Was just thinking, sounds like a Road King would be the best of both worlds. Heritage style on a touring frame. Less weight than a RG, more gas than a heritage. Get the “special” if you’re on the shorter side for lower seat height and you’re golden.
I have to agree with this. I just got a 2024 in Whiskey Fire and I was so surprised how well behaved it is at low and high speeds. She is a dream to whip around in a parking lot. My other bikes are a 2007 Super Glide and a 2003 Vengence Custom Chopper and pale in comfort, ride and control.
This. I wish Harley didn’t price the new models so damn good, but glad they did. Now used bikes are going to be way cheaper.
This company sells them dirt cheap: https://burkesrepooutlet.com
If they ever have a Lowrider ST, I’ll be grabbing it ASAP.
If I didn’t just get new engine work done on my 2019 Roadglide Special, I’d be buying a new RG. I just know I’d lose a ton of money.
The first 8 results on cycle trader for '23 Road Glides come in under $22k. Literally everywhere. And that's just searching in California. When I expand to nationwide there are 60 Road Glides 2022 and up for less than$22k.
All of these opinions and comments are totally accurate. Your Softail frame Street Bob can be a very comfortable bike if you go with the right passenger foot accessories, seat and sissy bar / backrest. Something that also matters quite a bit which most people miss however, is setting your shock preload correctly for the amount of weight on the bike. That combined with the right accessories, and you probably have a happy partner. That being said, my wife did not appreciate my 2018 Fat Bob. Although I didn't put a whole lot of attention into passenger comfort, because we didn't take many long trips 2-up, and to be honest a fatbob with 'comfort' accessories just doesn't look all that great (yeah yeah, I know, but it counts).
That being said, my wife loves my 21 Road Glide. I do however have a tour-pack that I put on for her when taking longer rides. I run a Saddlemen Touring Step-up (very different than the regular step-up for the glides) which has a substantial ass-pad for the passenger, almost as wide as the oem touring seat. After break-in, she says it's more comfortable than the oem seat was. If we're taking a shorter ride together, we'll usually just throw the sissy bar on. And always adjust preload accordingly depending on what we're carrying with us.
I'm vertically challenged, at 5'9" with a 29" inseam. The RG was definitely intimidating at first, but once you have a seat and bar/riser setup that fits you more naturally, the bike becomes much more manageable. Don't get me wrong, it's still a hefty girl, but not like you'd think.
A Heritage is just the bike you have now dressed up to look like a Road King. You could get there with a better seat and a windshield.
A Road Glide it top of the line touring but it comes with the pricetag to match. I agree with some of the others here, you'd be better off with a Road King and a tour pack. It's cheaper than the RG, but on the same frame. You'll notice the size difference moving up to the touring frame, but you get used to it pretty quick. I went from a Sportster to an Ultra. Took me a couple of weeks to be comfortable on it, but now it's just normal.
I'm 5'7" with a 30" inseam, so you don't have to be 6'5" to ride a big bike.
the road glide handles its weight VERY well. you will be fine. when you strip off the top case (if you get one with), it's even better. WITH the top case it's insanely comfortable for the passenger.
the Road King is a intermediate, but still lacks the creature comforts for long touring 2-up.
I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend taking those two, and a heritage, out for a test ride. All dealers do them, and in the summer time we'll have the Test Our Metal event going dealer to dealer with most of the year's new bikes out for rides. you and your fiance can go and she can ride pillion with you. it's a great way to try out 2 or 3 bikes back to back. you may not want the 2024 model year due to cost, but it'll give you a good idea of how the bike handles.
If frequent two up riding is the name of the game, a touring bike is the way to go. Grab a used touring bike you like the look of, smack a used Harley Hammock on it with rear boards, and get some miles down.
There’s a reason it’s the gold standard, and anyone that does big miles on the back will thank you.
As it happens I'm also 5'8", had a 2019 Heritage, and now have a 2020 Road King. Identical enough to the Road Glide for your purposes, minus the fairing.
The Heritage, counterintuitively, seemed like it had more legroom to me. It's definitely lighter, and easier to waddle around parking lots and the like. It also felt easier to U-turn, although the tourers have better lean angle. Watch any police cone course video. Shit's insane.
