I went from an 883 Sporty to a Softail Custom, now riding the Ultra. Honestly, the most comfortable, fun bike was the Softail. I could ride all day on that and it looked like a million bucks too. But, mama likes the Ultra better, so that's what I ride!

 

Mama hasn't gotten the urge to want her own bike yet, or is she comfy just being a biker babe?

 

If you are going to spend the money on a wg,get a soft tail. The power and weight is a huge differnce on the highway...the sporty is a great bar hopper but not a long distance bike...and no matter what you do ,it won't change

 

Get the WideGlide

 

Sportster is probably not the bike for you. These are essentially bar hoppers. After long rides on mine I'm very uncomfortable. They're nice for the price and what they are but beyond that meh.

 

Sounds to me like you've answered your own question. Pull the trigger on the WG and don't look back...

 

I kept on trading bikes, & never was quite satisfied until I finally ended up on a Road King. My friends all told me this would happen, & they were right.
I should have bought a touring bike from the very beginning. I would have been money ahead.

 

Only you can decide which bike fits you and your riding style.I agree with most that sporties are not very comfy on long rides. had one myself before the wideglide. Go to your dealer and test ride a few different bikes, you'll know when you find the bike for you. If your dealer won't let ya test ride find another dealer! Good luck!

 

I'm 6'0", 220 lbs and have an 08 Sporty 1200. Got it as my first bike a couple years ago to learn to ride on and figure out what I want to upgrade to. Thing is, the thing is growing on me. I've changed the seat, added apes, and put on the engine guard with highway pegs. With those on, frankly, I haven't had any issues with comfort. And for me, it's got plenty of power, especially with upgrades to the exhaust/air cleaner/fuel mgmt. I'm going on a perimeter run around the Korean peninsula next month, which is about 1200 miles in 4 days, so that will be a true test.

Yes, I dumped $3k to get the bike where it is today (including exhaust/air cleaner/fuel mgmt). For me, the current setup is more than adequate for riding around the city during the week and riding around the country on the weekends. And I love the way the Sporty takes the twisties. I haven't riddent a Dyna or Softail, but I would find it hard to believe they handle as well. I'm not saying I won't ever upgrade, but I've been pleasantly surprised at what this bike is capable of. With a few upgrades, I think it will surprise you.

 

+1 on checking out a Softail Custom. That's what I got when I wanted something bigger than my Sportster. Very similar to the WG but a different kind of ride. You can get a pretty good deal on a used one right now as well.