Has anyone ridden both, and can make a quick comparison for me? I saw a Vivid Black Street Glide this weekend, and it's giving me second thoughts about buying a new RK Classic. Thanks for any input.:tour

I haven't didden both but I have read a few reviews on the SG.
Most all love the styling of the lowered customized EG but it has a few short comings in the ride dept. compared with the rest of the touring family.
The EG,RG & RK all share the same chassis as the SG but the SG being lowered looses some cornering clearence with less lean angle available
( already an issue with touring bikes) and it also has a rougher ride with less suspension travel due to shorter shocks.
I like the look of the bike but IMO an EG std.is a much better way to go.
It can have a few custom touches and look much like the SG for less money.

I have a stree glide and I couldn't love it more. I haven't had any cornering problems at all. I've never scrape the floor boards like I have on my buddies Road King and Fatboy.

I have a stree glide and I couldn't love it more. I haven't had any cornering problems at all. I've never scrape the floor boards like I have on my buddies Road King and Fatboy.


Interesting,I went to the H/D web site and looked up the specs.
Not sure how they figure it with the lowered SG unless the footboards are raised but the lean angle for all EG's and RK's including the SG is 30/31 degs according to their site.
The Fatboy is less at 29/29.
I've scraped mine many many time as I'm an agressive rider in the twisties.
I moved the footboads up a notch and that helped out a lot.:D

My experience with the SG is limited. I have ridden the RK and rented one when trying to decide on my current bike. In the end I went with the EG as I liked it best. The SG was a close second, but the Classic came with more for a similar price. I know several people that have that bike and love them. If you can, rent one, or one thing that may help is some soul-searching about whether you want a fairing or detachable w/shield. I don’t think you would go wrong with either. Good luck with the choice, and let us know how it turns out!

I appreciate the input everyone! I'm wrestling with that "detachable windshield vs fairing" thing. Looks vs comfort, etc. I'll be a basket case before this is over...:headbang

I have only driven the RK and have read a lot about all the baggers. I bet in the big picture the handling is not that much different as they are all on the same basic chassis. It is like arguing on whether we like a locked corset or a bikini on Pamela Anderson (hmmm).

I have an RKC, and I bought it because it is the best of both worlds. I drop the windshield and I feel the wind like every other bike I have had. Or I put on the windshield and I have a bonafide tourer meant to gobble up miles albeit not quite as well as the EG and the SG.

What you want is personal choice but I think sometimes people make purchases for that 5-10% of use and forget about how they use things the other 90% of the time. So consider how you will use the bike most during your evaluation!

Good luck and in the end you can’t go wrong with any of them!

My 2 cents.

I like the look of the bike but IMO an EG std.is a much better way to go.
It can have a few custom touches and look much like the SG for less money.

I guess I'd be biased putting my two cents in here! :D But Y2K has a point...in twenty minutes (change the seat and windshield) and for less than $200.00 I can transform my EG Standard from a stock tourer to a "pseudo" Street Glide...it's missing a few of the goodies, but I still think it looks good! This picture below is not my bike, but it'll give you an idea of what I mean!

The extra $2,400.00 difference in price for the Street Glide is probably worth it when you throw in the radio, two extra gauges, a few body mods, along with taking off the running lights and rear crash bars...oh, and more chrome, too! I just like the option of putting mine back to long tour configuration in a few short minutes!

http://aztecbg-club.com/2006_FLHXI.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/planb4/ebayFLHT.jpg

Funny the RK and Street Glide were the two bikes I test rode during my most recent purchasing decision. Other than taking a buddies Heritage out for the day. Those were my three choices. The RK won with the Street Glide a very close second. The few reasons the SG lost:

-Too much wind buffering caused by the faring. And I just couldn't get used to the faring either.
-My fiance was not comfortable with the bags. They sit further up than the RK custom's bags and she felt cramped.

Both are very nice riding scoots and like was said you can't go wrong with either.

Funny the RK and Street Glide were the two bikes I test rode during my most recent purchasing decision. Other than taking a buddies Heritage out for the day. Those were my three choices. The RK won with the Street Glide a very close second. The few reasons the SG lost:

-Too much wind buffering caused by the faring. And I just couldn't get used to the faring either.
-My fiance was not comfortable with the bags. They sit further up than the RK custom's bags and she felt cramped.

Both are very nice riding scoots and like was said you can't go wrong with either.


Thanks y'all!

Interesting note- the fairing question is one that concerns me- I've been told that you get used to it pretty quick, but I may be the exception to the rule. My wife has an 06 Heritage Classic, so there will only be a passenger in time of emergency, (or too much sun & fun :crazyeyes ). I have an 05 XL1200C with 19K on it, and would love to keep it, but the Boss drew the line at that bright idea. One bike is all I get. We live near the Skyline Drive/Shenandoah Valley, and do most of our riding around here, with 150 to 350 mile days. So, I guess handling is an important part of the equation. I'm soooooo confused.:eek I had better get some test riding in soon....

Thanks y'all!