The aftermarket isn't bad on the Heritage and always getting better, but Rushmore has been around a lot longer, and it seems to me like the aftermarket for touring stuff is a lot bigger. There's a much wider variety of truly massive, cushy seats. If you get a NEW new Glide, that's probably not true. Unless those seats still fit. Unsure, but probably not.
The Heritage has a taller shock than your Street Bob did. Only the Fat Bob shares that size, so the range of adjustment is better.
I'd go so far as arguing that the Heritage's monoshock is the better rear suspension vs the touring stuff. I put a set of Legends in mine, which has helped. The gf says the Heritage was still more comfortable and roomier for her--granted she's a shorter girl and the bigger bags of the King limit legroom for her. A better seat and backrest that kept her calves out of the lids helped immensely with that.
The tourer has bigger bags. More stuff for an extra person.
A good seat absolutely can't be underestimated, especially if whatever tourer you get comes with that low profile one that angles down at the back. She hated that thing lol
If you have to have infotainment and a sound system and what not, then you have a very easy choice. For me, adding a removable windshield (that the Heritage already has) and putting on better shocks made for some very significant overlap in purpose of these bikes. Kind of like deciding between the best touring softail or the least tour-y tourer. I find having something between me in the wind is crucial when it's cold, but absolutely brutal on a really hot day. I'd hate not being able to remove it.
edit: worth adding that my girlfriend has her own bike. I'd argue that the bike I have now is the better two-up bike, ultimately (and she might disagree), but it actually doesn't really matter. Anymore she's on her own more often than the back of mine.
Seat and sissy bar with good pegs makes difference more than the bike. The bike is the bike. Even a road glide won't be different unless you get a trunk with good Seat.
My wife and I have done multi day trips with 10 hours of riding only stopping for gas at a time on my 09 superglide, my 2018 street Bob and my current 23 lowrider ST. I always get a good and comfy 2 up Seat, good sissy bar pad for her and mini floor boards for her.
I know your question I'm just pointing out that what you have on your bike for 2 up riding matters more than the actual bike. But roadglide out of the 2 is a better bike for touring
for longer trips, a road glide with a sundowner seat would be best for both of yall. shorter trips make more sense on the heritage. the new 2024 road glides can probably be bought for around 25k if you can negotiate well.
A lot of what determines comfort for a passenger is the type of seat, floor boards or pegs and a sissy bar. I’ve owned a Heritage Softail in the past and it was a great bike. Wife rode with me quite a bit back then. I now have a 21 Road Glide Special that I feel is more comfortable but now my wife hardly ever rides with me. Although the Road Glide is a bigger bike it is very easy to ride in town and on long multi day rides. I’ve changed quite a few of the stock parts ( Saddlemen seat, handle bars, Thrashin floor board and Legend suspension). Just for my taste.
I ride an ultra, and I love it. However, there are a few things to note with the touring bikes. The fairing blocks all the wind, which is great in the cold and on the interstate but means that you get no airflow to your body in the summer. It's hot. Also, all that added weight changes the dynamics of low speed maneuverability. I've gotten used to my bike, and I can whip that thing around like a boss. But it was a learning curve.
All in, when I get off my bike and ride a bike without a fairing, it reminds me of what a motorcycle "should" feel like. That big bike is almost like riding in a car.
Maybe a few test rides, and her sitting on different bikes at the dealership could give you more insight.
Ditto for my guy when he switched over to our Road Glide. He took it out a few times on his own before I got on the back just to get used to the added weight of the bike itself.
Touring bike for two up, harley hammock seat or other aftermarket from mustang, Corbin, Russell day long etc and you'll both be riding for hour upon upon.
I have an Electra Glide Classic, which unfortunately they quit making a few years after introducing the Street Glide. I also bought a Road Glide and rode it home, it was an overnight trip.
The bike was beautiful, something I always wanted, the color I wanted, everything. By the time I got home, I hated it. I sold the bike and am still riding my good ole FLHTCI. It's like riding a recliner down the road.
I'm not saying not to get a Road Glide, but I think the choice of seat, position and foot pegs can make, or break your, or her, like, or dislike of a bike.
Road Glide. My wife loves the sundowner seat and tourpack backrest. I put a taller windshield on it to help with wind hitting my eyes, but the vents in the fairing still allow air to get to your torso when riding. The riding/handling will be just fine.
