[dan mccarthy]

Help! Any advice on heritage softail classic vs.road king classic? Looking to purchase this fall, so any suggestion would be appreciated.

Thanks, Dan

 

[skydoc]

Dan

Both are great bikes so it really depends on what your looking for. Could you be a bit more specific on what kind of recommendations you would like? Thanks and welcome to the board.

 

[supersport]

Hey Dan,

Welcome! The Road King would be my personal preferrence keeping in mind it would be in addition to my hot rod FXDX. Here is a little elementary tech that you may or may not already be savy to.

The Road king has a rubber mounted Twin Cam 88 engine (Alpha Motor), and a frame very similar to the old FXR. It is of the FLH or touring family, where as the Heritage is of the Softail family with a counterbalanced, solid mounted Twin Cam engine (Beta Motor) More cruiser oriented with a nostalgic flair.

The TC 88 B has alot more moving parts as opposed to the TC 88 A what with the counterbalance shafts and supporting chain drive system. This imparts a nominal power loss and a lower RPM rev limit. The suspension travel of a Softail is somewhat limited to preserve the form over function hardtailesque styling.

A friend of mine and service manager at my dealership has a '95 Bad Boy(Softail) and can't take the beating it gives his lower back. After Three hours in the saddle, he can hardly walk. The Road King suspension is of a much more compliant touring oriented design. Much more comfortable for the long haul.

In my opinion, the Softail is a pretty poor copy of the old hardtail design. There are more realistic and functional designs out there such as Atlas, Daytek, Ness, Rubberglide(monoshock, under seat mounted). The list goes on.

Don't get me wrong, the Softail continues to be Harleys most popular model and I wouldn't mind owning one. The aftermarket has just improved upon their design in some cases.

The Softail has been improved upon by the factory also what with the B Motor and totaly redesigned more rigid chassis. The Choice is ultimately up to you and your intended riding style. Personal taste and preferrence play a major role in our choices.

Good luck and happy shopping!

Mike

 

[dan mccarthy]

Skydoc

Skydoc,
Thanks for the reply, I guess i was a little to brief. I'm looking for info. like suspension, comfort(wife on back), durability, over all ride and performance. What about 88A vs.88B, fuel injection vs.carburetor? Also what about a trip to Sturgis with two up.
Again, thanks for your response I need all the help I can get.

Ride safe,
Dan

 

[dan mccarthy]

Supersport

Thanks for the response and all the information.I see that I have some evaluations to make.I think my primary use will be crusier style riding, however the wife and I will make a few long trips a year.So maybe the heritage is the bike for me.Based on this, what do you think?
Again, thanks for the reply!

Ride Safe,
Dan

 

[JimmyK]

Hiya Mac,

To be honest, there is really nothing anyone could say that should make a difference in your decision.

Which bike do YOU want? I mean really want and intend to think of as your baby?

No one can pick out your bike and no one can pick out your woman.

Less of course it is some sort of arranged relationship


HEY! IS THIS YOUR FIRST SCOOT?

 

[supersport]

Hey Dan,

Your welcome! The decision is up to you. The Road King does make a nice cruiser, especially with the detatchable windshield removed. The Heritage is also a nice ride. Just not my cup of tea.

The choice between a fuely or carb is also a matter of preferrence, at this timeanyway. Before too long It is my belief that carbureted Harleys are going to be a thing of the past. There is more and more emerging technology out there every day to improve upon the performance aspects of fuel injected Harleys. I would be hard pressed to choose between the two.

Choose yer drethers and enjoy the experience. Talk to those in the know and reap the rewards of thier input. See you around.

Mike