Test ride some Harleys, if it is for you you will know right away, some people are Harley people and some are not. It is not about the cost.

 

Went from a 1300, past a few sport bikes, and got my EGC. No regrets!









cheers

 

I used to ride an 05 1800 F. I swore back then that I would never buy a Harley, mainly because of price and styling. Metric styling changes, but it seemed like Harley's didn't...at least the touring side. My F model was everything I needed; it was smooth, powerful, different and it fit my styling tastes being a cruiser with a sporty look.

I ended up getting rid of the X for financial reasons and a couple of years later my father who hadn't ridden his Ultra in 2+ years decided to hand it down to me. It took some getting used to riding because I was used to the more aggressive ride from the X and the Ultra was heavier and balanced differently. Well, fast forward 5 years and now I cannot imagine being without this thing. Sure, it's older and has a smaller power plant than the X did, but from the time I crank it up until the time I shut it down I am 100% satisfied with my bagger. I find myself now wondering how I ever made it that long without a batwing, bags and tunes..lol.
Styling wise, I was partially wrong. Once you get to know the line you can see some small changes in the styling; whether it's cosmetic, mechanical or something like a frame change. But, that subtle change is what keeps the enthusiasts around for years.

Had I kept the X I would have dumped thousands in to a fairing, bags and other things to make it comfortable and practical for a ride longer than from here to the bar. Even then, it still would not have been an HD bagger...Don't get me wrong, if I come across another 1800 F at a decent price I'm going to jump on it and add it to the garage; but I will never - EVER give up my Ultra...period!

Like others have said, test ride/demo an SG or RG at your local dealer. An awesome thing about Harley and their dealer network is that you can test ride their bikes. I've yet to have a metric dealer know I was interested in a purchase and offer a test ride on one of their inventory.

Welcome to the forum and good luck in your search

 

You don't say why you are considering a new bike. What do you want that you don't have now?

I had a VTX 1300 R and an 1800R both done up to fit me and for long haul comfort and as much performance as I could get out of them with add-ons.

The difference, between the VTX's and the 07 Road King I have, going down the road isn't really that much. The VTX's hit the bumps a bit harder. Where the HD really shines is at slow speeds. The VTX's were top heavy, the HD is so bottom heavy you almost feel like you don't need to put your feet down at a stoplight.

My wife did say she liked the Road King better than the VTX's once we got her foot position figured out. She said it wasn't a huge difference but enough to notice she was less saddle sore on the Road King. Her longest single day ride is 675. My longest single day ride was ~950 and was done on the 1300, 1800 and Road King.

As far as power goes, the 1300 will have a little less power than a stage 1 HD. I took my RK to 107", aggressive cams and headwork, and the 1800 I had with breather, pipes and PC3 would still blow it away.

 

Ok i'll jump in too. Mine was a VTX 1800-C fairing hard bags Ultimate seat and back rest, lots of extras, gps, 12v socket etc.. Loved it, My Electra Glide rides better, but that's about it. I could ride all day on the X no problem. I just wanted to get into more touring and less bar hopping. I love my EG, just wish it had the power of the 1800. and no bagger wobble..There is something fun about playing with a Mustang on 91 south in Vermont. (racing)

 

I had an 03 1800c. I loved that bike, until I rode the ultra. Night and day difference. I do miss the power though.
The x did awesome burnouts!(lol)

 

This is it... What are you looking for?

As I'm sure you've seen this is quite subjective. My VTX was a beast but it was not comfortable for me. I couldn't bring myself to really mod it, no value in it... Others here are saying it was nearly perfect for them; what we all have in common is that something wasn't there and we wanted that something. You've gotta figure out what that something your looking for is and where you can get it.

The real question is why should you spend the money on a new Harley. This is not really something someone else can justify for you.

 

I had a VTX 1300S before my Limited. I had alot of fun riding and building this bike. AS you can see I tried to make a tourer out of it and I came close. I did all the work myself except the paint. Me and the wife went on some trips and we both were comfortable with the bike. It had plenty of power and got alot of attention when others would try to determine what brand of bike it was.
I sold the VTX and got the Limited, I made the right move and don't regret it but there are times I miss the X.

 

Damn, that's probably the nicest VTX i've ever seen. The wife had an 05 VTX 1300 until our garage burned down and took all 5 of our bikes with it. Then she found a yamaha road star she fell in love with and got that. The VTX was always a nice, reliable, fast bike, but it didn't have any personality as far as i was concerned. It was a V Twin, but it was smooth and quiet... like a Honda. And there was a lot of plastic and such. I was never too much of a fan of it myself. The road star she has now actually feels much more like a harley when i ride it, it's still no comparison to my road king as far as i'm concerned, but i like it better than the VTX.

 

My VTX, an 03 1300 S. I loved that bike, wish I still had it.