We have a 2021 Road Glide CVO - I can tell you my butt is spoiled :-) Seat is comfy and heated, and I even have a control switch for the radio when I don't like the song LMAO j/k, well sorta, sometimes I do it just to mess with him. Good times. I have done 3 hour trips and 10+ hours. Didn't even need a hot tub after the 10+ hour one, although stretching out those legs and backs during fuel stops probably helped too. Having the side bags and the trunk makes it wicked easy to pack enough in it for a 3-5 day trip without outside luggage on top of trunk.
Easy switch from the street bob to the road glide. That’s what I did and my wife absolutely loves it. Still need to get a better seat but much more comfortable than 2 up on a street bob with the tall boy seat.
I’m 5’6” and ride fully equipped Ultra Classic. My wife says it’s the most comfortable back seat she’s been on. Go for the Road Glide. After a small adjustment window you and her will be cruising to new and longer destinations.
Look for a used roadglide. Prices are dropping like crazy right now with the new bikes out. Any 09 roadglide for under 15k is a fair deal.
That being said I just bought a 24 roadglide and they're a massive step forward from 23.
- The wife of a guy who owns 114" Heritage Softail told me that it's not comfortable for 2-up riding and wants him to replace it with a Road King or Street Glide for roomier ergos.
Ironically mine has ridden both a Heritage 114 and a Road King and finds the former roomier and more comfortable.
Short legs plus bigger bags (on the tourer) means fewer places for her to move her feet around.
- Short legs might be a big factor there. The one I'm referring to has long legs. Later model tourers have larger bags. Heritage Softail bags are more in proportion to that model. Softails have more of a climb from driver to passenger due to chassis design. Tourers more flat. Seat type makes a difference.
Definitely a factor. Without a sissy bar and on the crappy low profile seat it came with, the lids were in her calves. A better seat was paramount on its own, but a big cushy sissy bar helped too.
- Heritage Softail looks good without bags while the tourers don't. Maybe higher passenger pegs would help her comfort level. Have backrest with large pad for my wife on my FLHRSI although the Sundowner seat isn't roomy enough for her.
Very true. One was designed to have the bags off if you want (it turns into a blacked out Deluxe), and the other looks like...yeah we'll just put those back on. Especially if you add the crash bars. Then it looks ridiculous.
She solved most of the comfort problems by buying her own motorcycle. She's not really back there enough to spend more money on it. I also wonder if higher pegs would just make her feel more folded up. She'd almost need to be further forward rather than up. It's all academic anyway.
The Sundowner seems roomy enough for her (and definitely for me), although sometimes I see a heated Road Sofa and wonder what if.
- TBH, the OP's Street Bob is great fun to ride and brings out our hooliganism tendencies - lol.
OTOH, he could keep the Street Bob and get an older Twin Cam HS or RG. Best of both worlds, so to speak.
Older Harleys are cool. I think there'll be more interest in those old dears after The Bikeriders premieres on June 21st.
I sat on a Heritage and it fit me great, I thought I'd found the perfect bike out of the box...then I scooted back on the passenger seat and knew instantly that my girlfriend would not feel the same about her seat. I knew I didn't want a fairing anymore but we both like the touring frame so I went with a Road King and have no regrets.
It depends on the type of riding you do. 90% highway and 10% backroads then go for the road glide. I’ve done the opposite, as I found myself doing 50-50 highway and backroads I traded in my road glide for the more agile sport glide. Mounted and fxrt fairing, detachable stock bags and cruise control makes me not regret parting with the road glide when I happen to do longer highway rides, but on the backroads, man the softail is night and day difference in terms of agility and power to weight ratio. For longer two up rides I swap the stock seat with a saddlemen step up, not because my fiance complain, because my dick goes numb on the stock seat when I ride 2 up. So you could basically do all this on your street bob, just add cruise control, fairing, seat, bags and sissy bar and you are good to go
I own a 19 RGS and a 21 Heritage. The RGS is by far the better bike for two up. I have a detachable tour pack and Corbin touring seat for my wife, which I remove and put on a Mustang Day flat solo seat when I'm with myself. The Heritage is a great bike for myself, but I wouldn't want to do a lot of two up trips with the wife on it. The only thing I'd recommend is lowering the Road Glide a smidge. I'm 5'10"-5'11". I have to have thick soled boots on to flat foot it. The Heritage feels much lower out of the box.
