it. Much tighter ride.
My question to you then is this . . . What kind of riding will you be doing?
Long rides - touring?
Two-up touring?
Shorter weekenders one-up?
Occasional two-up?
Keep in mind what kind of riding you'll be doing before you buy. The FLTRU is the best one for two-up.
Just my two cents.
When I rode my 11, I had to have it. Much tighter ride.
My question to you then is this . . . What kind of riding will you be doing?
Long rides - touring?
Two-up touring?
Shorter weekenders one-up?
Occasional two-up?
Keep in mind what kind of riding you'll be doing before you buy. The FLTRU is the best one for two-up.
Just my two cents.
#4
09-09-2012, 06:49 PM
#5
09-09-2012, 07:03 PM
#7
09-09-2012, 07:11 PM
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Unfortunately, the HD dealer here doesn't rent out bikes so that's out.
As far as what kind of riding I'd mostly do, it's a mixed bag I guess.
Most of the time, I would just be tooling around town or riding out to the country backroads and spend a few hours cruising. My dad is a frequent passenger with me but isn't picky about how comfy a ride it is. Like I said previously, my bike (a Vulcan 1600 Classic with Proggressive Supension HD shocks and fork springs) isn't all that plush of a ride, I actually found the RGC and SG to be somewhat more comfortable.
So, I don't think that a RGC or SG would be a step down in comfort compared to what I'm used to riding now. Although I would consider putting a more pillion-friendly seat on either of these two bikes, I think that the lowered shocks are reasonably decent enough though.
My wife says that she'd probably want to ride her own bike if we travel but once we'd get to the destination, she might want to hop on as a passenger on mine. But unlike me, she's not a fan of the Harley brand and doesn't at all care for the rough idling.
Myself, the roughness at idle only adds character, you know that you're on a motorcycle and once it gets rolling along, it's soooooo smooth. I much prefer the unbalanced engine over the balanced engine in the Softails, the balanced engines are buzzier and don't have the same amount of available power from what I could tell.
I had taken out a Softail Slim and didn't care for the bike at all, I didn't like the way the engine felt, seemed to have less power then the ones in the touring family. I know that they are the same engine but those big counter weights in the balanced engines have a power-sucking effect IMHO.
I also tried out a Super Glide with the 96 and it really felt weaker then the big touring bikes, I didn't care for it. I did try out a Fat Bob and if I could get used to the body position, I could have a lot of fun on that bad boy.\
But for all around style, comfort, power, handling and also reasonably geared up for touring, I think that the RGC and SG are hard to beat.
As far as what kind of riding I'd mostly do, it's a mixed bag I guess.
Most of the time, I would just be tooling around town or riding out to the country backroads and spend a few hours cruising. My dad is a frequent passenger with me but isn't picky about how comfy a ride it is. Like I said previously, my bike (a Vulcan 1600 Classic with Proggressive Supension HD shocks and fork springs) isn't all that plush of a ride, I actually found the RGC and SG to be somewhat more comfortable.
So, I don't think that a RGC or SG would be a step down in comfort compared to what I'm used to riding now. Although I would consider putting a more pillion-friendly seat on either of these two bikes, I think that the lowered shocks are reasonably decent enough though.
My wife says that she'd probably want to ride her own bike if we travel but once we'd get to the destination, she might want to hop on as a passenger on mine. But unlike me, she's not a fan of the Harley brand and doesn't at all care for the rough idling.
Myself, the roughness at idle only adds character, you know that you're on a motorcycle and once it gets rolling along, it's soooooo smooth. I much prefer the unbalanced engine over the balanced engine in the Softails, the balanced engines are buzzier and don't have the same amount of available power from what I could tell.
I had taken out a Softail Slim and didn't care for the bike at all, I didn't like the way the engine felt, seemed to have less power then the ones in the touring family. I know that they are the same engine but those big counter weights in the balanced engines have a power-sucking effect IMHO.