Interesting note- the fairing question is one that concerns me- I've been told that you get used to it pretty quick, but I may be the exception to the rule. My wife has an 06 Heritage Classic, so there will only be a passenger in time of emergency, (or too much sun & fun :crazyeyes ). I have an 05 XL1200C with 19K on it, and would love to keep it, but the Boss drew the line at that bright idea. One bike is all I get. We live near the Skyline Drive/Shenandoah Valley, and do most of our riding around here, with 150 to 350 mile days. So, I guess handling is an important part of the equation. I'm soooooo confused.:eek I had better get some test riding in soon....


First let me say you are one luck bastage getting to ride those roads on a daily basis.

Next as far as handling goes I just had my Road King Custom on some nice twisties over in western Maryland and it handled like a dream. Not as good as a Sporty but close. I was leaving my buddy on his Screamin Eagle Ultra in the dust.

I was leaving my buddy on his Screamin Eagle Ultra in the dust.

Then your buddy doesn't know how to ride it :smoke

The EG & RK are basicly the same bike and the SE 103 should have a lot more power and be quite a bit faster even though it's a tad (about 25lbs) heavier.
Handling should be nearly the same as the chassis is the same.

About that buffeting with the fairing....there is a baffle that fits in the forks and wind deflector wings that attach to the fairing,with both in place it makes a huge difference.
My EG has very little buffeting if any at normal speeds.
I often cruise desert hiways at 90 to 100 mph in complete comfort.:smoke
The SG also has a shorty windshield that doesn't help matters any in that dept.

I was in the exact same position as you. Many years on a Sporty and had it paid off. But the wife said I could have another bike if I wanted....but only one. I wrestled with the dyna vs. touring question, decided on a touring bike and then had to wrestle with the fairing/detachable decision. In the end I chose the fairing because I almost never took my detachable w/shield off the Sportster. I have had the new bike only 3 weeks and have only 1000 miles on her. She doesn't handle like my Sportster, but does handle a lot better than I thought it would. No handling issues at all at speed, no wind issues, etc. The only problem I'm having is balancing the bike at very low speeds where the weight makes me feel I want to put my feet down. But I think that will get better with more miles.

My best advice to you would be to do some thinking on what type of riding/bike will best serve you and go from there. You gotta do some renting if at all possible. My local stealer applied my rental fees to the purchase price so in the end I wasn't out any money. Not to muddy the waters up further, but if handling is of prime importance, many swear by the Road Glide. But like I told a buddy of mine on another forum, these are the good decisions to make! ;) Don't forget to let us know how it goes....

Who cares about speed, you can buy a kaw or Suzuki and get handling and speed. I want to cruise in comfort, kick back put a cd in set the cruise and eat up the miles. And on the few rare occasion that I want to ride a little more aggresivly then I just crank back on the throttlee and remember that 900# won't act like 500# but can still be fun.
I'm never in a hurry to get anywhere any more:smoke

Love my EG and if the need arises and I'm real nice the wife will let me on her sporty and if I'm real lucky theres still a little NOS left in the bottle:D

I appreciate everyone chiming in wth their thoughts and comments. That's a lot of good information. I think I'm going to wait for the local H-D demo day later this year, ride the UG, SG and RK, and make the decision at that point. Since we're almost halfway through 2006, I'll most likely get a 2007 model. By that time, the Sporty will be paid for, and momma may be more inclined to let me keep it around. The sale/trade-in value would take a hit because of the mileage on it.

Pics will be posted!!!:headbang :usa2

I have an ElectraGlide Standard, my nephew has a Road King. The E Glide fairing keeps your hands warmer and dry. The speedometer is easier to see on the E-Glide. The seat is also more comfortable. His windshield has never been off. As long as you are undecided, there is another option. There is an aftermarket fairing that looks like the E-Glide fairing that is removable for Road Kings. There are no guages in it, it has a stereo and speakers only. I like the E-Glide Standard best. If the Sportster does go, maybe you can get another Sportster after the big bike is paid off. :tour

I rented a Road King the other day and went for a 200+ mile ride on a variety of roads, from freeways to country 2-lanes to canyon twisties. In short, I liked the bike very much. It handled well, was very comfortable, and the wind buffeting was no more than on my Sporty with the H-D QD windshield (wind was gusting at 30mph). This week, I'm taking out an EG Standard for a similar run to see how I like the fairing, check how it handles the wind (it's always windy here), etc.

For my money, renting for a day is the way to go. Demo rides are nice, but nothing takes the place of living with the bike for a day or two: riding it on your usual routes, doing some long runs to check the comfort, taking it in and out of your garage (important if your driveway is slanted one way or the other), etc. As someone else here said, most dealers will apply the rental to your eventual purchase, so there is nothing to lose.

If I can deal with the fairing (I can't imagine looking over something that large and losing what's directly in front of me on both sides) and it handles the wind as good as the RK, I'll opt for the EG Standard. The pillion seat is better for my wife and I like the lockable hard bags. I'll just have to add a backrest of some kind and I'll be good to go for less overall cash than the RK.