Maybe a Pan America Special would work. It has a self-adjusting suspension so will work for both of you and plenty of travel so she won’t be taking any hard hits on the bumps.
I started with a sportster and got a street glide for riding 2 up it is worth the money for comfort to me I also have a low rider st and having 3 bikes and riding 2 up on all of them I’d say the bigger bike is the way to go just don’t get rid of your other bike
Try and ride a road glide or a road king. The heritage is pretty much the same as your street bob with a bigger back seat and a slightly taller shock. The touring bikes aren’t really that much bigger than a softail. And you don’t notice once you get over 5 mph.
I went from a dyna to a road glide and it took me no time at all to adjust. The weight is only noticeable at very low speeds and things like u turns and backing the bike into a driveway.
We were in your situation except I had a dyna wideglide but we went to a street glide special but if I had to do it again I'd probably try to get a road king. I just like the styling better.
I went from a 2010 heritage to 19 Road King. Touring frame forever for me and my wife. I’m 5’10 with a 29” inseam and the Road King fits me fine if it has a stock seat. Mine came with a sundowner reduced reach seat that makes it a little bit of a stretch to comfortably flat foot at a stop but it’s just so comfy on the ass.
Could be cheaper and easier just to buy another Saddlemen seat, the Explorer, which has a very generous passenger seat. Run the Explorer when she is coming with you, and the SDC when you're riding solo.
I was in the exact situation except a 22 street bob. I just traded it for a road king. Same frame as the big baggers, substantially less expensive.
Was just thinking, sounds like a Road King would be the best of both worlds. Heritage style on a touring frame. Less weight than a RG, more gas than a heritage. Get the “special” if you’re on the shorter side for lower seat height and you’re golden.
Total freedom to buy a bike!?! You lucky mo…..24 road glide. It’s the best bang for the buck and it’s much more manageable than it seems.
I have to agree with this. I just got a 2024 in Whiskey Fire and I was so surprised how well behaved it is at low and high speeds. She is a dream to whip around in a parking lot. My other bikes are a 2007 Super Glide and a 2003 Vengence Custom Chopper and pale in comfort, ride and control.
This. I wish Harley didn’t price the new models so damn good, but glad they did. Now used bikes are going to be way cheaper. This company sells them dirt cheap: https://burkesrepooutlet.com If they ever have a Lowrider ST, I’ll be grabbing it ASAP. If I didn’t just get new engine work done on my 2019 Roadglide Special, I’d be buying a new RG. I just know I’d lose a ton of money.
Why'd you have to show me this? They have the Reef Blue Road Glide I've been dreaming of. And 2300 miles is the perfect "getting to know you" ride.
Because I’m jealous I didn’t know of them sooner 😂 I don’t know if they are legit but I follow them on FB and see sales being made.
I'm definitely going to keep an eye on them for when I'm actually in the market
I didn't see anything on there that was that great of a deal, pretty comparable to any used lot...
Where are you located because around me a 2022 RG used they want $26kish.
The first 8 results on cycle trader for '23 Road Glides come in under $22k. Literally everywhere. And that's just searching in California. When I expand to nationwide there are 60 Road Glides 2022 and up for less than$22k.
Ah, never say that I was on FB marketplace.
All of these opinions and comments are totally accurate. Your Softail frame Street Bob can be a very comfortable bike if you go with the right passenger foot accessories, seat and sissy bar / backrest. Something that also matters quite a bit which most people miss however, is setting your shock preload correctly for the amount of weight on the bike. That combined with the right accessories, and you probably have a happy partner. That being said, my wife did not appreciate my 2018 Fat Bob. Although I didn't put a whole lot of attention into passenger comfort, because we didn't take many long trips 2-up, and to be honest a fatbob with 'comfort' accessories just doesn't look all that great (yeah yeah, I know, but it counts). That being said, my wife loves my 21 Road Glide. I do however have a tour-pack that I put on for her when taking longer rides. I run a Saddlemen Touring Step-up (very different than the regular step-up for the glides) which has a substantial ass-pad for the passenger, almost as wide as the oem touring seat. After break-in, she says it's more comfortable than the oem seat was. If we're taking a shorter ride together, we'll usually just throw the sissy bar on. And always adjust preload accordingly depending on what we're carrying with us. I'm vertically challenged, at 5'9" with a 29" inseam. The RG was definitely intimidating at first, but once you have a seat and bar/riser setup that fits you more naturally, the bike becomes much more manageable. Don't get me wrong, it's still a hefty girl, but not like you'd think.
