tdp1: Sounds like you are going through the same decision process that I have been going through. From what I have found, you can't really go wrong either way. I went into my dealer on Saturday and we got talking about this very thing, Road King vs. Heritage. He brought something up that confirmed my decision on a Heritage. He was talking with a guy that owns both a Heritage and a RK. This guy can ride 700 miles in a day. He said that it is pretty tough to ride that kind of mileage on a Softail but he can do it on a Road King.
The touring bikes are definitley better for the long haul, but around town the jolting at idle can bother you. I don't see myself doing a lot of long trips nor doing 700 miles in a day. My dealer who rides a Road Glide says the most he does in a day is 150-200 miles and said this type of distance is very doable on a Softail.
What made my mind up is how I looked and felt on each bike. I really liked how I looked with the extended rake on the Heritage and the higher bars. I didn't really like the way I looked with the shorter rake of Road King nor did I like the bars. But I really liked the smoothness at higher speeds and the RK seemed to have a bit more power.
What it came down for me is what type of riding I am going to be doing. I mainly see myself riding around town maybe to work here and there with an occasionaly 200 mile trip a couple times a year. For my situation the Heritage will work a little better. Although I still could not of gone wrong with the RK, I would just have had to learn to deal with the jolting at idle and the looks of the shorter rake.
If you haven't ridden them both yet, I would highly suggest you do. I went to a rally and got to ride both of them. If you can't do that, then rent them both for a day and see which one you like better.
Hope this helps you.
The touring bikes are definitley better for the long haul, but around town the jolting at idle can bother you. I don't see myself doing a lot of long trips nor doing 700 miles in a day. My dealer who rides a Road Glide says the most he does in a day is 150-200 miles and said this type of distance is very doable on a Softail.
What made my mind up is how I looked and felt on each bike. I really liked how I looked with the extended rake on the Heritage and the higher bars. I didn't really like the way I looked with the shorter rake of Road King nor did I like the bars. But I really liked the smoothness at higher speeds and the RK seemed to have a bit more power.
What it came down for me is what type of riding I am going to be doing. I mainly see myself riding around town maybe to work here and there with an occasionaly 200 mile trip a couple times a year. For my situation the Heritage will work a little better. Although I still could not of gone wrong with the RK, I would just have had to learn to deal with the jolting at idle and the looks of the shorter rake.
If you haven't ridden them both yet, I would highly suggest you do. I went to a rally and got to ride both of them. If you can't do that, then rent them both for a day and see which one you like better.
Hope this helps you.