I also tried out a Super Glide with the 96 and it really felt weaker then the big touring bikes, I didn't care for it. I did try out a Fat Bob and if I could get used to the body position, I could have a lot of fun on that bad boy.\
But for all around style, comfort, power, handling and also reasonably geared up for touring, I think that the RGC and SG are hard to beat.
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#8
09-09-2012, 08:07 PM
Elite HDF Member
Unfortunately, the HD dealer here doesn't rent out bikes so that's out.
As far as what kind of riding I'd mostly do, it's a mixed bag I guess.
Most of the time, I would just be tooling around town or riding out to the country backroads and spend a few hours cruising. My dad is a frequent passenger with me but isn't picky about how comfy a ride it is. Like I said previously, my bike (a Vulcan 1600 Classic with Proggressive Supension HD shocks and fork springs) isn't all that plush of a ride, I actually found the RGC and SG to be somewhat more comfortable.
So, I don't think that a RGC or SG would be a step down in comfort compared to what I'm used to riding now. Although I would consider putting a more pillion-friendly seat on either of these two bikes, I think that the lowered shocks are reasonably decent enough though.
My wife says that she'd probably want to ride her own bike if we travel but once we'd get to the destination, she might want to hop on as a passenger on mine. But unlike me, she's not a fan of the Harley brand and doesn't at all care for the rough idling.
Myself, the roughness at idle only adds character, you know that you're on a motorcycle and once it gets rolling along, it's soooooo smooth. I much prefer the unbalanced engine over the balanced engine in the Softails, the balanced engines are buzzier and don't have the same amount of available power from what I could tell.
I had taken out a Softail Slim and didn't care for the bike at all, I didn't like the way the engine felt, seemed to have less power then the ones in the touring family. I know that they are the same engine but those big counter weights in the balanced engines have a power-sucking effect IMHO.
I also tried out a Super Glide with the 96 and it really felt weaker then the big touring bikes, I didn't care for it. I did try out a Fat Bob and if I could get used to the body position, I could have a lot of fun on that bad boy.\
But for all around style, comfort, power, handling and also reasonably geared up for touring, I think that the RGC and SG are hard to beat.
As far as what kind of riding I'd mostly do, it's a mixed bag I guess.
Most of the time, I would just be tooling around town or riding out to the country backroads and spend a few hours cruising. My dad is a frequent passenger with me but isn't picky about how comfy a ride it is. Like I said previously, my bike (a Vulcan 1600 Classic with Proggressive Supension HD shocks and fork springs) isn't all that plush of a ride, I actually found the RGC and SG to be somewhat more comfortable.
So, I don't think that a RGC or SG would be a step down in comfort compared to what I'm used to riding now. Although I would consider putting a more pillion-friendly seat on either of these two bikes, I think that the lowered shocks are reasonably decent enough though.
My wife says that she'd probably want to ride her own bike if we travel but once we'd get to the destination, she might want to hop on as a passenger on mine. But unlike me, she's not a fan of the Harley brand and doesn't at all care for the rough idling.
Myself, the roughness at idle only adds character, you know that you're on a motorcycle and once it gets rolling along, it's soooooo smooth. I much prefer the unbalanced engine over the balanced engine in the Softails, the balanced engines are buzzier and don't have the same amount of available power from what I could tell.
I had taken out a Softail Slim and didn't care for the bike at all, I didn't like the way the engine felt, seemed to have less power then the ones in the touring family. I know that they are the same engine but those big counter weights in the balanced engines have a power-sucking effect IMHO.
I also tried out a Super Glide with the 96 and it really felt weaker then the big touring bikes, I didn't care for it. I did try out a Fat Bob and if I could get used to the body position, I could have a lot of fun on that bad boy.\
But for all around style, comfort, power, handling and also reasonably geared up for touring, I think that the RGC and SG are hard to beat.
#9
09-09-2012, 09:27 PM
#10
09-10-2012, 08:48 AM
Advanced
I guess it must be for looks, although I like the look of my limited. I use my tour pak everytime I ride, even if just to toss my gloves, the wifes purse, helmet or anything into. And you can make a store run, or go get a pizza and it fits right in there. I would never take my tour pak off...............just one guys thoughts.........later....mark