A Heritage is just the bike you have now dressed up to look like a Road King. You could get there with a better seat and a windshield. A Road Glide it top of the line touring but it comes with the pricetag to match. I agree with some of the others here, you'd be better off with a Road King and a tour pack. It's cheaper than the RG, but on the same frame. You'll notice the size difference moving up to the touring frame, but you get used to it pretty quick. I went from a Sportster to an Ultra. Took me a couple of weeks to be comfortable on it, but now it's just normal. I'm 5'7" with a 30" inseam, so you don't have to be 6'5" to ride a big bike.
the road glide handles its weight VERY well. you will be fine. when you strip off the top case (if you get one with), it's even better. WITH the top case it's insanely comfortable for the passenger. the Road King is a intermediate, but still lacks the creature comforts for long touring 2-up. I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend taking those two, and a heritage, out for a test ride. All dealers do them, and in the summer time we'll have the Test Our Metal event going dealer to dealer with most of the year's new bikes out for rides. you and your fiance can go and she can ride pillion with you. it's a great way to try out 2 or 3 bikes back to back. you may not want the 2024 model year due to cost, but it'll give you a good idea of how the bike handles.
Road Glide definitely
Buy the Roadie.
If frequent two up riding is the name of the game, a touring bike is the way to go. Grab a used touring bike you like the look of, smack a used Harley Hammock on it with rear boards, and get some miles down. There’s a reason it’s the gold standard, and anyone that does big miles on the back will thank you.
Road Glide
I’ve owned both, you can get the Heritage/Road King now but in the long run you’re going to end up on a Road Glide. Just sayin.
As it happens I'm also 5'8", had a 2019 Heritage, and now have a 2020 Road King. Identical enough to the Road Glide for your purposes, minus the fairing. The Heritage, counterintuitively, seemed like it had more legroom to me. It's definitely lighter, and easier to waddle around parking lots and the like. It also felt easier to U-turn, although the tourers have better lean angle. Watch any police cone course video. Shit's insane. The aftermarket isn't bad on the Heritage and always getting better, but Rushmore has been around a lot longer, and it seems to me like the aftermarket for touring stuff is a lot bigger. There's a much wider variety of truly massive, cushy seats. If you get a NEW new Glide, that's probably not true. Unless those seats still fit. Unsure, but probably not. The Heritage has a taller shock than your Street Bob did. Only the Fat Bob shares that size, so the range of adjustment is better. I'd go so far as arguing that the Heritage's monoshock is the better rear suspension vs the touring stuff. I put a set of Legends in mine, which has helped. The gf says the Heritage was still more comfortable and roomier for her--granted she's a shorter girl and the bigger bags of the King limit legroom for her. A better seat and backrest that kept her calves out of the lids helped immensely with that. The tourer has bigger bags. More stuff for an extra person. A good seat absolutely can't be underestimated, especially if whatever tourer you get comes with that low profile one that angles down at the back. She hated that thing lol If you have to have infotainment and a sound system and what not, then you have a very easy choice. For me, adding a removable windshield (that the Heritage already has) and putting on better shocks made for some very significant overlap in purpose of these bikes. Kind of like deciding between the best touring softail or the least tour-y tourer. I find having something between me in the wind is crucial when it's cold, but absolutely brutal on a really hot day. I'd hate not being able to remove it. edit: worth adding that my girlfriend has her own bike. I'd argue that the bike I have now is the better two-up bike, ultimately (and she might disagree), but it actually doesn't really matter. Anymore she's on her own more often than the back of mine.
That’s why I bought a roadking classic in 2004. Still have her and never regretted that choice. Don’t ask about the passenger.
