hertiage or road king?
I am in the same decision making process. After having to sell my 2013 RG Ultra I bought used 2004 Road King. I am now looking to buy a newer bike. I test rode a Heritage and really like the lower center of gravity and sitting in and not on.
The cons with the Heritage over the RK to me are:
-Less of a lean angle. I throw my bikes into turns hard and the Heritage easily scrapes the boards
-Non locking bags. I like the security of hard bags
-Heavy vibration at higher speeds. While I am not a speed demon I sometimes like to open it up on the super slab. The Heritage did not feel as stable at speeds over 70mph and had much more vibration
-Passenger pegs instead of boards. This one has always boggled the mind. They include a backrest but cheap out on giving rear passenger pegs
-No standard engine guard. If you want highway pegs this will be an added cost
-Smaller tank
-No cruise control option
Pros of the Heritage over the RK:
-Lower seat height and center of gravity made for a more comfortable ride and feel
-Zero vibration at lower speeds
-Very nimble at lower speeds
-Less fatiguing ride for me
-Lighter weight with the added lower seat height makes it much more manuverable
-Standard backrest lessens the cost of adding one
-Nostalgic look that just can't be beat
As far as the ride it is a wash for me. I have come to the conclusion that any bike is gonna have somewhat of a rough ride over severe bumps and road imperfections. It is a bike after all. I don't think either has a smoother ride than the other. But both rides can be improved for an additional cost.
Either bike would be good for long distances IMO. I just think the King may be a little more forgiving for those really long trips. But I know a couple that is in our local ABATE that have an older model Heritage that they ride to Sturgis every year towing a trailer. Last I knew it had well over 150k miles on the clock.
One more thing. I think calling bigskyhd, a longtime member, was a little out of line. he was just being honest. This is the Touring section. The majority of people are gonna try to steer you towards a touring bike.
The cons with the Heritage over the RK to me are:
-Less of a lean angle. I throw my bikes into turns hard and the Heritage easily scrapes the boards
-Non locking bags. I like the security of hard bags
-Heavy vibration at higher speeds. While I am not a speed demon I sometimes like to open it up on the super slab. The Heritage did not feel as stable at speeds over 70mph and had much more vibration
-Passenger pegs instead of boards. This one has always boggled the mind. They include a backrest but cheap out on giving rear passenger pegs
-No standard engine guard. If you want highway pegs this will be an added cost
-Smaller tank
-No cruise control option
Pros of the Heritage over the RK:
-Lower seat height and center of gravity made for a more comfortable ride and feel
-Zero vibration at lower speeds
-Very nimble at lower speeds
-Less fatiguing ride for me
-Lighter weight with the added lower seat height makes it much more manuverable
-Standard backrest lessens the cost of adding one
-Nostalgic look that just can't be beat
As far as the ride it is a wash for me. I have come to the conclusion that any bike is gonna have somewhat of a rough ride over severe bumps and road imperfections. It is a bike after all. I don't think either has a smoother ride than the other. But both rides can be improved for an additional cost.
Either bike would be good for long distances IMO. I just think the King may be a little more forgiving for those really long trips. But I know a couple that is in our local ABATE that have an older model Heritage that they ride to Sturgis every year towing a trailer. Last I knew it had well over 150k miles on the clock.
One more thing. I think calling bigskyhd, a longtime member, was a little out of line. he was just being honest. This is the Touring section. The majority of people are gonna try to steer you towards a touring bike.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,757
Likes: 4
From: Northern Illinois
Don't worry about tubes...I have 60K on mine and never had a problem with the tubes in my laced wheels. Not sure if this has been mentioned but you will get more vibration from the softail at highway speeds than the RK and vice versa at idle.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,379
Likes: 226
If you plan to ride at 65 an above solo or two up "a lot". Just go with the RK and get the seat and bars right for you and the Mrs. The softail motor buzzes and is a PIA out on the open road when eating a lot of miles compared to a glide.
If you are going to be only on backroads and doing 50 and below for the overwhelming majority of the ride, than either one can do it, but the softail is lighter and lower and the couterbalced motor can quell all the vibes at those speeds.
If you are going to be only on backroads and doing 50 and below for the overwhelming majority of the ride, than either one can do it, but the softail is lighter and lower and the couterbalced motor can quell all the vibes at those speeds.
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From: UK
If you plan to ride at 65 an above solo or two up "a lot". Just go with the RK and get the seat and bars right for you and the Mrs. The softail motor buzzes and is a PIA out on the open road when eating a lot of miles compared to a glide.
If you are going to be only on backroads and doing 50 and below for the overwhelming majority of the ride, than either one can do it, but the softail is lighter and lower and the couterbalced motor can quell all the vibes at those speeds.
If you are going to be only on backroads and doing 50 and below for the overwhelming majority of the ride, than either one can do it, but the softail is lighter and lower and the couterbalced motor can quell all the vibes at those speeds.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,833
Likes: 35
From: Southern Maryland
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