I have a 15 RGS, with ~ 10k miles, I have only put about 500 dollars invested in add on parts that I can't get back (powder coated parts). I'm pretty sure I want a Road Glide Ultra now and I'm trying to figure what the magic number is for me to trade. Bear in mind I'm primarily considering the 2016 Ultra vs the 2017 for cost and reusing parts, and color. I rode both 2016 and 2017 and my 1st thought was the 2017, but as I consider it more the 2016 would be a more reasonable choice.
Here are my questions, what would you feel is a reasonable amount of cash to make the trade from Special to Ultra if both bike were of similar condition?

I didn't get a long enough ride on these bikes to really make a good decision, is the Ultra really that different than the special in the long run? I know what features I like but is your Ultra X factor better than a special, that you couldn't swap?

I noticed the 16 Ultra seemed a little sluggish, I assumed it was not fully broken in, or does the tourpack and lowers do that?

What should I expect to feel when/if I add a QD kit to the tourpack, in terms of handling?

I ride in traffic in Hotlanta, will I see huge benefits from twin cooling?

I'm looking at the trade to ultra from the special because if I add everything I could do myself it still wouldn't be complete and I think I'd spend more money in the long run. The 2017 was a great ride but I think in the end the numbers won't work. I will crunch both but right now I'm looking for some real world input to factor into my thinking on the difference between the two.

 

I had an 11 RGU. Tons of money into it. Traded it for a 16 RGS. Had the RGS for 3 months put 6k on it that fast. Had to run a rental. They gave me a 16 rgu. I couldn't wait to give it back. My bike is decatted with a FP3. No noticeable difference in heat. At all. What I did notice the rgu rode like **** compared to my RGS. I remembered quickly the feeling of the tour pack in a side wind. The dull dash was ugly (to me). The bars though taller sucked as bad as the special. Wrist angle sucks. My wife would flinch at every bump. The 16 still has air shocks. So there's money you're going to want to spend right away.

I love the rgu. I almost bought one. But for me the RGS has more of what I wanted. And I don't need a tour pack. I have a Kury bag that holds more and I use it as a back rest.

I'm not trashing the rgu. I'm comparing it to my RGS. And its just my opinion. Like i said. I ordered the black and silver rgu. Bought the black quartz rgs. What I did was buy a hammock seat and color matched lowers.

Bang for your buck here is buy a tourpak and lowers and be don't with it. There's lowers on amazon color matched for your bike half the cost of harley. I'm sure they have tour packs too.

 

Your trading a 2015 for a discounted left over 2016. No way your going to have any room. the 2017's have already lowered market value of the 2016's. Traded my 2016 RGU with 20K on it a while back for a 2017 RGU.
Adding a tour pack on a RGS does not make it an Ultra. You can kid your self all you want a RGS with knock off lower and a tour pack will return nothing down the road it is still a RGS and nothing more.
The wet head is well worth the difference.

 

Funny thing, when I rode 17 RGU, one of the first things I thought about was, I wonder how much better the Special would ride! I thought about pricing the 17 special with tourpack and lowers. I liked the tourpack speakers on the RGU. I'm not a fan of speakers in the bags, personally.

 

For what it's worth. I could only hear my tour pack speakers when I turned my head. My wife said she heard the fronts better than the tour pack. Don't let the speakers be a deciding factor. Now the 17 rgu has the premium ride shocks. So that and the fat front tire some added weight I'll bet that rides better than the RGS.

Good luck. Tough decision.

 

I'm trying to understand what you mean by room, I think you're saying I have more in the 15, than the 16 is worth since the value of both is down due to the 17s, mileage and age etc, but I was asking what a "reasonable" difference might be. I have looked at Kelly blue book but I'm trying to get real world value input from people that have owned them. Thanks

 

The "reasonable" difference is very subjective and really based on how much you want to spend to change models. You want to trade a 2 year old bike with 10K miles, that many dealer's really don't want/need in their inventory.

If you were trading a 2015 used RGS for a 2016 new RGS (same model), you would likely be looking at $5-6K difference between your trade value and discounted price of the new bike. The price difference between a 2016 RGS and a RGU is about $2K.

So your dealer would probably would probably need about $6-7K to make the change work for them. Your call if that is reasonable to you for a new (but 1 model year-old) bike. Seems like a bit much to me.

 

Worth it? That's subjective. Everyone has opinions. I now ride a Tri Glide, but the first of the year I traded for a 16 SGS, love it but found myself buying a tour pack, lowers, wanting a CB radios etc....I told myself to stop, I was trying to turn into an Ultra. It road stiff on rear shocks. I traded for a 16 Ultra and never regretted it. The Ultra for me road so much better, also installed the CB and XM radio. It was much better for touring. Now if you ride solo, under 200 miles on trips it may not be worth it. If your ride two up, like to tour, the ultra is a better ride, more travel in suspicion, love the box and lowers. I bought the ultra, not the limited so mine was air cooled.
It's a dicission only you can make, weigh your options and riding style. I rode over 7000 miles this year on the UC before going back to a Tri Glide. Long distance riding is what I like, seeing the country.

 

Trading is merely a convenience for the buyer,,, the dealer will make out every time. They are NOT in the business of giving you top dollar for your trade, they are in the business of making money. I have bought my next vehicle and sold the old one every time before I moved to NC. But in Missouri they had a deal where if you sold within 180 days before or after a purchase, it came off the sales tax with a notarized bill of sale. I did trade my '10 SG for my 15 RGS here because it had 50k miles on it. Bike was clean as a whistle, and did NOT look like it. Had tires with only 3-4k on them. I guess the mileage bothered most people. Advertised for about 6 weeks with not one person to come and look at it. Had offers of 12,000 sight unseen. So I did trade it, because I got 12 trade and it did change my sales tax here, (NC doesn't do what Mo does)
So,, if you have a Low mileage clean bike, I'd try to sell it first, then take the cash to dealer for down payment.

 

When I made up my mind to trade the 2016 RGU I enjoyed for a 2017 RGU it was just a madder of when. 2016 was a busy year for me in many ways so I only had 20K on my 16. My riding years averages 20-60-K.
I have been with the same dealership many years so there is no dealing it just a straight up 5 minute thing to move to a new ride. Pick a color and move on. Dealer likes my higher mileage bikes for good reason. They can discount them more and they sell fast. Always a rider that really does not put many miles on looking for a Bike in great shape but has a lower price due to miles.
The first RGU dealer got in was a Black hills gold and black one, then they got a Silver and black like my 16 in. Wife and grandchildren picked The black hills gold.
Done deal. In the back of my mind I saw the left over 2016's with some major discounts and incentives, I knew that would effect my trade. It turned out not to be a big deal because of what I posted above. Long ago got away from financing anything
that also plays into how it all works out for me.
The only thing that was holding me back at first was I liked the 2016, it was a great ride . I traded only because I wanted the new engine. Was worth it IMO. The 2017 over all is a great package.
Trading a 2015 to purchase a left over 2016 and financing involved turns into a paper game. The 2015 likely needs the value inflated to make the deal then of course the 2016 gets the same treatment in the end the numbers get worked out. Two things work against you here. Left over 2016's due to interest in the 2017's and trades coming in on the 2017. The market is hit with both the trades and the need to move the new 2016's. They will sell 2017's no way to avoid that. How many we will see. I am not the only one at the dealership that traded a 2016 for a 2017.
If you really want to make the move like others have said sell yours out right and walk in with no trade you will come out better. Just be realist about what a private sale will bring for your 2015.
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