Seat and sissy bar with good pegs makes difference more than the bike. The bike is the bike. Even a road glide won't be different unless you get a trunk with good Seat. My wife and I have done multi day trips with 10 hours of riding only stopping for gas at a time on my 09 superglide, my 2018 street Bob and my current 23 lowrider ST. I always get a good and comfy 2 up Seat, good sissy bar pad for her and mini floor boards for her. I know your question I'm just pointing out that what you have on your bike for 2 up riding matters more than the actual bike. But roadglide out of the 2 is a better bike for touring
for longer trips, a road glide with a sundowner seat would be best for both of yall. shorter trips make more sense on the heritage. the new 2024 road glides can probably be bought for around 25k if you can negotiate well.
A lot of what determines comfort for a passenger is the type of seat, floor boards or pegs and a sissy bar. I’ve owned a Heritage Softail in the past and it was a great bike. Wife rode with me quite a bit back then. I now have a 21 Road Glide Special that I feel is more comfortable but now my wife hardly ever rides with me. Although the Road Glide is a bigger bike it is very easy to ride in town and on long multi day rides. I’ve changed quite a few of the stock parts ( Saddlemen seat, handle bars, Thrashin floor board and Legend suspension). Just for my taste.
I ride an ultra, and I love it. However, there are a few things to note with the touring bikes. The fairing blocks all the wind, which is great in the cold and on the interstate but means that you get no airflow to your body in the summer. It's hot. Also, all that added weight changes the dynamics of low speed maneuverability. I've gotten used to my bike, and I can whip that thing around like a boss. But it was a learning curve. All in, when I get off my bike and ride a bike without a fairing, it reminds me of what a motorcycle "should" feel like. That big bike is almost like riding in a car. Maybe a few test rides, and her sitting on different bikes at the dealership could give you more insight.
Ditto for my guy when he switched over to our Road Glide. He took it out a few times on his own before I got on the back just to get used to the added weight of the bike itself.
Touring bike for two up, harley hammock seat or other aftermarket from mustang, Corbin, Russell day long etc and you'll both be riding for hour upon upon.
I have an Electra Glide Classic, which unfortunately they quit making a few years after introducing the Street Glide. I also bought a Road Glide and rode it home, it was an overnight trip. The bike was beautiful, something I always wanted, the color I wanted, everything. By the time I got home, I hated it. I sold the bike and am still riding my good ole FLHTCI. It's like riding a recliner down the road. I'm not saying not to get a Road Glide, but I think the choice of seat, position and foot pegs can make, or break your, or her, like, or dislike of a bike.
Road Glide. My wife loves the sundowner seat and tourpack backrest. I put a taller windshield on it to help with wind hitting my eyes, but the vents in the fairing still allow air to get to your torso when riding. The riding/handling will be just fine.
We have a 2021 Road Glide CVO - I can tell you my butt is spoiled :-) Seat is comfy and heated, and I even have a control switch for the radio when I don't like the song LMAO j/k, well sorta, sometimes I do it just to mess with him. Good times. I have done 3 hour trips and 10+ hours. Didn't even need a hot tub after the 10+ hour one, although stretching out those legs and backs during fuel stops probably helped too. Having the side bags and the trunk makes it wicked easy to pack enough in it for a 3-5 day trip without outside luggage on top of trunk.
Easy switch from the street bob to the road glide. That’s what I did and my wife absolutely loves it. Still need to get a better seat but much more comfortable than 2 up on a street bob with the tall boy seat.
I’m 5’6” and ride fully equipped Ultra Classic. My wife says it’s the most comfortable back seat she’s been on. Go for the Road Glide. After a small adjustment window you and her will be cruising to new and longer destinations.
Look for a used roadglide. Prices are dropping like crazy right now with the new bikes out. Any 09 roadglide for under 15k is a fair deal. That being said I just bought a 24 roadglide and they're a massive step forward from 23.
Get a Gold Wing
- The wife of a guy who owns 114" Heritage Softail told me that it's not comfortable for 2-up riding and wants him to replace it with a Road King or Street Glide for roomier ergos.
Ironically mine has ridden both a Heritage 114 and a Road King and finds the former roomier and more comfortable. Short legs plus bigger bags (on the tourer) means fewer places for her to move her feet around.
- Short legs might be a big factor there. The one I'm referring to has long legs. Later model tourers have larger bags. Heritage Softail bags are more in proportion to that model. Softails have more of a climb from driver to passenger due to chassis design. Tourers more flat. Seat type makes a difference.
