I know that many folks want the bigger bikes. There are many reasons for this.
We do a lot of two lane roads, even when we're on a long distance run. For me, the Road King was a bit much to handle for some of those roads... getting on and off of gravel roads, uneven parking, tight turn arounds, etc.
Soooo - we traded the Road King in on a Heritage Soft Tail and proceeded to add 400+ miles to the odometer.
The Heritage is a fantastic bike. Sorta does everything well, with classic looks and a low seat height, which translates to feeling much lighter than it is when hauling it around. Never owned one, but rented one for a weekend once and have ridden a bunch of others. If I were getting another bike, that'd be right at the top of the list of potential candidates.
RK is a helluva nice bike, no doubt. The Heritage just feels damned good, though.
I purchased a brand new Heritage back in 2003. This is by far my favorite bike of any I've owned. I guess that's why I've kept it all these years and sold many others. As someone else said, this bike does everything well. The Heritage is not as comfortable for long trips but I love the handling more than any touring bike I've ever owned.
I've only put about 3000 miles on mine, but here are my observations. Keep in mind I've only owned an 05 lowrider (still own it).
1. The LR is quicker, mostly because it has several mods, including 95 kit with 203 cams and SE heads. IMO, the Heritage needs a cam for better roll-on performance. As soon as I get some time, I'm going to replace it.
2. The ride is very good on the highway, but it is a bit bouncier on a rough street with bumps and potholes. I don't mind it at all.
3. The engine is very smooth at idle, as I expected, and I do not notice the infamous softail buzz some folks talk about.
4. I have only scraped the footboard once on a twisty. I don't ride aggressively, so that's not an issue. If I want to ride more aggressively, I'll take the Lowrider. I'm accustomed to scraping the boards on it (yes, it has boards).
5. On the '05 LR, the key is under the seat on the right side, quite possibly the absolute worst place for it. I'm loving the switch on the Heritage tank.
6. The seating position is perfect for me, since I'm inseam challenged. I removed the heel shift lever, and I'm quite happy with the toe shifter.
My buddy has s '14, i'm a little jealous. He's changed out some bulbs,added a rear led fendertip brake tail light and had Boss bags reinforce his bags. Also installed old style grips and black levers and a stage1 with Khromewerks mufflers..Added a racetech fork spring and Ricor intiminator to the front forks. Over the winter a 49 tooth Evo Idustries clutch basket goes on to lower the gearing and a mild cam.
I still clock on the miles on my 98 Heritage. Even though it's an Evo I don't find it any problem to drive hundreds of miles each day. Just got back from a quick 1000 mile tour of Maine N.H. and Vermont. Bike runs and handles great. I've been also riding a 2002 police issue road king but find that the shock loaded seat makes the bike a bit tall to feel comfortable. I'm sure a lower seat would help a lot. I've had the heritage since 2002 and don't see any reason to change rides.. Happy with mine.