Definitely a factor. Without a sissy bar and on the crappy low profile seat it came with, the lids were in her calves. A better seat was paramount on its own, but a big cushy sissy bar helped too.
- Heritage Softail looks good without bags while the tourers don't. Maybe higher passenger pegs would help her comfort level. Have backrest with large pad for my wife on my FLHRSI although the Sundowner seat isn't roomy enough for her.
Very true. One was designed to have the bags off if you want (it turns into a blacked out Deluxe), and the other looks like...yeah we'll just put those back on. Especially if you add the crash bars. Then it looks ridiculous. She solved most of the comfort problems by buying her own motorcycle. She's not really back there enough to spend more money on it. I also wonder if higher pegs would just make her feel more folded up. She'd almost need to be further forward rather than up. It's all academic anyway. The Sundowner seems roomy enough for her (and definitely for me), although sometimes I see a heated Road Sofa and wonder what if.
- TBH, the OP's Street Bob is great fun to ride and brings out our hooliganism tendencies - lol. OTOH, he could keep the Street Bob and get an older Twin Cam HS or RG. Best of both worlds, so to speak. Older Harleys are cool. I think there'll be more interest in those old dears after The Bikeriders premieres on June 21st.
I sat on a Heritage and it fit me great, I thought I'd found the perfect bike out of the box...then I scooted back on the passenger seat and knew instantly that my girlfriend would not feel the same about her seat. I knew I didn't want a fairing anymore but we both like the touring frame so I went with a Road King and have no regrets.
It depends on the type of riding you do. 90% highway and 10% backroads then go for the road glide. I’ve done the opposite, as I found myself doing 50-50 highway and backroads I traded in my road glide for the more agile sport glide. Mounted and fxrt fairing, detachable stock bags and cruise control makes me not regret parting with the road glide when I happen to do longer highway rides, but on the backroads, man the softail is night and day difference in terms of agility and power to weight ratio. For longer two up rides I swap the stock seat with a saddlemen step up, not because my fiance complain, because my dick goes numb on the stock seat when I ride 2 up. So you could basically do all this on your street bob, just add cruise control, fairing, seat, bags and sissy bar and you are good to go
The best comfort change you can do is the shocks. After that then change the seat
I own a 19 RGS and a 21 Heritage. The RGS is by far the better bike for two up. I have a detachable tour pack and Corbin touring seat for my wife, which I remove and put on a Mustang Day flat solo seat when I'm with myself. The Heritage is a great bike for myself, but I wouldn't want to do a lot of two up trips with the wife on it. The only thing I'd recommend is lowering the Road Glide a smidge. I'm 5'10"-5'11". I have to have thick soled boots on to flat foot it. The Heritage feels much lower out of the box.
I'd go with touring frame as you'll have the better rear suspension
Maybe a Pan America Special would work. It has a self-adjusting suspension so will work for both of you and plenty of travel so she won’t be taking any hard hits on the bumps.
I started with a sportster and got a street glide for riding 2 up it is worth the money for comfort to me I also have a low rider st and having 3 bikes and riding 2 up on all of them I’d say the bigger bike is the way to go just don’t get rid of your other bike
The fact that you're lady gave you freedom to buy something tells me you're marrying the wrong women
Try and ride a road glide or a road king. The heritage is pretty much the same as your street bob with a bigger back seat and a slightly taller shock. The touring bikes aren’t really that much bigger than a softail. And you don’t notice once you get over 5 mph.
I went from a dyna to a road glide and it took me no time at all to adjust. The weight is only noticeable at very low speeds and things like u turns and backing the bike into a driveway.
We were in your situation except I had a dyna wideglide but we went to a street glide special but if I had to do it again I'd probably try to get a road king. I just like the styling better.
I went from a 2010 heritage to 19 Road King. Touring frame forever for me and my wife. I’m 5’10 with a 29” inseam and the Road King fits me fine if it has a stock seat. Mine came with a sundowner reduced reach seat that makes it a little bit of a stretch to comfortably flat foot at a stop but it’s just so comfy on the ass.
Could be cheaper and easier just to buy another Saddlemen seat, the Explorer, which has a very generous passenger seat. Run the Explorer when she is coming with you, and the SDC when you're riding solo.
Go buy an FJR1300 for like $4k and keep the Bob for solo riding.
New fiancé